[nagdu] rejected by teh lions club?

[Tamara Smith-Kinney]

Rox,

Yeah, I love this list for that!  /smile/  When I first introduced myself, I
promptly ran and hid under the bed to avoid being hit by all the rocks and
rotten tomatoes I was expecting to come flying through my computer screen
from all those "real" guide dog users...  /lol/  I had already gotten "The
Treatment" elsewhere, but I was desperate for knowledge.  It had been very
clear to me that I was the only person in the world crazy, stupid,
irresponsible, etc., etc., to train my own guide dog.  Who else would even
think such a thing?

So naturally, the first welcome was from Julie, then from others who told me
about Julie in a way that clearly indicated they have a lot of respect for
her...  /grin/

And referred me to other owner-trainer specific lists!  Whew!  Even one that
focuses on operant conditioning.

The fact that people on this list have been not only welcoming but always
willing to answer questions, share stories, offer moral support, etc., etc.,
is probably the only reason I've had such a smooth road to becoming the kind
of guide dog user I want to be without benefit of those weeks of training me
from the guide dog schools.  /smile/  It's one thing to take hold of the
harness handle and follow your dog down the sidewalk and across the street
without doing yourself in.  It's another to be able to arrive at a business
meeting conveying the image of yourself as a competent professional human
with a competent professional guide dog!  I would still be tearing my hair
out trying to figure out how to pull that part off had I not had the chance
to learn from all you "real" guide dog users.  /grin/

Facing another round of struggle for the other resources I need to get back
to being a professional human, I especially like knowing that I am not
beholden and expected to feeling obsequient gratitude for my guide dog.  Not
that I would feel that type of gratitude had I gotten my dog through a
program.  I would be grateful, very, but I wouldn't burst into tears over it
every five minutes!

And while I'm being blatantly accused of trying to rob the state --
especially all those blind people who *need* the services I am attempting to
subvert -- I do find it comforting to leave the meeting using a valuable
resource I provided myself, thus leaving one available for another person
who chose to get a good guide dog without having to train it themselves.

If I need to get a program dog next time, I will feel grateful for all the
work and time and donations that went into making it available for me.  I
don't expect to feel guilty, either, for ripping it from the hands of a
blind person who really  needs it, either.  /lol/

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of The Pawpower Pack
Sent: Sunday, May 02, 2010 2:58 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] rejected by teh lions club?

Jessica,
this email does not surprise me at all.  As Julie said; it's not  
called owner training for nothing.

However this person who wrote the letter is incorrect about many of  
her facts.
1. Some states do require your dog to be from "a certified or  
recognized guide dog program" however as Julie said; the ADA  
supersedes these laws if it gives the PWD more leeway.
Secondly, many other guide dog programs train Deafblind people.  I,  
myself am Deafblind and I know that GEB and GDF as well as Pilot have  
trained Deafblind persons to use a guide dog.  I'm not sure which  
schools will work with a Deafblind person such as myself who requires  
their guide dog instruction to be in ASL, done either from the trainer  
directly or through an ASL interpreter.  I know that GEB and GDF have  
done this before, though.  I know the training of Deafblind persons is  
not the focus of your email but I'm using it to prove a point.  This  
person is obviously very narrow minded.
She is very loyal to Leader Dogs and in her mind, she probably thinks  
they're the best.
It's kind of like asking the Ford company to give you money so that  
you can build your own car.  It's probably not going to happen.

One of the down sides of owner training is cost.  Financial costs,  
costs in time and labor etc.   It is important to be able to pay those  
costs yourself because as you found out, most organizations aren't  
going to help you.
Personally, for me, one of the things I like best about owner training  
is the fact that I don't owe anyone anything.  I don't have to be  
grateful to donors, puppy raisers, and other supporters because I did  
everything myself.  Yes it was hard, and yes, I spent all of my time  
and money on the dog for a year.  I didn't go on vacation, I didn't  
buy any fun toys like cell phones or new clothes or whatnot.  All of  
my time and money went to the dog.
As Julie also stated-- the best support I get as an owner trainer is  
from other owner trainers.
Most lists are not as welcoming to owner trainers as this one and I  
find that many blind people don't believe that a person who is blind  
can train their own dog.  It is sad but true.



Best of luck.


Rox and the Kitchen Bitches
Bristol (retired), Mill'E SD. and Laveau Guide Dog, CGC.
"It's wildly irritating to have invented something as revolutionary as  
sarcasm, only to have it abused by amateurs." -- Christopher Moore
pawpower4me at gmail.com

Windows Live Only: Brisomania at hotmail.com
AIM: Brissysgirl Yahoo: lillebriss

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