EVERYDAY LIFE AND CLENTS

Return with a guide dog  into old  environment, each client – blind person find themselves in new, previously unknown situation. The freedom and independence, belonging to a new living being, is often not understood and recognized by other.
Family members weighted with previous feelings of fear and anguish, unconsciously restrict its member. In addition, guide dog clients are exposed to issues, surprise, and sometimes unacceptable comments arising from ignorance of other citizens in local community.

All these circumstances are creating emotional chaos to the person, endless questions without a coherent response and the need to find a place under the sun for themselves and their dog. However, in that phase is extremely important to share experiences with other guide dog clients, who have long experience with their guide dogs. Therefore exchange of experiences among equals – peer counselling, is most effective and most valuable form of mutual assistance and support... Association effort are to provide support to minimize possible negative effects.

 It is particularly important that, at this stage a client can deal with all the news, because it represents a real foundation for his future better social inclusion in the community. On the other hand, it is important that the family also communicate with other clients  -  to quickly and easily weathered their fears and limitations that they are automatically impose to it's member with disability.

That positive examples from the life of D. Smajo, which carries a complete daily care of the children's school commitments and other obligations in the household, N. Schwarz 83-year old woman who lives alone with her  guide dog, very active M. Nadja who daily maintain biological and zoological balance in the forest thanks to  mobility, that his guide dog Bela provides for him , and many students crowded in Zagreb who  successfully dealing  with all the faculty responsibilities -  all this is a good illustration  that mobility is a fundamental prerequisite for any successful step in life.
These and  similar examples could go on endlessly , because every life story is in its own way special.

In the hope that this information will encourage those who are still considering whether carrying about the guide dog is to heavy for what will dog give to them, we share the experience of those who have guide dogs, that to our dogs we can never  provide even a small fraction compared to what they are doing for us.

The fact that beeing mobile is more pleasure, rather than fatigue and fear is incomparable to any other feeling. In addition, a man with a dog is never alone, and in this time of extraordinary high alienation.
Citizens have generally positive attitude towards guide dogs clients, unlike still reserved and prejudice loaded relationship to a blind person using a white cane. Almost all guide dog users are unanimous in their assessment that the guide dog returned to them dignity of man who is respected and not repentant. The best testimony to this opinion is one of Mr. J. Stepic graduate veterinarians from Stone. He said: "When I saw and worked all people greeted me with - a good day sir doctor. When I became blind shunned me and  did not want to even say good day, completly  not aware that I can hear them. Now, since I have Brahm, people greet me - Joso sir, good day. "
Great value to a better position of a guide dog clients in the community has The Guide Dog Clients Club. The group that has common interests, needs and possible ways to solve problems is an important organizational form for the quality of life of each guide dog client.