[nagdu] guide dogs

Sun Feb 21 12:45:12 UTC 2010

Ummm...I live in a town of something like 7,000 and my husband is a farmer. 
My guide does fine in the rural environment.  We do a fair share of 
sidewalkless travel, dirt roads, working past cows, horses and goats, etc. 
There are different skills of course.  If this  is the sort of environment 
you will be working in let the program know and they will match you up with 
a dog that excels in that area.

Rural travel is a skill like anything else.  If you live and work in New 
York City, it probably isn't you or your dog's strong suit.   -I don't know 
that it would really matter though, you won't be working around many cows in 
that case.

JMHO
Julie

---- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jennifer L Finley" <jenniferfinley at embarqmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, February 20, 2010 10:41 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] guide dogs

>I have had some people tell me that a guide dog does not do good in a rural 
>area, do you know about that?  I just want to be able to work my dog 
>enough. I don't want it to loose it's training.
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Wayne Merritt" <wcmerritt at gmail.com>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, February 20, 2010 4:21 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] guide dogs
>
>
>>I can understand why they might tell you that, but then again, if
>> you're really concerned, you could always ask to leave a message with
>> whatever training supervisor is there during the time you call, and
>> they will definitely call you back. Don't worry too much about it
>> though since they're right. You will get all your questions answered
>> while in training. You can always request a home visit within the
>> first few months if you would like for them to check up on how you're
>> doing. I think that this is already done by design anyway for new dog
>> users. This is one thing that has changed since I got my first dog. I
>> was fortunate enough to have an instructor come out to see me within
>> the first 2 weeks of me returning home the last time since I had
>> specific worries about my work environment and how my dog might adjust
>> to that, as well as other concerns of being able to use a dog after
>> not having used one for over 10 years.
>>
>> Remember though, an dhtis goes for anyone going for their first dog or
>> considering a dog: the only dumb question is the one you don't ask. So
>> ask away, both when you get into training and here on this list.
>>
>> Wayne
>>
>>
>> On 2/20/10, Jennifer L Finley <jenniferfinley at embarqmail.com> wrote:
>>> Ya I was just wondering, because some times when I call the seeing eye, 
>>> they
>>> do not answer my questions.  I had asked them about what you would do 
>>> about
>>> the cat's litter box sence I have a cat, and they told me to wait until 
>>> my
>>> instructor came to visit me.
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Wayne Merritt" <wcmerritt at gmail.com>
>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Saturday, February 20, 2010 10:44 AM
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] guide dogs
>>>
>>>
>>>> Such is the nature of email communication. Most times it's
>>>> instintaneous, but there are times when emails take awhile to be
>>>> received or get through the massiveness of the WWW. Once i sent an
>>>> email to someone on Saturday and they didn't receive it until the
>>>> following Tuesday, and we were using the same email provider. Go
>>>> figure.
>>>>
>>>> To answer your question though Jennifer, yes, you will have to use
>>>> your cane for the first 2 days at The Seeing Eye. This is so you can
>>>> get a lay of the land so to speak, of how things are laid out in "the
>>>> house" or the main building where you will be staying. Once you get
>>>> your dog, then you can stop using your cane to get around, though you
>>>> aren't permitted to work your dog through the building for several
>>>> days due to the initial bonding and the stress that the dog is going
>>>> through in adjusting to a new master, a new environment, and so forht.
>>>> Besides, in the words of instructors, it's too much to ask the dog to
>>>> guide in such a confined space when they've just been matched with
>>>> you. Probably not saying that right, but I'm sure other Seeing Eye
>>>> grads can jump in and help explain it. Though you don't have to use
>>>> your cane after you get the dog, I knew at least one person in my last
>>>> class that did. If my dog was the type to walk beside me when on leash
>>>> or lag behind, then I probably would have as  well, since I don't know
>>>> about you, but I feel vulnlerable and a little wary when walking
>>>> without my cane in an unfamiliar place. However, since my dog tends to
>>>> pull out in front a little, even when on leash, I ended up not using
>>>> my cane. I thought of it though early on since I was still a little
>>>> unsure of the surroundings and when exactly to make each turn.
>>>> However, I soon realized that if i tried to place myself in the middle
>>>> of the hall then the dog would pretty much keep me there. Not all dogs
>>>> can do this leash guiding, and I don't expect of her when we're
>>>> walking. It's just something that she started doing that i've latched
>>>> onto. I dont' give commands to her when she is guiding by leash
>>>> though, and if she stops to sniff something or veers off course, I
>>>> don't correct her like I would if she were "really" guiding and in
>>>> harness.
>>>>
>>>> Hth,
>>>> Wayne
>>>>
>>>> On 2/20/10, Julie J <julielj at windstream.net> wrote:
>>>>> Jennifer,
>>>>>
>>>>> It is probably nothing to do with your email.  I frequently experience
>>>>> delays of a few hours before messages I send appear on the list.  I 
>>>>> also
>>>>> frequently get messages out of order.  For example I will read 2 or 3
>>>>> replies to something before I get the original message.
>>>>> I have contacted the list administrator about this issue.  He can find 
>>>>> no
>>>>> reason or explanation.   All the messages will appear eventually, so I
>>>>> just
>>>>> try to be patient.
>>>>>
>>>>> Julie
>>>>> NAGDU list moderator
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>> From: "Jennifer L Finley" <jenniferfinley at embarqmail.com>
>>>>> To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>>> