[nagdu] guide dog question for a 7 year old girl

[Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC)]

I wonder all this, every single word. 
And as for the advocacy, nobody takes kids seriously. They may be correct but few adults and other kids will take them seriously. 

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Julie J.
Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2012 8:26 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] guide dog question for a 7 year old girl

I have often wondered if it is the kids or the parents that want a guide 
dog.  Jeez when I was a kid I wanted a pony, every puppy on TV and every 
stray cat that crossed our yard.  I didn't get any of them because my 
parents knew what having another animal would mean.  I was irritated 
with them then, but now as a parent I understand and am making the same 
decisions.  I think growing up, experiencing life and learning who you 
are is more important than getting a guide dog.  This part I'm sure will 
get a load of comments, but I'm going to say it anyway.  What sort of 
work is a guide for a 7 year old going to get?   Everywhere they go 
there are going to be adults.  A guide dog is not going to get the 
independent work that it needs.  Kids that young don't cross busy 
streets on their own.  They don't go shopping.  They don't ride the bus 
or go to work or on vacations by themselves. The dog would be following 
adults around all day.  I don't see the point.

Julie



On 12/12/2012 7:11 AM, Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC) wrote:
> We know Mira has had success with it, but do we know if these kids are happy?
> I got my first dog when I was 18. I had two very good friends at the time who told me they were ok with me getting a dog. Both friendships cooled once I got my first dog. Neither friend could deal with my relationship with my dog.
> I reconnected with both friends after I retired my last dog. One told me that he likes dogs but only from a distance. The other said he was jealous of my close bond with my dog.
> Both send me very loving messages about that first dog. One remembers some very special moments where my first dog was present.
> The friend who said he only likes dogs froma distance is going to spend Christmas with us this year. He meant what he said, he only likes dogs from a distance. It is nearly impossible to have a distant relationship with a guide dog.
> This stuff was extremely difficult and painful to deal with as a teenager.  I wonder how a younger teen or a child would handle it. I wonder if its even fair to insist a child make that choice.
> There are very real and highly emotional things to think about when someone gets a dog. An adult can freely make that choice, a child not so much.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Julie J.
> Sent: Tuesday, December 11, 2012 3:58 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] guide dog question for a 7 year old girl
>
> I think MIRA's minimum age is 12.  I agree with Rebeka in thinking  7 is
> too young to work with a guide dog. There are way too many obstacles,
> life experience, self discipline, organization, self advocacy and on and
> on.  I think it's a rare 12 year old who can successfully work a guide,
> but MIRA has had success with it.
>
> Julie
>
>
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