[Ohio-talk] Grooming and Appearance

[Colleen Roth]

Hi All,
Whether we like it or not the General Public judges all blind people by the blind people they meet.
Therefore it goes withoutsaying that we should strive to be neat and clean and wear clothes that match. 
I think this probably applies to Guide Dogs as well.
In the early 1992 I attended the National Convention with a friend. We were with the Ohio Delegation. One of our members who is now deceased had a Guide Dog who had a major flea problem. I mean that the people at the table were getting bitten by something throughout the meal. The bites stung and were very itchy. Subsequently I spoke to someone who had a Guide Dog and who could talk to this gentleman. We also had other people speak to the person who relayed this to the gentleman whose dog had the problem.
It was uncomfortable for all concerned. If you have a Guide Dog this is probably something that would be embarrassing if your dog did in fact have fleas.
Unfortunately, sometimes dogs also need a bath. We shouldn't smell people or their dogs. Fortunately, I have noticed either problem lately. It is probably challenging in certain areas where there are a lot of fleas to deal with.
Colleen Roth