[nagdu] Washington - Guide dog killed crossing Kennewick street

Tue Mar 30 20:12:39 UTC 2010

Michelle,

I'm glad someone else admitted to having a prolonged snit when someone rags
on your guide dog.  I swear, I can stand around letting someone nag and
lecture and badger about what I'm doing wrong and what I need to do better
and who I need to call to fix whatever problem they have decided I have...
It bothers me little enough, now that I think about it, that I actually will
do that just because I'm too lazy to walk away or I'm hard up for
entertainment.  I think they're daft and obnoxious, but nobody's perfect.

Pass by on the street and murmur, "That dog needs to be trained," and I will
turn around and argue.  Won't even think about it.  Won't use my friendly,
lilty tone, but my factual nerd tone (so charming!).  She *is* trained, and
she is a d*mned good dog and she is..."  There have been a cuople of times
when I consciously chose to slap someone before I realized that I might miss
and lose the effect I was after.  First time I reacted that way, I really
shocked myself, because I'm more of a cold blood than a hothead.  But if you
start trashing my dog, you'd better watch out!  So then I have to avoid the
person, if it's someone in my circle or even a friend who overstepped,
because I'm still fuming and I just don't know if I can be civil.

I am really not like that, really.  Until now.  People really do change.
/smile/

Properly offered suggestions and observations are on thing, and I can learn
from the discussion or explain why I do what I do instead of what was
suggested and get a nod of acceptance.  This is a good thing, and I love it.
Hm...  That approach is about sharing information I can use to strengthen
Mitzi's work and training.  So it really is entirely different.

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Michelle
Sent: Sunday, March 28, 2010 2:02 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Washington - Guide dog killed crossing Kennewick street

I've had my friends try that excuse on me, the one where the dog needs to be

trained more. Actually, he is as trained as possible! He rarely takes me 
across the road at the wrong time, but don't ever assume that he needs 
retraining just because he stuffs up. It really cheeses me off to not 
wanting to talk to people for a day or two after they say this rubbish to 
me.

Michelle
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dan Weiner" <dcwein at dcwein.cnc.net>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2010 7:19 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Washington - Guide dog killed crossing Kennewick street

>I agree with you totally, Albert.
> I was bringing up that scenario because I wouldn't put it past some law
> enforcement people who might not be acquainted with blind travel 
> techniques
> to say that type of thing.
> I, especially in my first months as a guide dog user, had several crossing
> against the light incidents  after  which I was told by nasty bystanders, 
> ,
> "your dog's badly trained, he crossed you against the light, you should 
> get
> another one".
> This business of thinking that a guide dog reads traffic, this old wives'
> tale has been one of the most annoying things I've dealt with as a guide 
> dog
> user.
>
> Once I was talking to a police officer I know from the neighborhood about
> the White Cane Law, and he asked "well, wouldn't your dog keep you safe 
> and
> not let you cross when a car's coming".
> We all know that the answer to that one is more complicated than "yes " or
> "no" because it's you and your well-trained dog against someone behind of
> the wheel of a big metal machine.
> Anyway, it took me a few minutes to really explain to this very nice 
> officer
> that cars are required to give thee right of way and my dog's training
> wouldn't make me responsible if something happened
> Because my dog didn't "do his job" in quotations.
>
> Now, having said all of this, let's hope that all of us will only have to
> discusses this hypothetically.  Take care of yourselves, two-legged and
> four-legged friends.
>
> Dan and Carter
> -----Original M
>
>
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