[nagdu] Giving Commands to Canes

Sat Feb 13 06:01:40 UTC 2010

Sherri,
    Maybe you ought to switch to a broom stick! ((teasing grin)

Marion


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sherri" <flmom2006 at gmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, February 11, 2010 11:57 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Giving Commands to Canes


>I told my cane to "find the door" in
> Washington, dc, but it did not obey! *smile.
> Sherri
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Joy Relton" <jrelton at verizon.net>
> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, February 11, 2010 10:05 AM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Giving Commands to Canes
>
>
>> 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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>>>>>> et
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
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