[Nfbf-l] First Dog

Sat Feb 17 10:17:21 UTC 2018

Roanna,

	Thanks for following my blog! I hope you enjoy it!

Peace!
Marion

-----Original Message-----
From: Nfbf-l [mailto:nfbf-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Roanna Bacchus via Nfbf-l
Sent: Friday, February 16, 2018 3:38 PM
To: Marion Gwizdala via Nfbf-l
Cc: Roanna Bacchus
Subject: Re: [Nfbf-l] First Dog

Hi Marion thanks for your message. I just subscribed to your blog.

On Feb 16, 2018 3:08 PM, Marion Gwizdala via Nfbf-l <nfbf-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
> Dear Colleagues, 
>
>
>
>                 As the president of the National Association of Guide Dog 
> Users, a strong and proud division of the National Federation of the Blind, 
> I sometimes refer to my guide dog as "First Dog".  Some of you may already 
> know that my beloved German shepherd guide dog, Sergeant, passed away in 
> early September. I have not shared it too widely, as I am a fairly private 
> person when it comes to my guides and have had a pretty challenging time 
> adjusting to his passing. We are not really positive why he passed away but 
> we suspect liver cancer, as we found he had nodules on his liver leading to 
> a diagnosis of chronic hepatitis in February of last year. We were treating 
> the symptoms and he seemed to be responding well but took a turn for the 
> worse on August 31 and passed away on September 9. 
>
>
>
>                 I share this with you as a prelude to let you know that I 
> will be meeting my potential new guide dog and NAGDU's First Dog next 
> Friday, February 23. Trooper is being trained by John Byfield of Freedom 
> Guide Dogs in Cassville, NY. Trooper is a Blue Merle Smooth-Coat Collie who 
> stand about 28" at the shoulders and currently weighs in at about 66 lbs. 
> The Blue Merle is a silvery gray marbled with black and tan with white areas 
> on the chest, neck, feet/legs, and tail tip. 
>
>
>
>                 There are some major reasons I chose Freedom Guide Dogs for 
> my next dog. One reason is the opportunity to train with John Byfield. For 
> those of you who do not know John, he is probably the most experienced and 
> well-respected guide dog trainer in the world. John began training guide 
> dogs in the U.K. at the age of 20 and just recently celebrated his 80th 
> birthday, though you would likely not guess him as much more than his 
> mid-60s. This is likely due to his walking several miles every day while 
> training young pups for the past 60 years. Training with this legend will be 
> an honor and very exciting. 
>
>
>
>                 Another reason I have chosen Freedom Guide Dogs is because 
> of their unique breeds. I am unaware of any other guide dog training program 
> with Collies in their strings. They have a very soft temperament, lots of 
> energy,  and an incredible work ethic. 
>
>
>
>                 Freedom Guide Dogs also conduct exclusively community 
> training, meaning they bring the dog to you and train you in your home town. 
> At the same time, though, Trooper has been prepared to live and work my 
> lifestyle. Since I travel a lot, he has been exposed to flying, buses, busy 
> city traffic, and subways - something we do not have here in Florida. They 
> have kennels in Cassville but no dormitories. 
>
>                 My final consideration for choosing Freedom Guide Dogs - and 
> something I share with anyone asking me which program I recommend - is that, 
> when I am finished with my training with Trooper, he is my dog, free and 
> clear. Freedom will provide me with any follow-up I need but relinquishes 
> any ownership interest in him. They will not and cannot remove him for any 
> reason whatsoever. Such a policy respects my dignity as a blind person, 
> ensures a safe, sound team, and creates a relationship based on the 
> expectation that I am an adult with the ability to independently care for my 
> dog and make decisions about his care and training without their 
> interference. I have no hesitation asking them for help if needed because I 
> am confident they will not interfere with my ownership rights. 
>
>
>
>                 I intend to document my training from the time I meet 
> Trooper for the first time next Friday, begin my training regimen, and while 
> John puts us through our paces throughout Tampa and the surrounding areas. 
> If you would like to follow Trooper and me on our exciting journey, please 
> subscribe to my blog, "Marion's Musings" at 
>
>
>
> http://mariongwizdala.wordpress.com 
>
>
>
> Let's take this adventure forward! 
>
>
>
> Fraternally yours, 
>
> Marion Gwizdala 
>
>
>
> Marion Gwizdala, President 
>
> National Association of Guide Dog Users Inc. (NAGDU) 
>
> National Federation of the Blind 
>
> (813) 626-2789 
>
> President at NAGDU.ORG 
>
>
>
>
>
> The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the 
> characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise 
> expectations because low expectations create barriers between blind  people 
> and our dreams. You can live the life you want! Blindness is not what holds 
> you back. 
>
>
>
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