[Cagdu] more about the march

[Ken Volonte]

This handler has been yelled at for more than thirty years about his 
behavior toward and neglect of his dogs.  He's been scolded by dog using 
friends, cane using friends, puppy raisers, training staffs from more or 
less of three schools and many of his land lords who have seen guide dogs 
and know all about how they have to be under absolute control.

    He was once taken to task by a whole office full of patients waiting to 
see the Chiropractor.  I know about this one, because I was asked to write a 
letter to the doctor explaining all the many things that went wrong that 
day.

    Note to the arts division: there are surely  enough stories to make at 
least three books of cartoons and twelve quilts.  Southeastern Guide Dogs 
has been contacted. Billy thinks it's funny.  So do I.  If you were to ask 
him, Sponge, the Springer Spaniel would think himself a great and mighty 
hero for protecting his mistress against this assortment of villainous 
people who disturbed an otherwise perfect breakfast. Speaking of which, I 
gotta go and have my perfect breakfast of Oreos and beer.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "tina thomas " <tinadt at sbcglobal.net>
To: <cagdu at nfbcal.org>
Sent: Sunday, May 17, 2009 7:39 PM
Subject: Re: [Cagdu] more about the march


>
> Hey Ken- Sounds like you need to have this discussion with John. BTW, a
> Springer Spaniel is not a big dog, and John could have just told Billy to
> hop up. Its takes two to fight, and if eye contact is broken then most
> likely there is not going to be an fight. As for restaurants and guide dog
> behavior, the dog should be either at the handlers feet or securely under
> the table or chair with dogs leash attached to the handler.
> Tina
>
> "Trust your own instinct. Your mistakes might as well be your own instead 
> of
> someone else's."
> - Billy Wilder
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: cagdu-bounces at nfbcal.org [mailto:cagdu-bounces at nfbcal.org] On Behalf
> Of Ken Volonte
> Sent: Sunday, May 17, 2009 2:13 PM
> To: Cagdu
> Subject: [Cagdu] more about the march
>
> The alert reader will have noticed in one of my last posts that Billy, 
> John
> Vandervort's guide dog was, if not attacked, then certainly harassed.  A
> Springer Spaniel lunged and growled at him.  What I didn't mention in that
> post was a potential dog fight that might have occurred in the restaurant
> where we were having breakfast.
>
>    Billy was not nearly as close to John as he should have been.  He
> stretched himself over to the next table and put his head on a gentleman's
> foot.  The man responded in the only rational way he knew.  He gave Billy 
> a
> sausage.  So now Billy had a tasty morsel of food and Edison did not.
> Fortunately, both dogs are well behaved, but there could have been extreme
> trouble.  Velvet said, in a very loud voice, "no no no! Don't ever feed
> these guide dogs.  The place went silent.  Then John took up the cause.
> "Oh", he wined, "now she's made us out to be the bad guys.  that's just
> swell.  Why are you even here Velvet"?
>
>    Now I'm going to vent here, and if some of you are offended, well,
> that's too bad.  From time to time, I get phone calls from guide dog
> handlers who have been asked to leave restaurants or theaters.  When I 
> have
> gone with my dog, who ever that dog might be, there has been no trouble.
> Without exception, the incident has been triggered or worsened by 
> handlers,
> usually with some sight who did not have their dogs under absolute 
> control.
> In a typical case, the handler would walk into a pizza joint and see a
> listing of specials on the wall.  They would then drop the dog's leash and
> harness handle and walk up to the wall where they could better see the 
> menu
> items under consideration.  The dog might follow them, or go over to lick 
> a
> little kid usually about age three.  The mother would yell, the child 
> would
> scream and the manager would ask the person with the offending guide dog 
> to
> leave.
>
>    The second sinario has to do with control also.  There are some dog
> handlers who never correct their dogs' bad behavior.  Indeed, I have heard
> comments by such lax handlers as:  "I don't think it's healthy she has her
> dog with her all the time".  For the record, our dogs are supposed to be
> with us when we're using them.  Also for the record, a barking whining
> growling Labridoodle isn't cute.  It isn't even ok.  It's just annoying.
> It's a way of calling attention to yourself, and it doesn't do the cause 
> for
> full acceptance and integration into the larger society any good.  There.
> I've said it.  I gotta go.  Ken
>
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