[blindkid] Guide dogs for twelve year olds?

Wed Jan 20 22:10:58 UTC 2010

Hello again everyone,

    These are issues with fixes. One of my biggest complaints with our guide 
dog programs is their failure to connect new teams with successful graduates 
or guide dog handlers in the person's home community. Any guide dog program 
wanting to provide dogs to blind children must insist on family involvement. 
This could include required workshops for the families of children pared 
with guide dogs. Like adult guide dog users blind children and their 
families would benefit by being connected with other parents with blind 
children who use guide dogs to facilitate mentoring and help foster a better 
understanding of the role of the child and the parents where 
responsibilities associated with the care and use of such dogs is concerned. 
The NOPBC has promoted mentorship among its members, parents, and educators 
of blind children to address other aspects of raising and educating a blind 
child. Any guide dog program created to provide dogs to blind children and 
teens would do well to adopt this model and require all families to 
participate. This is another reason why I would like to see such a program 
operated by guide dog users for guide dog users and their families.

Peter Donahue

 ----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Heather" <craney07 at rochester.rr.com>
To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)" 
<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, January 20, 2010 12:46 PM
Subject: Re: [blindkid] Guide dogs for twelve year olds?

It is all well and good to go with your dog and your mommy to the vet's
office, but to be the one to make all medical decissions about the dog must
be the responsibility of the handler.  You sound very knowledgable about
dogs, but what of the twelve year old who has to defy his parents and refuse
a vaccine and insist on a tyder, or who must tell his parents that they are
not allowed to give it table scraps, when they keep doing that?  Do you
really think the parents will listen?  Hell no.  I know blind adults who
have to limit their parents' or family's interactions with their dog or move
out, because they can not respect the guide dog handler relationship.  Also,
it is so much more than feeding, it is selecting a human grade dog food,.
It is more than brushing the dog, it is improvising a make-shift water-proof
bandage out of a scrunchy, a sock and a condom, for a severely gushing cut
paw on the street.  It is not just picking up poop, it is being mature
enough to notice and keep track of the consistancy and odor of stool, to be
aware of potential illness, , or having the wherewithall to clean up an
accident without help, in a public place.  It is not about doing simple
obediants, it is about being able to defend your dog when ignorant people
think you are abusing the dog for giving it a leash correction, or that it
is misbehaving by taking you across a lawn, when the side walk is blocked.
It is about being able to diplomatically gain access to an Indian restaurant
when the owners are upset by the dog's presence.  It is about being able to
scream right back at an ignorant cabbie and call the police on your cell
phone and refuse to move, while you wait for them, even when the cabbie is
pushing on your bags and yelling at you to get out of their cab.  It is so
much more than raising a goat for 4H, or taking your show dog through
adjility or confirmation trials.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Doreen Frappier" <dcfrappier at yahoo.com>
To: " (for parents of blind children)NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List"
<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, January 20, 2010 9:40 AM
Subject: Re: [blindkid] Guide dogs for twelve year olds?

I am not opposed to having responsible 12 year olds own and care for a guide
dog. I believe that children mature at different rates. For example, 4-H
children own and care for animals (on their own) at very young ages. They
are responsible for feeding and caring for that animal. One of my children,
(sighted) is 13, and has been the sole trainer of a dog since she was 9
years old. She has won many awards and competitions with her dog, including
adult dog shows. She is responsible for feeding and caring for that dog.
When the dog gets her check ups at the vet, she comes to the vets office.
It's true, a young person can not take care of the expenses of a guide dog,
but I am all for training teaching blind children to be independent as early
as possible. I think each situation is different. I am not aware of
everything that goes into caring for and owning a guide dog, but I think
some children are capable and should not be excluded because of
 age.

Doreen

--- On Wed, 1/20/10, Heather <craney07 at rochester.rr.com> wrote:

From: Heather <craney07 at rochester.rr.com>
Subject: [blindkid] Guide dogs for twelve year olds?
To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List, (for parents of blind children)"
<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Date: Wednesday, January 20, 2010, 7:22 AM

I just wanted to get some feedback on this from some parents of blind
children and teens. I, personally, was absolutely apalled to hear that a
local guide dog school, not mentioning names *coughs* Freedom guide Dogs
*Coughs* has preposed a program to place guide dogs with twelve year olds.
All of the other schools in the US accept teens no younger than sixteen or
eighteen years of age, depending on the school, but twelve? I am happy to
note that at present, no O and M instructors, parents or twelve year olds
have contacted the school to enquire about this program, but I am dreading
the day. This makes a mockery of those exceptional blind teens who are, at
sixteen or seventeen, responsible enough, committed enough and have
demanding enough schedules to properly care for, utalize and actually need a
guide dog. At what age would you consider supporting your teen in
researching guide dog schools? At what age would you support them actually
 submitting applications? How old would you want your teen to be before
actually being placed with a guide dog? Do you think that you would have the
blunt honesty to deny your support of your child getting a dog guide, if
they were not emotionally, mentally, etc capable of utalizing a guide dog,
at that time in their life? Do you think that you could restrain yourself
from taking care of the dog, interacting with the dog, or doing things that
would undermine the ownership of the dog by your blind teen, acknowledging
their sole ownership and responsibility for the dog, even if you, as their
mother or father still have all other rule-making power in the house-hold?
Finally, would you ever, honestly let your twelve year old apply for a guide
dog? I just felt this should be brought to the list's attention. Just me
personally, I would not encourage my blind teen to start researching guide
dog schools until age fourteen or fifteen, and I would not
 allow them to apply to schools until they were at least fifteen, and that
is assuming that they are emotionally ready to deal with the demands of a
guide dog, such as handeling an emergency vet situation, mentally able to
care for the dog, such as, researching and selecting safe toys, effective
medications and appropriate foods, mature enough to deal with the social
implications, such as access issues, and that they actually had a need, not
just a want for a guide dog, due to a challenging travel area or complex and
demanding schedule of activities and classes. Please share your thoughts.
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