[nagdu] re sighted guides

Wed Feb 17 22:10:50 UTC 2010

I was told on class, that when I am working with my husband that I drop the 
harness handle and just use the leash, I do this often. and the dog is not 
between us, the dog is on the outside and my husband is on my right side.

Cheryl Echevarria
Independent Travel Consultant
http://Echevarriatravel.com
1-866-580-5574

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Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Montrose Travel CST-1018299-10

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Julie J" <julielj at windstream.net>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 5:08 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] re sighted guides

> Gary,
>
> Good question!
>
> Typically I won't hold my husband's hand, in a romantic manner, while
> working my dog, because the dog and I walk a lot faster.  If we all walked
> close to the same pace I think it might be possible if you were able to
> still follow the dog and let go of your partner's hand should that become
> necessary.  If I am being guided by a person, I just drop the harness 
> handle
> and have the dog heel.
>
> HTH
> Julie
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "GARY STEEVES" <rainshadowmusic at shaw.ca>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 3:36 PM
> Subject: [nagdu] re sighted guides
>
>
> > Hello Everyone:
> >
> > A question that has popped into my mind of late is how one deals with a
> > sighted guide. I do a lot of things on my own which will be wonderful 
> > with
> > a dog. On the other hand, on the weekends especially, me and my 
> > girlfriend
> > go out and about doing the things we need or like to do.
> >
> > I'm sure this will be covered at my school but I was curious how others
> > deal with this. When I'm out with my girlfriend I am often holding hands
> > (romantic as I am :), sometimes an elbow if we're doing more technical
> > navigations like busy stores. So with a guide dog how does one still be
> > able to be with their partner and have their dog out with them as well?
> > Hopefully my question is making sense. If not, ask me more and I will
> > clarify or think of better examples.
> >
> > Thanks
> > Gary
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Tamara Smith-Kinney <tamara.8024 at comcast.net>
> > Date: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 12:52 pm
> > Subject: Re: [nagdu] How to encourage dog initiative
> > To: "'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'"
> > <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> >
> >> Tracy,
> >>
> >> Nope.  My sighted help is not trained!  /grin/  I
> >> am as bad, if not worse,
> >> than the dog at preventing myself from getting sloppy when said
> >> sighted help
> >> is around.  We're still trying to both build up our good
> >> habits, not slack
> >> into bad ones! /smile/
> >>
> >> I once decided to trust Mitzi's judgment on a pleasant country
> >> route beside
> >> a fairly dangerous roadway.  So I got to go with her to go
> >> bark at a goat.
> >> /smile/  I was so proud of myself for letting her guide me
> >> safely and surely
> >> across the grass to the safer path beyond, then I just wanted to
> >> jump up and
> >> down and scream.  Also, I had a heck of an argument on my
> >> hands convincing
> >> her that this was not what she was supposed to be doing right
> >> now.  I was
> >> embarrassed to be doing all of this in front of what I guess to
> >> be a goat.
> >> The goat did not appear to care.  /grin/
> >>
> >> She still pauses for a half beat to look towards that goat's
> >> pasture, and I
> >> automatically say, "Don't even think about it."  Which she
> >> clearly does
> >> before deciding to go ahead and do her boring old job.  /smile/
> >>
> >> Tami Smith-Kinney
> >>
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org]
> >> On Behalf
> >> Of Tracy Carcione
> >> Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 6:15 AM
> >> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> >> Subject: Re: [nagdu] How to encourage dog initiative
> >>
> >> It's been a while since I've had a new dog, knock wood, but I
> >> think that
> >> what I do to encourage initiative is to encourage the dog to make
> >> decisions when we get into a situation, and show him that I'm
> >> willing to
> >> go with his decisions once he makes one.  At first, this
> >> can involve
> >> standing somewhere and saying Hup-up in a cheerful way, and
> >> sometimes some
> >> gentle handwaving to suggest possibilities.  I've even
> >> found myself giving
> >> that wonderfully mystic GDF command "Find the Way!"
> >> In my experience, this kind of thing requires me to work my dog
> >> on my own
> >> quite a bit.  Standing still and waiting for the dog to
> >> figure out a
> >> challenge seems to drive sighted people buggy.  Even if I
> >> explain before
> >> we set out that I am trying to teach the dog that he can figure
> >> things out
> >> without much help, when the situation comes up, the sighted
> >> person barges
> >> ahead saying "Oh come on; this way."  So, instead of the
> >> dog learning that
> >> he can make decisions, he learns that if he waits, someone will
> >> go ahead
> >> and he can follow them.  Not the conclusion I want.
> >> Someone told me that
> >> her dog would look around for a sighted person to follow, if the
> >> dog felt
> >> her person was confused.  That's initiative too, but not
> >> the kind I want.
> >> So, for me, it's really important to work with my dog alone in the
> >> beginning.  Maybe other people have better control of their
> >> sightedpartners than I do, but for me they can be quite a
> >> hindrance to
> >> team-building.
> >>
> >> In the beginning, and not much after either, I wouldn't expect
> >> the dog to
> >> figure things out if I was facing the whole wrong way or
> >> something. An
> >> experienced dog can sometimes figure that out, but really it's
> >> my job to
> >> at least aim in the generally right direction.
> >> Although once, at a state convention banquet, I had to step out,
> >> and I
> >> pointed the way I thought we should go and told Echo
> >> "Outside!"  She led
> >> me the other way than I pointed, around the table and to a clear
> >> aisle,and then took me to the door.  I was very
> >> impressed.  Just like in the
> >> Seeing Eye dog books!
> >>
> >> I may have messed up Ben's initiative a bit by not trusting his
> >> decisions. It's hard for me to tell when he's going around
> >> something and when he's
> >> going to sniff something, especially in suburbia, where the work
> >> is less
> >> challenging and he gets more distracted. Luckily, Ben has lots of
> >> confidence and initiative, so I haven't made a complete hash of
> >> things.Tracy
> >>
> >>
> >>
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