[nagdu] Giving Commands to Canes

Thu Feb 11 15:05:31 UTC 2010

So Marion,

I'm curios, do either of  your canes respond to those commands any better
than mine does? I have threatened to put some sort of a sonar device on the
darn thing so that I could find it, since I occasionally forget where I put
it. Something I've never had to do with my dogs. 

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Marion & Martin
Sent: Thursday, February 11, 2010 5:28 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: [nagdu] Giving Commands to Canes

Tami,
    I sure am glad to hear that Merry and I are not the only ones who give 
commands to our canes! (smile) Not so much now, as I have been dogless for 
about one year, but when I was working my dog and needed (or wanted) to use 
my cane, I know I told it "Forward!" or "Right!" more than once!

Fraternally yours,
Marion

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tamara Smith-Kinney" <tamara.8024 at comcast.net>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, February 11, 2010 3:15 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Explaining to parents that guide dogs are useful

> Julie,
>
> A week or so ago when Mitzi was at the groomers, I was doing some 
> shopping and stuff with my cane.  I walked into one store and stopped, 
> remembering that it is confusing in sound and in layout because of 
> counters and bins between the door and the aisles.  I simply could not 
> remember how to get past that to the aisle I wanted to find.  I was 
> with DD, who was looking for an assistance to show us where to go, but 
> I wanted to solve the problem on my own and get there with my cane.
>
> The solution finally hit me!  I looked at my cane and commanded it, 
> "Find the bones!"  /lol/
>
> Well, that is usually how I find that aisle.  Mitzi loves to find 
> things, especially when it's something for her.
>
> Cane not so good at find.  /grin/
>
> Tami Smith-Kinney
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
> Behalf Of Julie J
> Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 5:49 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Explaining to parents that guide dogs are useful
>
> I don't have any ideas on your college dormitory questions.  I have 
> had to deal with the ,"but you travel so well, why do you need a 
> dog?", argument. Unfortunately there is a perception that you have to 
> be perpetually lost in
> order to benefit from a dog.   I am a very good cane traveler, but a dog 
> is
> still my preferred means of mobility.  I like that I can teach the dog 
> all sorts of additional things that a cane simply can't do.  I can 
> teach the dog
>
> to find a counter, vehicle, chair and frequently used locations. I 
> definitely feel that travel is easier with a dog, at least it is after 
> the initial bumps get worked out. *smile*
>
> I just wanted to say that I can empathize with folks not understanding 
> why you might want a dog when you can travel without one.  It's 
> frustrating and I haven't figured out what to say that has made any 
> difference.  I'm not sure a person could understand until experiencing 
> it first hand.
>
> My best advice is to keep talking to your parents.  It may just take 
> them some time to warm up to the idea.  It is a big change.  Or you 
> may need to wait a couple of years until you are at a place in your 
> life where you are able to make your own decisions.
>
> Good luck,
> Julie
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Mark J. Cadigan" <kramc11 at gmail.com>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 6:58 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Explaining to parents that guide dogs are useful
>
>
>> Thanks all of you for your suggestions. I like both the Seeing Eye, 
>> and GDB. Ware as I live in MA the Seeing Eye is a lot closer. I am a 
>> junior in
>
>> high school so I haven't yet decided what college I will be 
>> attending. What I do know, is I want to be in a big city with access 
>> to a good public
>
>> transit network such as the MBTA. I currently take the T to and from 
>> places all over Boston using my cane. Because of this independence I 
>> am having difficulty explaining to my parents that a dog would only 
>> enhance it making me a more competent, safer, and faster traveler. 
>> Have any of you
>
>> ever experienced complaints about your dog either shedding or 
>> smelling bad? Is this a problem with roommates in college? Like most 
>> teenagers my room is never clean for long, but it is never that 
>> messy. I always take excellent care of all my equipment, and don't 
>> see how the maintenance of a
>
>> dog will be a problem. My parents seem to have concerns of how I will 
>> maintain a dog in college. Any thoughts?
>>
>> ----- 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: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 2:29 PM
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Explaining to parents that guide dogs are useful
>>
>>
>>> First, where are you located? Maybe there is a guide program in your
>>> area
>>> which would allow you to sort of host a dog for sometime until the guide
>>> is
>>> matched up with a handler. This would help to introduce your parents to
>>> the
>>> concepts  and strength having a guide could and would lend to your life.
>>> You
>>> could also let them know that their role in your life is to make you as
