Norine's Notes
Norine's Notes
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Guide Dog Information
When a person looses their vision there are three* primary ways they can move or travel from one place to another. One is by using a white cane, another is utilizing the assistance of another person, a sighted guide, and the third way is by using a trained guide dog. There are advantages and disadvantages to each, so the decision is strictly a matter of personal preference. Like many people, I chose the guide dog for a number of reasons. I have always loved and had dogs, and the idea of having a dog continually at my side felt pretty natural, although there is a tremendous difference between a guide dog and a pet. The guide dog is with you all the time. You care for him and are responsible for him, as well as yourself, twenty-four hours a day. He goes with you everywhere you go, whether it be room to room in your house, or flying across country. He becomes like an extension or part of you. Personally, I appreciate the independence my dog gives me. I do not have to wait for another person or interfere with another person’s life. My well trained guide dog can help me get anywhere a sighted guide can, and he never complains or lacks the time. I have wonderful family and friends who would be glad to help me, but I do not want to become a responsibility to them. I want us to be able to enjoy our times together without them feeling they have to care for me. I am very quick to let them know the role of my dog, and ask that they not interfere with his work. In every sense of the word a dog is higher maintenance and more expensive than a cane. The dog has to be fed, exercised, and groomed daily. The dog needs attention – tender loving care. If a cane gets bent or broken it can be readily replaced. If a guide dog gets sick he has to be cared for and rested, even if this necessitates a change in the schedule of my work or planned activities. A cane doesn’t nuzzle you or try to comfort you if you are down like a dog does. A cane doesn’t have the ability for intelligent disobedience like a guide dog is trained to do. This means that if I give my dog a command to cross a street he will stop and block me if he is aware of a car coming or other hazard. Personal experience has given me another reason to appreciate my dog even more, because he attracts people to me. Many people love dogs and will come up and talk to me about their dog, or ask questions about mine. He is a real conversation starter, a people magnet. A white cane often has just the opposite effect. It often keeps people away because it signifies something different that they don’t want to deal with. After first loosing my vision, even though surrounded by family and friends, I felt very alone. I felt like I was living in a world void of others, because I could not see them. Now, wherever I go I am not alone. I have the companionship of my dog, so even if I am in a completely unknown place such as an airline terminal, I never feel alone. I also feel a sense of protection and security having my big guide dog at my side. Guide dogs come from special schools where the dogs go through an extensive selection and training process. There are about forty such schools in the country. Generally they are funded by charitable donations and they provide a dog and training to a blind person at little or no cost, although each dog that graduates out with a person represents an investment of over $25,000. A legally blind person can apply to any school of their choosing. The process from application to dog can be lengthy. After the applications, medical records, and references have been reviewed and approved, the school usually sends a representative to meet with the person and assess their particular life style and needs. In my case the representative came, interviewed me, and videotaped some of my usual activities and routes I walk. The information the representative gathers is then reviewed with the trainers so the dog most appropriate to that particular persons lifestyle can be chosen. Factors such as size, personality, and energy level are all taken into consideration. Once a trained dog has been identified as being a good match for that person, the person is contacted and arrangements are made for transportation to the school to participate in a three to four week training program. The trainee lives on campus and works with their dog and instructor daily Choosing a school can be a challenge. I read books and researched many of the schools on the internet. I finally decided I wanted to attend one of the three that had been around the longest. I liked the idea of a good track record and experienced developed program The following information is about my experience at Leader Dogs for the Blind in Rochester, Michigan, the school I attended and that gave me a new life with my dog, Moses and about the institution Leader Dogs for the Blind. *Trained miniature horses with diapers are recently presenting as a fourth option. |
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