In his book Resolving Everyday Conflict, Ken Sande tells about observing a visually impaired woman who resisted the repeated warnings of her loyal and protective guide dog:
One day during my morning run I noticed a blind woman walking on the
other side of the street with her Seeing Eye dog, a beautiful golden retriever.
As I was about to pass them, I noticed a car blocking a driveway a few paces
ahead of them. At that moment the dog paused and gently pressed his shoulder
against the woman's leg, signalling her to turn aside so they could get around
the car.
I'm sure she normally followed his lead, but that day she didn't seem
to trust him. She had probably walked this route many times before and knew
this was not the normal place to make a turn. Whatever the cause, she wouldn't
move to the side and instead gave him the signal to move ahead. He again
pressed his shoulder against her leg, trying to guide her on a safe path. She
angrily ordered [the dog] to go forward. When he again declined, her temper
flared.
I was about to speak up … when the dog once more put his shoulder
gently against her leg. Sure enough, she kicked him …. And then she impulsively
stepped forward—and bumped square into a car. Reaching out to feel the shape in
front of her, she immediately realised what had happened. Dropping to her
knees, she threw her arms around the dog, and spoke sobbing words into his ear.
Ken Sande, Resolving Everyday Conflict (Baker Books, 2011), pp. 99-100
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