>>> completely independent as possible and that the introduction of a guide
>>> dog
>>> into your life would do just that. you could also play on their
>>> sympathies
>>> by letting them know you are looking to be able to walk independently
>>> with
>>> friends and thereby depend less on their eyes and more so on your own
>>> senses
>>> coupled with the security and independence a guide would lend to your
>>> life.
>>> Where are you intending on going to college? If you are hoping to go
>>> away,
>>> your parents would need to understand  that a guide would help you to
>>> move
>>> swiftly and securely through a campus ensuring your timely attendance to
>>> all
>>> your classes. Again, maybe a talk with a teacher/principal  might help
>>> advance your crusade.
>>>
>>> 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 Mark J. Cadigan
>>> Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 2:11 PM
>>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Explaining to parents that guide dogs are useful
>>>
>>> Dan W,
>>>
>>> My mom claims to be terrified of dogs, but yet we have a pet dog.  
>>> My parents claim that a guide dog will smell, then I point out that 
>>> if you take
>>>
>>> care of it properly it won't. Then I point out people we know with 
>>> guide dogs that don't smell. My dad's response to this is to tell 
>>> this story of his friend's son's roommate's friend had a roommate 
>>> with a smelly guide dog.
>>>
>>> This happened so long ago, and is so far removed from the situation 
>>> that I can't see how it possibly has any bearing on the current 
>>> situation. Also that story is so convoluted that is impossible to 
>>> verify. And the argument
>>> goes on and on Ad nauseam. It is getting to the point that I think they
>>> are
>>> just attempting to exorcize there ability to make arbitrary decisions.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Dan Weiner" <dcwein at dcwein.cnc.net>
>>> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'"
>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 1:33 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Explaining to parents that guide dogs are useful
>>>
>>>
>>>> Well, first question is "Is the reason your parents don't support 
>>>> your idea of getting a dog that they don't like dogs?"--smile.
>>>> Second of all, what is your parents objection, I mean presumably you're
>>>> the
>>>> one who's blind so maybe you might know a little better than they do
>>>> whether
>>>> a dog would enhance your lifestyle or not.
>>>> I'm fortunate that by the time I wanted a dog, my parents had figured
>>>> out
>>>> I'd pretty much do what I wanted without permission, so my Dad just
>>>> asked
>>>> one or two feeble questions and then left it alone.
>>>> He asked "Are you sure a dog will be worth the trouble, how do you know
>>>> it'll work out."
>>>> I explained that, never having a dog, a guide dog, that is,  I'd need 
>>>> to
>>>> find it out for myself and I really wanted to take care of the dog and
>>>> was
>>>> ready.
>>>> When I got home, he admired the dog enormously. But he asked the second
>>>> day
>>>> back home if the dog really had to go out with us to breakfast. I said
>>>> it
>>>> did, when he seemed to balk I said "I love you Dad, and enjoy going 
>>>> out,
>>>> but
>>>> this is important to me and if you don't want my guide dog than I'm
>>>> afraid
>>>
>>>> I
>>>> won't be going".
>>>> Dead silence ensued, and the issue never came up again.  As a 
>>>> matter of fact, my Dad adopted my first hound after he retired and 
>>>> loved him. The dog, Grant, even went to my Dad's funeral's
>>>> The only thing I wasn't really ready for was the access issues. Being
>>>> the
>>>> brilliant young man I was--smile--it never occurred to me that people
>>>> would
>>>> have issues with a dog, I mean access issues to public places.
>>>>
>>>> So, tell us more what the problem is and we'll be happy to talk 
>>>> about it. There are some folks on this list who can be very good 
>>>> role models and mentors, I wish there had been such a list when I 
>>>> started out.  But, then
>>>> I
>>>> don't think there were such things as computer lists--smile.
>>>>
>>>> Good luck
>>>>
>>>> Dan W. and the Carter Dog
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
>>>> Behalf Of Mark J. Cadigan
>>>> Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 1:17 PM
>>>> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>>> Subject: [nagdu] Explaining to parents that guide dogs are useful
>>>>
>>>> Hello list,
>>>>
>>>> I am new to this list, and I am thinking of getting a guide dog for
>>>> when
>
>>>> I
>>>> go to college. The only problem I am having is convincing my 
>>>> parents that a
>>>> guide dog is a useful mobility tool.  As you can probably guess, that 
>>>> is
>
>>>> a
>>>> large obstacle. I am currently in high school, so I have to abide 
>>>> by my parent's wishes, or at least for now. What I am asking for is 
>>>> how best to explain to them, that guide dogs are useful mobility 
>>>> tools, that will enhance my independence rather than detract from 
>>>> it. I have given them literature, DVDs and have attempted to talk 
>>>> to them. Any instructional materiel finds its way into the circular 
>>>> file, and they change the subject
>>>> when I talk to them. Any and all suggestions are welcome.
>>>>
>>>> Thanks
>>>> Mark
>>>> _______________________________________________
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