[NAGDU] convention thoughts and a huge thank you!

Mon Jul 16 16:41:38 UTC 2018

Hi Julie.
I've also had to retire a dog who just couldn't take the stress of what I
was asking him to do.  I tried hard to fix the problem, but it was not
fixable.  And, like you say, I could see a real difference in him, once
the stress was gone.  He was a calmer, happier dog.  I hope, should the
situation arise again, that I will remember that, and not try to hold on
so long.
I'm sorry Jetta didn't work out, but you figured out the problems couldn't
be solved, and now she's happy.  And I bet you feel less stressed, too.
Tracy

> It was good to see you too!  I hadn't thought that I felt I owed anyone an
> explanation, but perhaps it was there lying under the surface.  Retiring a
> dog is hard, retiring a young dog is really hard and because of my very
> odd
> circumstance I have done both in the past few months.  It's been a
> struggle
> for sure.  Perhaps I wanted to explain to end the criticism or keep it
> from
> starting.
>
> I have been told that I should just get rid of Jetta and get a new dog.
> Ouch!  I have been told that I should just go through a program, with no
> inquiry of whether or not I want another dog right now.   Perhaps I'm a
> little sensitive about all of this, that could be part of it, but I do
> hope
> to avoid any further insensitive commentary.  Working with a guide dog is
> a
> personal choice and where that dog comes from is likewise a personal
> choice.
> I have made my choice.  Convention confirmed it very clearly for me.  I
> appreciate that you, Jenine, and others who attended convention respect my
> choice.  Not everyone has.
>
> Julie
> On The Go with Guide-and-Service-Dogs.com
> http://www.guide-and-service-dogs.com
> also find my products in the Blind Mice Mega Mall
> <https://www.blindmicemegamall.com/bmm/shop/Directory_Departments?storeid=1916046>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jenine Stanley via NAGDU
> Sent: Monday, July 16, 2018 9:34 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Cc: Jenine Stanley
> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] convention thoughts and a huge thank you!
>
> Julie,
>
> It was awesome to see you at convention this year and share a row with
> you!
> We were a couple tables down from Julie and NAGDU.
>
> I loved getting to take your sport harness for a spin.
>
> Please donâ€™t think you owe anyone an explanation for why you do not have
> a
> guide dog right now. Believe me, we get it, and I at least, support
> whatever
> you choose to do.
>
>> On Jul 15, 2018, at 9:01 AM, Julie Johnson via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> wrote:
>>
>> Thank you to everyone who stopped by my table in the exhibit hall or who
>> attended the NAGDU seminar or board meeting.  I appreciate your  support
>> of my business, On The Go.  If you were not able to make it to the
>> exhibit
>> hall, still have questions or I didnâ€™t have the product you wanted,
>> please
>> donâ€™t hesitate to contact me.  Iâ€™m happy to help! email:
>> julielj at neb.rr.com phone/message: 402-363-8997 Iâ€™m sorry, Iâ€™m not
>> able to
>> take calls after 7 pm central time.
>>
>> General convention thoughts...I thought all the dogs were really very
>> good
>> this year.  I did not personally witness any barking, growling, lunging
>> or
>> inappropriate relieving.   Lots of the dogs were super friendly and
>> willing to visit with their dog neighbors in the crowded exhibit hall.
>> Most handlers were aware and addressed the situation appropriately.
>> Thank
>> you, I appreciate responsible handlers!
>>
>> As many of you may have noticed, I had no dog at convention this year.
>> I
>> anticipate this will be the case for a few years.  I appreciate that I
>> was
>> welcomed by other guide dog users and not criticized for my lack of a
>> guide.  Hereâ€™s the situation...Monty is very close to 11.  Heâ€™s a
>> good
>> guide and still does a good job on the short, fairly basic walks I take
>> him on.  He is considerably slower than in his youth, is very affected
>> by
>> the heat and is not able to mentally process complex situations with the
>> same speed as in his youth.  He still enjoys guiding, as in itâ€™s his
>> next
>> best thing to do after eating.  So I still take him on our short walks
>> around the neighborhood because it makes him so happy.  However, I do
>> not
>> believe it is fair to him to expect him to guide for hours at a stretch,
>> endure the heat or navigate complex situations with lots of moving
>> obstacles.  So I choose to enjoy him and what he can give while
>> respecting
>> his advancing age.
>>
>> Jetta, my younger dog, is no longer working.  She has had issues with
>> other dogs for a long time.  More recently she has developed a number of
>> other fears.  She is an excellent guide in regard to the mechanics of
>> guide work, but is really not equipped to handle the stresses of the
>> ever
>> changing environment.  I made this decision this spring and have noticed
>> a
>> significant change in her personality and day to day stress level.  She
>> is
>> all around happier, more at ease and I am enjoying her as a pet very
>> much.
>>
>> My personal commitment to my dogs is for life, with only a very few
>> exceptions including biting, inability to provide for medical care or
>> some
>> other pretty serious events.  I am keeping both dogs and do not wish to
>> add a third dog to my household at this time.  This, of course, means I
>> will have no guide dog for a while.  I struggled with this for months.
>> This spring was a really difficult time for me.  Then there was
>> convention.
>>
>> My big take away from convention this year was that while I prefer
>> working
>> a guide dog and will definitely owner train another guide in the future,
>> now is not the right time.  My cane skills are a bit rusty, but they are
>> coming together decently.  I am not afraid to go out with my cane.  I
>> have
>> noticed that I use auditory cues a lot more now than before dogs.
>> Convention helped me to have complete clarity that I have made the right
>> decision and am in the right place.
>>
>> Thanks again to everyone!  I hope to see all of you in Las Vegas next
>> year!
>> Julie
>> On The Go with Guide-and-Service-Dogs.com
>> http://www.guide-and-service-dogs.com
>> also find my products in the Blind Mice Mega Mall
>> <https://www.blindmicemegamall.com/bmm/shop/Directory_Departments?storeid=1916046>
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>
>
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