[nagdu] conflicting feelings

[Lyn Gwizdak]

I'm glad I keep my cane skills.  Sometimes, I just feel like leaving Landon 
home while I go grocery shopping.  Sometimes I bring him there.  It's great 
to actually have a choice of mobility tool.

One place I don't like to bring my dog at all is in a bar - not all bars. 
But the loud, dark, crowded ones.  I don't go very often at all but am glad 
I can use my cane while Landon gets tghe evening off.

Lyn and Landon
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Marion Gwizdala" <blind411 at verizon.net>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, October 21, 2011 12:40 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] conflicting feelings


> R.J.,
>    One of the disadvantages of a guide dog is that, unlike a white cane, 
> you cannot just put it in the corner and forget about it until the nexst 
> time you need it. You need to groom the dog regularly, give it baths (I 
> just finished bathing our pups), feed it (we pay about $40/mo. for dog 
> food), give it exercise, get its shots, and care for it when it is sick. A 
> dog takes a commitment to care for another living being. Not everyone can 
> make that commitment and only the individual can make that decision. I 
> hear from many families who tell me they want their loved one to get a 
> dog, but the blind person doesn't want it. You need to make your own 
> decision and not feel pressured into it by someone else who believes it is 
> better for you than your cane. In my opinion, neither is "better". Each 
> has its advantages and disadvantages and we need to weigh them out when 
> making this decision.
>    those who have been on this list for quite some time will confirm my 
> constant urging to maintain good cane travel skills, even when the guide 
> dog is the preferred tool for mobility. A guide dog is not always the best 
> choice for every situation; so, one needs to be flexible in order to be 
> fully independent. Dogs can also become ill or the weather may not be 
> suitable for them to go out. when the dog is ill or the weather is poor, 
> you still have responsibilities to fulfill. This is the time to use the 
> cane, rather than the dog.
>    The bottom line is that you need to make the decision as to whether or 
> not this commitment is for you. no one else can do that for you. We can 
> provide information and support, but, when it comes right down to it, you 
> are the one who will have the emotional and financial investment to make.
>
> Fraternally yours,
> Marion Gwizdala
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "RJ Sandefur" <joltingjacksandefur at gmail.com>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Friday, October 21, 2011 2:16 PM
> Subject: [nagdu] conflicting feelings
>
>
>> I'm having conflicting feelings, wheather or not a guide dog is right for 
>> me. On the one hand, a guide dog is a mobility aid, but on the other 
>> hand, you have to care for the dog. Some in my family want me to get a 
>> dog while others feel I shouldn't. I want to do what is best for me. RJ
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>
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