[nagdu] Guide dog injured on escalator

Wed Nov 11 17:12:44 UTC 2009

I like the idea of picking up the dog!  I'm afraid I'm too wimpy for that,
but maybe I will see if I can figure out some approximation.

I tried to get state O&M trainers to work with me on escalators and perhaps
watch and coah when I introduced Mitzi to them.  They decided I needed two
years of O&M training before I could get to the escalator in question in the
first place, and I just needed to be patient and practice walking up and
down the sidewalk.  Okay.

I was fortunate to have a great group of guide dog users to ask questions
of!  So we do escalators for practice when we have the chance because I
don't want to wait until it's our only option and we're in a big all-fired
hurry.  I keep thinking I should be a bit more formal about how we travel
once we're on the escalator - with Mitzi by my side in proper fashion,
waiting to guide me safely off.

Honestly, I keep coming to the conclusion that I would rather go loose leash
so that she can jump off in front of me when she's ready.  Then she circles
around to watch me get off, and I can use her movements to know I will have
safe ground under my feet when I step off.  It doesn't guarantee what
happened to this dog won't happen to Mitzi, but I think it decreases the
odds.  It's not proper etiquette, but safety first. /grin/

Anyway, I'm interested to see what others have to say about how they handle
escalators with their dogs.

Tami Smith-Kinney 

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Nimer
Sent: Sunday, November 08, 2009 6:51 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Guide dog injured on escalator

While Abbie does well on moving sidewalks and escalators, I normally pick
her up by the backstrap of her harness as we disembark so that I don't have
to take the chance of her slicing her paws. In my class, TSE did escalator
work with the graduates I've talked to, and I'm sure with everyone. They
taught us that if possible, we should avoid escalators and moving sidewalks,
however if we had to use them, we should move quickly off the end or avoid
the end altogether by picking up the dog by the backstrap. Also, this man
said he was unable to travel without his dog. While I understand the trauma
he was put through, I would have to hope that if something happened to
Abbie, I would still be able to travel.

Thanks
Nimer J

Cindy Ray wrote: 

Yeah, but the escallator was damaged, and maybe it couldn't have been 
helped. My dog is pleased to ride and quick to disembark, too. I think I 
learned it better myself this last time.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Wayne Merritt"  <mailto:wcmerritt at gmail.com> <wcmerritt at gmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
 <mailto:nagdu at nfbnet.org> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, November 08, 2009 8:20 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Guide dog injured on escalator

Also, just covering abases here, was the gentleman trained how to use
and escalator with his dog? Probably so, but the thought of if he took
the escalator and thought nothing about it, only to have the issue
with the dog comes to mind. Do all guide dog schools teach this in
training? If not, why not?

Though Gucci is wary of getting on one, which might not be a bad
thing, she's fine when riding on it, and definitely wants to get off
when we reach the end. Though I don't rush her, I am aware of where
her paws are and how she's doing on the ride. This also makes me
wonder if the man was aware of his dog's and where the paws were, and
where they were when they neared the end.

Jmt,
Wayne

On 11/8/09, Cindy Ray  <mailto:cindyray at qwest.net> <cindyray at qwest.net>
wrote:

I am wondering some things about this. Would this guy have any recourse
about losing his job? Could he have taken FMLA Leave to care for the dog?

Cindy

_______________________________________________
nagdu mailing list
nagdu at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
nagdu:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/wcmerritt%40gmail.com