[NAGDU] How are guide dogs receaved at national convention?

[andrew edgcumbe]

hi heather I have not had a guide dog i am from canada

On Mon, May 22, 2017 at 4:10 PM, Heather Bird via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
wrote:

> Hello, list. I am interested in any experiences that any of you can share
> regarding treatment of guide dogs at the NFB national conventions. I have
> never been to an NFB National convention. I've never been to an ACB
> national either. I have been to our New York state NFB convention, and that
> went very well, but it was much smaller, being a state convention, and from
> descriptions others have given me, that state convention was on the small
> side. I think there were a grand total of seven service dogs there, funnily
> enough, four of them were ` and five of which were all from the Seeing Eye.
> I have been given to understand that many state conventions are much, much
> larger than ours and that national is larger still. What I am asking, and
> what I am concerned about is how, generally, guide dogs are received by the
> membership. I've heard a few horror stories from guide dog users over the
> years, but as I wasn't a member of either of the two major blindness
> organizations at the time, it all blurred together and I can't recall now
> which stories were NFB national and which were ACB national, or which were
> from the sixties and which from the 90s on, and of course that all makes a
> big difference. So, I want to know from any of you who have attended
> convention, how did people react to you and your dog? If your dog
> misbehaved in a minor way and you immediately corrected the behavior and
> reestablished control did the other person let it go and move on, or did
> they get into your face or gossip about you and your dog? If another
> service dog handler's dog caused a problem for your dog, were the two of
> you able to work it out respectfully, or did things deteriorate? If someone
> accidentally stepped on your dog, hit them with a door or whacked them with
> a cane, did they apologize to you and inquire if your dog was alright, or
> did they blame you and curse you out? I'm sure that every one has had at
> least one good and at least one bad experience, but I am interested in
> whether the majority of the incidents were positive, or negative. When a
> negative incident occurred was it major or minor? More importantly, how was
> it resolved? Were you able to get help with moderate to major problems from
> your mentor, your chapter or affiliate leader or another person in
> authority? Were concerns over any incidents taken seriously, or brushed
> aside or was there victim blaming? I like to think that I am a great
> handler. I know that I am a good handler, and I think I can say that I am a
> great handler. Perfect? No, the best? again, no, but pretty darn competent
> and responsible. Ilsa is an excellent dog, but she is also pretty young.
> She will be about two and a half at the time of national. Realistically I
> know that she is likely to misbehave in very tiny ways, very frequently,
> but never or only extremely rarely in a more serious way. She is quick to
> sniff or wine or to start pulling my arm off, lots of energy, but she is
> also very quick to be corrected or re-directed, often purely verbal and she
> has no serious issues such as dog aggression, relieving accidents outside
> of illness, barking, etc. Any information, experience, feedback or wisdom
> that y'all can share would be very much appreciated.
>
> Thanks much.
>
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