[NAGDU] Questions About Getting My First Guide Dog

Wed May 18 15:47:01 UTC 2016

Rachel, Emily, and all,

Yes, Emily, feel free to email me off list!  I appreciated your
message so much and could echo what you said about making a
pressidence with people.  I often find that people want me to put my
dog in the trunk of the car.  Yeah, seriously...  And I have never
budged on this one.  My dog goes at my feet on the floor.

Having a dog in my studio is business as usual.  I tend not to tell
students ahead of time except perhaps in passing.  If they have
questions once they see the dog and begin lessons, then I am happy to
answer them.  After all, they are paying for their time with me.  :)
Dan is right about asking for permission.  If a student has allergies
or is seriously afraid of dogs, they will bring it up to you.  I
worked with one student who was afraid of dogs, and she was fine once
she realized the dog wouldn't move unless I told him to do so.

Of course, you should decide what works best for you.  You know your
students best after all.

On 5/18/16, Tracy Carcione via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Hi Rachel.
> You'll have a good time at The Seeing Eye, and it's a great time to come to
> the Garden State!
>
> TSE has 2 cats roaming the halls, so at least your dog will get plenty of
> cat exposure.  Part of the going-home lecture is about introducing your dog
> to other pets, so maybe they will have advice about how to introduce him or
> her to your cat.  I have dogs myself, but no cats.  The dogs haven't been
> jealous, though.
>
> I would never leave my dog alone in a backyard, even my own, and especially
> when he's new and young.  I don't know what trouble he might get into, and
> young dogs are particularly adept at finding trouble.
>
> Good luck with your exciting new adventure!
> Tracy and Seeing Eye dog Krokus
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Rachel Grider
> via
> NAGDU
> Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2016 6:01 PM
> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
> Cc: Rachel Grider
> Subject: [NAGDU] Questions About Getting My First Guide Dog
>
> Hello, Friends!
>
> I don't usually post to this list because, having never used a guide dog, I
> have nothing productive to contribute. This is shortly going to change,
> though, as I will be going to the Seeing Eye to train with a new guide dog
> in two weeks! I am very excited, though this decision has been a very long
> time coming. I am still unsure about some things, but I know that I will
> need to try it out in order to know for sure if a guide dog will be the
> best
> mobility aid for me.
>
> I have a few questions for y'all about adjusting to a new guide dog. I will
> probably think of many more as I proceed, but here are a few with which to
> start:
>
> 1. I teach private voice lessons. I have already notified my students that
> I
> will be away for most of June, but I have not yet told them why. I know
> that
> it would probably be common courtesy to let them know that I am getting a
> guide dog before they show up to my studio and see my dog there. I am
> nervout about telling them because I don't know what kind of reaction I
> will
> get. What have some of you done in similar situations, and how have your
> students/clients/associates reacted?
>
> 2. I happen to own a cat who is not only quite territorial but also
> extremely emotionally attached to me; I mean, when I am home, this cat
> literally follows me around and is always trying to get me to either play
> or
> cuddle with her. The man who did my home interview didn't seem too
> concerned
> about her adjusting to a dog, but because the emotional well-being of my
> cat
> is extremely important to me, I cannot help being worried. I know this
> sounds really stupid, but I am afraid that because my dog will go with me
> whenever I leave my house, and then return home with me, my cat will begin
> to associate me with the dog and instead of growing used to my dog over
> time, she will resent me and not want to be around me as much. Am I reading
> too much into this? Regardless, what are some ways in which you have made
> the transition easier for your pets?
>
> 3. I have two good friends who are allergic to dog hair. Both of them are
> not worried about being around me with the dog, as long as I keep it
> brushed, but I am concerned that despite their reassurances, my
> relationships with them will suffer. One of these friends told me that
> service dogs have been brought to her house before, and as long as the dog
> stayed in the back yard, everything was fine. Is that appropriate to do
> with
> a guide dog? How have some of you dealt with this?
>
> That will be it for now. Any advice would be appreciated. I am counting
> down
> the days until I will get to meet my new guide, but I still want to make
> sure that all proactical considerations are made.
>
> Cheers!
>
> Rachel
>
> http//www.rachelgrider.com
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-- 
Julie A. McGinnity
President, National Federation of the Blind Performing Arts Division,
Second Vice President, National Federation of the Blind of Missouri
"For we walk by faith, not by sight"
2 Cor. 7