[nagdu] contact with puppy raisers/walkers

[Jenine Stanley]

Although GDF does allow contact with puppy raisers/walker, I do feel the
need to defend TSE's no-contact policy. It has nothing, absolutely nothing,
to do with you being an adult. It's about the principle of anonymous giving,
selfless giving. 

I've been in a workshop where a puppy raiser actually said "I raised these
dogs. I'm entitled to pet them whenever I want. You people are too mean to
them, never write back and don't deserve them." 

The man who said this totally embarrassed his family and does not represent
all puppy raisers/walkers, but his opinion, or variations thereof, are out
there and make up the wide reasons people do raise puppies. 

Also, not everything your dog does now is a result of things it did as a
puppy or was illegally allowed to do. I've heard from puppy walkers who were
crushed when hearing about their dogs' behavior as guides and were berated
by the handlers for allowing X, Y or Z when they did no such thing. 

I think those who have issue with TSE's puppy contact policy should read in
the literature exactly why it was established. It screams respect for the
adult nature of blind people. 

Jenine Stanley
jeninems at wowway.com