[nabs] Guide Dogs in High School?

[Bernadetta Pracon]

Hi:
I had my dog, Kipp, with me during my senior year of high school. It 
was an interesting experience. I got him the summer before my senior 
year, and for the most part, things were ok, but I must admit some 
things did change for me when I went back to school with him. Most of 
the people at my school, including teachers and students alike, did not 
really know how to deal with the dog being around. My friends adjusted 
to it, some even became fascinated and very "cool" with the idea of 
him. However, the people who did not know me that well, or weren't 
taking any classes with me, became terrified or shocked periodically. 
It was hard for me to understand why; Kipp is the cutest, friendliest 
black Lab I'd ever met, so I found it amusing and confusing when I 
would walk into a staircase and a screaming girl or two would run past 
me and the dog, or cower in fear. One other thing your friend needs to 
take into account is that many kids in high school are really immature 
and think everything, including a guide dog, is a joke. It's not their 
fault. Some of them don't have much of a chance to grow up by that 
point yet. But that could result in some unnecessary situations. I 
didn't much have an issue with that, but one time, a random kid decided 
to trip my dog while we were walking to class. Kipp didn't get hurt, 
but he could have, and I brought that to the attention of the principal.
While we're on the subject of the principal, I have to say, mine was 
actually very ignorant and quite uncooperative when it came to having a 
guide dog at her school. She tried to create the illusion that she 
respected me and The situation. But when I went to her to discuss the 
matter, and gave her an overview of what things would be like, and what 
I needed from her in order to integrate Kipp into the community of 
students and teachers, she listened with a bit of forcefully mustered 
politeness, and then went and did things her own way. I was too naive 
to advocate for myself and make sure that things were done properly to 
prepare the students for the new addition. So when she told me that she 
wanted me to stay out of school on the first day of senior year, while 
she prepared the students for Kipp's arrival, i faught her some, but 
then resigned, with her promise to hold a quick assembly for the 
school, showing them the Seeing Eye video that I provided. This 
assembly was my suggestion.  I wanted to be there to answer some 
questions and educate the students, but she insisted on my absense that 
day, saying that it would become chaotic. I abided by that, but upon 
ariving at school the second day, I learned that no assembly was given, 
and that only a brief, twenty second announcement about the new guide 
dog was made. Students and teachers alike were told to feel free and 
pick up a brochure about guide dogs from the main office. Of course, no 
one bothered to do so.
Some people also didn't understand or like the idea of a working dog, 
and gave me a hard time about it when they saw me correcting him or 
things of that nature. I recall a girl who made a really embarrassing 
scene in the school cafateria, because I gave my dog a leash correction 
for trying to grab a french fry off the floor. She accused me of being 
a dog torturer and swore that she'd report me and any other guide dog 
user she'd ever meet because "it's just not humane to bring a sweet 
animal to an environment like this" as she stated. Of course, we can 
encounter  basketcases that think dogs shouldn't be working,  
everywhere we go, but younger people can sometimes be more sensative 
and passionate, so that may be troublesome.
I also had to deal with a situation where a girl who took a few of the 
same classes I did, was deadly afraid of dogs. We were both AP 
students, so neither of us could have been transfered to a different 
class. That was a difficult situation for a while, but she was a good 
sport about it, and was bright enough to understand and accept the fact 
that the dog wasn't out to hurt her or even interact with her.
My most memorable experience of having Kipp with me in high school was 
on graduation night. I was walking back to my seat after receiving my 
diploma, and when i got there and sat down, my poor pup puked at my 
feet. I sat in the front row, being one of the class's top ten ranked 
students, and some people, including teachers just stared in disgust. 
It was embarrassing. I had nothing to clean it up with and I felt 
horrible for what happened and that people decided to make it more 
noticeable by commenting. Then, my favorite music teacher, being a man 
of integrity and class, pulled out a few napkins from his pocket, 
walked up to the front of the theater, and insisted on helping me clean 
it up. What a selfless thing to do. I suppose that people reacted the 
way they did for the most part because, well, their just ordinary 
people. I don't really blame them in retrospect. It certainly was a 
show stopper though. And I might add, the reason kipp became nervous to 
the point of nausea is because people decided to use those obnoxiously 
loud blow horns to celebrate the occasion. Poor thing just couldn't 
take the confusion and the noise at the time.

I have a pocketful of anecdotes from my time with Kipp in high school, 
and it would take forever to write it all down in one sitting, but i 
hope my little compilation helps your friend get a clearer picture of 
what it might be like for her. Everyone's experience is different of 
course, some better, some worse. That was mine. In retrospect, I would 
have done the same thing over again, although I do feel a bit, that my 
dog would have been more disciplined and less spoiled had I waited to 
get him when I was out of high school. It takes a certain amount of 
growth and maturity to develop a successful bond with a guide. All in 
all though, like I said, I wouldnt' have changed a thing, given a 
chance. Having a dog in high school presented me with a unique, 
eye-opening experience that I wouldn't have gotten any other way. Also 
some of the challenges Kipp and I faced in high school never repeated 
themselves outside of that environment, and had I waited to get a dog, 
I wouldn't have bonded with him the same way.
Please, feel free to get in touch with me off-list if you want more 
info about this. You could even pass my email along to your friend, and 
I'd gladly serve as a sort of mentor for her, regarding this situation. 
I'd thoroughly enjoy helping her out, and my experience took place only 
three or four years ago, so it's a fairly recent account.

Hope this helps, and sorry for the painfully long email. :)

All Best

Bernadetta

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