[nagdu] cane skills as prerequisite for guide dog

Tue Apr 6 20:03:02 UTC 2010

Ann,

Ah, yes.  Training 4-legged guides easy!  One legged guides, not so easy.

Have you managed to teach yours not to hide from you when you need it?
Maybe if I tried operant condition instead of just cussing at the stupid
thing and banging it violently on the side walk or a good, solid tree or
something when I think no one's looking, I would have better training
success?

I would never have believed an inanimate object to get into so much trouble
all by itself even when I'm nolding it firmly in my hand.  Then there was
the time it joined forces with my purse....  We jost won't talk about it,
okay?

Thanks for the good laugh!

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Ann Edie
Sent: Monday, April 05, 2010 7:50 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] cane skills as prerequisite for guide dog

Hi, Albert,

Please tell me how you trained your cane to ignore distractions.  Mine is 
continuously poking its little nose into cracks in the sidewalk and 
insisting on stopping so abruptly to explore what's in there that i take a 
kick in the diaphragm from its butt end.  I would truly appreciate learning 
the secret of training the dear hairless creature to guide me around those 
cracks and holes instead of persisting in thoroughly investigating each one 
to my frequent pain and frustration.

Thanks,
Ann

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Albert J Rizzi" <albert at myblindspot.org>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, April 03, 2010 8:38 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] cane skills as prerequisite for guide dog

> Thank you . it does help. understanding the need to demonstrate our sense 
> of
> orientation, positioning, our gate and stride, all that needs to be 
> assessed
> and most probably assessed to determine our confidence and ability to take
> to independent travel. The cane is the only other tool we have which 
> affords
> us independent travel outside of those of us who have usable vision and 
> can
> manage without either of the two options discussed herein. So it does make
> sense, and it is not, in my opinion, about anything  more then our ability
> to travel independently and confidently, additionally it could also be 
> about
> how we would fair handling another living breathing tool as opposed to the
> lifeless cane which we control and which is not prone to distractions.
> thanks
>
> Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed.
> CEO/Founder
> My Blind Spot, Inc.
> 90 Broad Street - 18th Fl.
> New York, New York  10004
> www.myblindspot.org
> PH: 917-553-0347
> Fax: 212-858-5759
> "The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who is
> doing it."
>
>
> Visit us on Facebook LinkedIn
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Michelle
> Sent: Saturday, April 03, 2010 6:00 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] cane skills as prerequisite for guide dog
>
> Hi Albert,
>
> I agree with you in part. What I'd like to say to you is that cane skills
> are necessary because it's better to get around with one than nothing at 
> all
>
> before getting a dog. I understand guide dogs are obviously better as a
> mobility aid, I have one myself! (big smile) I don't understand why some
> schools of thought hold to not having to use a cane as a kid or a toddler.
> Maybe it depends on the situation? I don't know. But I guess the 
> instructors
>
> want to know that you've got a good sense of direction so when you get a
> dog, you'll know that you can direct the dog appropriately most of the 
> time,
>
> and at least the instructors will feel safe about your travelling
> adventures.
>
> I hope this helps,
>
> Michelle
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Albert J Rizzi" <albert at myblindspot.org>
> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, April 03, 2010 5:32 AM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] cane skills as prerequisite for guide dog
>
>
>> Why is it a requirement for being considered getting a guide dog anyway? 
>> I
>> would like to understand the rationale. I am not agreeing or disagreeing
>> just wondering about the reasons. Then too, if cane mobility is so
>> integral
>> to independence, why are there some schools of thought on not introducing
>> the cane to toddlers or blind youth as soon as they can hold one?
>>
>> Albert J. Rizzi, M.Ed.
>> CEO/Founder
>> My Blind Spot, Inc.
>> 90 Broad Street - 18th Fl.
>> New York, New York  10004
>> www.myblindspot.org
>> PH: 917-553-0347
>> Fax: 212-858-5759
>> "The person who says it cannot be done, shouldn't interrupt the one who 
>> is
>> doing it."
>>
>>
>> Visit us on Facebook LinkedIn
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
>> Behalf
>> Of Tracy Carcione
>> Sent: Friday, April 02, 2010 2:33 PM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> Subject: [nagdu] cane skills as prerequisite for guide dog
>>
>> Marion, I don't necessarily agree that good cane skills should be a
>> prerequisite for getting a guide dog.  It's a nice theory.  It would
>> certainly be helpful.  But I know too many people who don't have
>> spectacular cane skills, but do great with a dog.  Some of them are older
>> people, who started getting dogs when cane training was not very
>> available.  Some of them are from places where services for blind people
>> are not very good.  Some of them went blind as senior citizens, and quite
>> a few agencies don't serve that population very well, since they won't be
>> employed.  Should we tell these people they have to wait until they can
>> somehow get cane training?  I don't think so. I've met enough people for
>> whom the dog was the thing that got them back out, living their lives, 
>> and
>> I think getting out and living one's life is a great thing. I'm not
>> willing to stand in someone's way over whether or not their cane skills
>> measure up to some philosophical mark.
>>
>> Should we take good orientation as good enough?  Or should the guide dog
>> schools offer cane training to prospective applicants who they feel 
>> should
>> have it? They seem like reasonable approaches to me, and I believe they
>> are
>> the ones being carried out. Encouraging good cane skills is fine, but I
>> wouldn't make it a prerequisite for a guide dog.
>> Tracy
>>
>>
>>
>>
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