[Ag-eq] guide dogs

[Fred's Win7 Catastrophe]

I ride tandem bikes Barb,
Almost always, I  leave my guide dog home or with 
someone, depending on how long the ride is 
supposed to be.  I do have a trailor for the dog.  He seems to enjoy it.
Bike paths are often used by dog walkers.  I 
don't think  I would ride with a running dog 
alongside.  My wife and I used to do that with 
our border collie, but they are bred to follow 
very close.  Guide dogs are trained to work on a 
person's left side.  That would put the guide dog 
out towards oncoming or passing traffic.  Interesting,
Fred



At 06:35 PM 10/16/2013, you wrote:
>That sounds like a good time.  so Fred you say 
>you go to the bike shop?  do you ride? and what 
>do the dog do, just run beside like a non 
>working dog, or does he still guide the bike. 
>Â  I have enough vision to ride a bike, and if I 
>would I would want the dog to go with, but he 
>would not have to guide the bike, he could run 
>along side for fun.  I ride on bike paths where 
>there is less traffic. Â  Barb ----- Original 
>Message ----- From: "Fred's Win7 Catastrophe" 
><regenerative at earthlink.net> To: "Agricultural 
>and Equestrean Division List" <ag-eq at nfbnet.org> 
>Sent: Wednesday, October 16, 2013 8:23:31 PM 
>Subject: Re: [Ag-eq] guide dogs Hi, Ya, my dog 
>is fearless, can lead me across a 4 to 6-inch 
>wide plank over a stream, and other useful 
>tricks. So you can walk as fast down a garden 
>path, over a  grassy meadow, or  a patch of 
>desert with  rocks and  pricklies with a cane 
>as with a dog? How about at night? How about at 
>night after a couple beers or glasses of wine? I 
>know that the two black labs I grew up with were 
>better with hot pavement, than my yellow guide 
>lab now.  I’ve read since that black labs are 
>more temperature tolerant than the lighter 
>colored Labradors. Â This guy is half English 
>yellow, and half American yellow. Â He is a 
>xsuper smart dog, and  can learn new commands 
>or phrases with 2 or 3 rpetitions.  He knows  
>somewhere between 80 and 100-commands, phrases, 
>and names. The important one, like “find a 
>toilet!” gets me to a men’s room almost 
>every time. Find the button works for elevators, 
>crosswalk request buttons, and the stupid door 
>opening buttons that some of our local trains 
>use; He knows his left paw from his right paw, 
>which helps when checking for burrs, clumps of 
>ice, or whatever is making him limp; He can walk 
>a couple miles across town to whichever 
>friend’s house I tell him ­ without any 
>further guidance; We’ve  actually gotten off a 
>train, and I didn’t know how to get to a bike 
>shop that  he had only  been to a couple times 
>in two different cars.  I told him, “Find the 
>bike shop,” and we walked several blocks east, 
>then turned to go several blocks north, and sure 
>enough we were  walking into the friggin’ 
>bike shop! Â Do that with a cane. The most 
>amazing thing, he was under a table with about a 
>dozen guide dogs.  Us handlers were  holding a 
>meeting, and discussing  our dogs.  One buddy 
>said that his dog began poking her nose at his 
>cell phone pocket when he couldn’t hear it 
>ring. Â She taught herself that. Â The amazing 
>thing is that my dog began doing that same 
>behavior later that day! Â Dogs are not supposed 
>to be able to  learn a command by overhearing  
>one handler talk about the behavior. Â That is 
>abstract learning. He still can’t set up the 
>coffee maker though, or  get a beer out of the 
>fridge. Â What a slacker! Fred At 04:58 PM 
>10/16/2013, you wrote: Fred: It sounds like you 
>have an ATV, not a dog! I used to hike with my 
>black lab and he got really good at it. Â He was 
>also good in high traffic areas. Â My golden 
>retriever wasn't so crazy about the outdoor 
>activities. Â He was also a bit more nervous 
>than the lab. Â He was faster and more accurate 
>than the lab. Â I used to say the golden was 
>like driving a sports car and the lab was like 
>driving a suv! I used dogs for 16 years and 
>loved it, but I'm a good cane traveler and don't 
>feel restricted by the cane. Â I live in Phoenix 
>now and I think it's just to hot for a dog here. 
>Â Maybe someday I'll get another one. Good luck. 
>Nella Quoting Fred's Win7 Catastrophe 
><regenerative at earthlink.net>: Â > Good questions 
>Barb, Â > I'm on my first guide dog. Â He'll be 
> 7-years old  > at the end of this week, and  
>I'll probably  > retire him in another year and 
>a half.  Im  > 40-something, been  legally 
>blind from a head  > injury when I was 21-years 
>old.  I was a good  > cane traveler, with 
>about 20-years of  > experience.  I can see a 
>little in the upper-left  > corner of my visual 
>field, which isnt very  > useful for walking.  
>I often use a hoe or  > long-handled fish net  
>like a long white cane  on  > farms that I 
