[nagdu] My other question:working with a guide dog when you have mobility impairments

[Mardi Hadfield]

Jewel, Mardi here. I am a power wheelchair user and I use a guide dog. I
have had 3 wheelchair guides. All have been owner trained with the help of a
private trainer.When I became legally blind and needed a guide dog,I was
told that there were no schools that trained guides for wheelchair users.At
the time,I already had a service dog.She was a white Siberian Husky named
Lily. I had Lily trained as a guide with the help of a trainer. Lily died 1
month after her retirement and then I got another Husky, Nala and trained
her also with the help of a trainer. I have now retired Nala due to age
related problems.I now have Shaman,a Belgian Shepherd,also trained with the
help of a private trainer. I will probably train my next guide as I can not
travel away from my home to get a school trained dog. Or,maybe by the time I
need a 4th guide,there will be a school that will be able to home train a
dog for me.I have enjoyed training my own dogs,but I am now 63 years young
and It would be nice to finally have a program dog.I find using a dog from a
wheelchair fairly easy and my dogs are trained to sit if I come to stairs or
escalators.Shaman will find the elevator for me and he loves to go up in
them.My dog is also trained to find curb cuts rather than curbs.I can some
times walk, well hobble,with the aid of a Canadian crutch, for about 10
minutes using my dog. I can not walk for a long period of  time or very
fast,but when I use my dog from the chair,we travel fairly fast.I am deaf in
my right ear and even though I can hear sound,I can not tell where it is
coming from so I rely on my dog to let me know.I use a halti with my leash
and it is easier to feel the dog turn his head toward the sound of traffic.I
think you will find using a guide dog from a wheelchair a lot easier than
when walking if you have balance and pain issues.It would be nice to be able
to go both ways if that is what you need. Good luck,and I am sure you will
be able to find a school that will be able to accommodate your needs.Times
have changed and I think more schools now realize that people who have more
than 1 disability,are still capable of using a guide dog.Below,you will find
the links to my blogs,if you would like to read about the training of
Shaman,my current guide. The other blog is about my rescued,visually
impaired Bearded Dragon. Have a great day,Mardi and Shaman and Nala,retired.

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http://wolfsinger-lakota.blogspot.com/
http://wolfsinger2-thegoldendragon.blogspot.com