Top Twelve Silly Things that Sighted Humans Say
12) “You shouldn’t correct your dog—she just didn’t see that curb.” It is my fault when I miss a curb or bump into a chair. I have a very important job and have received lots of training to perform my job. If I am not doing well, I am putting a life at risk.
11) “I am so glad that you have a dog to take care of you and protect…the big bad world must be scary for blind people who don’t have dogs to take care of them.” I make my human feel more mobile but…she certainly didn’t feel scared of the world when she was using a cane. She spends a lot of time taking care of me!
10) "I saw you earlier today on the train with your dog." "Oh, I don't think that was me, I wasn't on the train." "It was definitely you. I saw you and your dog." Happens all the time. People think that there are so few blind people that if they see one blind person, they have seen them all!
9) A person in a restaurant offers me a biscuit and I quickly grab it and enjoy…then they look at my human and say, “Hey, your dog took the biscuit I offered her…isn't she trained not to do stuff like that?” IF I resisted a cookie offered to me, I would probably not be smart enough to be a guide. Please do not offer dogs food/treats without asking the handler!
8) “Oh my god, your dog looks and acts exactly like my dog even though he has never had training and is a black ten year-old lap dog that barks all the time. They are exactly the same. I need to touch her now, even though I know I should not. I am going to cry she makes me miss my dog so much. They are exactly the same.”
7) "So, all I have to do is get one of those harnesses and I can take my dog with me everywhere?” Beware that if you say this to my human she becomes a lawyer very quickly.
6) “How long have you been training that dog?....oh she’s working?...well where is her blind person? …Wait, You are blind? You don’t look or act blind. How did you go blind? When did it happen. Were you in an accident or do you have a disease? “ Be prepared to explain to my human and me what a blind person looks and acts like, and then reconsider asking personal questions about someone you don't know in a public space (almost always an elevator, etc).
5) “I feel so bad for that dog. She has to work all the time. She looks so sad” I have over 3 full baskets of toys, including 4 kongs, many stuffies, and marrow bones. I have a raincoat and snow boots and have a birthday party every year. I also have health insurance and a lot of education. I have been able to travel all over the world and smell lots of places. I love having a job and a purpose in life and probably only look sad because you are misinformed about guide dogs and disabilities. (Sorry this one was so snarky but I am one of the happiest creatures alive and to suggest otherwise is just wrong!)
4) “Is that one of those blind dogs?” No, in fact I have very good vision! : )
3) “I know that I am not supposed to touch your dog while it’s working, but I have had a bad day, so I am going to ignore the rule, especially since she is sitting and not working right now.” My human is doing everything she can to keep composed as she explains to you that her life depends on her dog not being distracted…even when you are having a bad day and even when the dog is sitting in harness.
2) Mother to her child at Starbucks, “Woof Woof….Bark at that doggie!!” We understand that you are teaching your child what noises animals make, but please don’t have your child bark at me while I'm working in a restaurant. It's funny how adults are almost always more distracting than kids.
1) You are soooo lucky to be blind! You get to play with a dog all day long! I wish I could take my dog everywhere!
None of these are jokes, we have heard them all multiple times and we hear some of them almost every day. We can laugh at these comments when they are in a top ten list, but please think about the implications of touching a working dog or the message that saying, “you don’t look like a blind person” sends out into the world. We also know that most of you would never say any of these things and are counting on you to spread the word! This is a picture of me making a face at all the silly things we he!ar!
My mote on 7, 5, 3, and 1
7) Would you like the disability that goes with that harness, cause mom willl tell you how much it sucks?
5) you should see my tail go when mom pulls out the harnes!
3) your day will be even worse when mom punches you in the face.
1) no she isn't, being blind sucks. We aren't "playing all day ", I'm working all day and yes its a fun job but its super important and playing isn't part of it. No you don't, its so much work to take a dog everywhere with you.
♤Happe
This is from a Facebook page called Zoe the Seeing Eye Dog and is not an original post from me.