>worked on.  Still, holes would  > appear, 
>trenches would be dug, or any number of  > 
>obstacles would  pop-up.  When I switched to a 
>Â > guide dog from 
><<http://www.guidedogs.com/>http://www.guidedogs.com/>www.guidedogs.com 
>Â > it made me a much safer and faster walker 
> > offroad.  He eats about  a cup and a half 
>of  > kibble  in the mornings, 2 cups of 
>kibble in late  > afternoons, and  drinks  as 
>much water as he  > wants, day and night.   I 
>don't have to take the  > dog for a walk.  He 
>goes wherever I go, whenever  > I go.  He 
>works in rain, snow, ice, mud, mulch, Â > sand, 
>gravel, grass, and pavement.  He can even  > 
>climb ladders, but keep that under your hat. Â > 
>In snow, ice, mud, gravel, soft soil, grass, Â > 
>etc. Â the dog kicks ass over a cane! Â > Â > I 
>didn't get him for companionship, but simply  > 
>for better mobility off paved surfaces. Â I Â > 
>attract enough attention on my own.  But he  > 
>really attracts attention, good and bad, so a 
>dog  > is a way to meet  people.  Some days, 
>it is  > almost like trying to sneak through 
>town next to  > a famous rockstar.  That can 
>be a pain.  He isnt  > much for conversation, 
>and  is  kind of like  having a  nosy little 
>brother. Â > Â > Â > Â > Overall, he is patient, 
>smart, quiet, and always  > ready to go 
>whenever or wherever I'm going. Â > He is just 
>under 80-Pounds, and bigger than I was  > 
>expecting. Â This actually comes in handy. Â 
>When  > walking over slick surfaces, I've got 
>4-more feet  > on the ground, not to mention 
>his 80-Pounds of  > ballast in my left hand.  
>We walk along rivers, Â > streams, beaches, and 
>cliffs, over cobbles and  > boulders small and 
>big.  I am able to walk where  > I would  
>otherwise  need to crawl over rocks and  > 
>logs.  The dog kicks ass over a long white  > 
>cane. Â  Â When we approach a waist to 
>chest-high  > berm, fallen logs, or other 
>obstacle, I command  > him to jump-up and hold 
>steady.  I then grab his  > harness strap, and 
>scramble up. Â Try doing that with a white cane. 
>Â > Â > Â > Â > Ever misplace your white cane? Â 
>A dog comes when  > you call, or more likely 
>anticipates  your call  > by observing your 
>actions. Â My dog loves his job, Â > and we are 
>buddies.  He is very friendly with  > people 
>of all ages, pets and livestock, and  > enjoys 
>hiking, backpacking, sleeping in a tent, Â > 
>travel on busses, trains, planes, autos, boats, 
> > kayaks, and even  in a trailer behind my  
>tandem bike. Â > Â > Good luck, Â > Â > Fred, 
>near San Diego  >  >  > At 10:17 AM 
>10/16/2013, you wrote: Â > Â > Hi, I am Barb and 
>I haven't been on here in a long time. Â > Sorry 
>to see that someone is having their  > chickens 
>killed, that would be heart breaking. Â > Â > 
>Why I am posting is, Â I am legally blind and 
>have  > a good amount of vision.  I have been 
>told that I Â > could maybe get a guide dog. Â I 
>am 52 and my  > night vision is not what it 
>used to be. Â Plus I Â > have tripped over 
>things and landed on my  > face.  My people at 
>worked were so freaked out. Â > I have looked at 
>the Seeing Eye school, but I am  > not shure if 
>I should apply.  I want the dog to  > go to 
>work with me, and to the gym, I would have  > 
>someone to go on walks with, and just be there 
>on  > the train and on the walk home.  I am 
>not really  > afraid to walk home, but things 
>are getting a bit  > rough out there.   I live 
>in Minnesota so once it  > gets cold I will 
>have to find a different way to  > get the dog 
>his workout. I know that with a big  > dog you 
>need to walk them almost every day.  When  > 
>it gets icy I get afraid to walk myself, now I 
>Â > need to walk the dog. Â but there are indoor 
>options when needed. Â > I do use my cane more 
>and more mostly in the dark  > and in spaces I 
>don't know, your if there are a lot of steps. 
>Â > Â > So I guess I was looking for anyone who 
>has a dog  > and how they have change your 
>life. I want to  > make shure that I am doing 
>this for the right  > reasons and not just so I 
>can have a great dog with me wherever I go. Â > 
> > Thanks  > Barb 
>_______________________________________________ 
>Ag-eq mailing list Ag-eq at nfbnet.org 
>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/ag-eq_nfbnet.org 
>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get 
>your account info for Ag-eq: 
>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/ag-eq_nfbnet.org/barbandzoe%40comcast.net 
>_______________________________________________ 
>Ag-eq mailing list Ag-eq at nfbnet.org 
>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/ag-eq_nfbnet.org 
>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get 
>your account info for Ag-eq: 
>http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/ag-eq_nfbnet.org/regenerative%40earthlink.net 
>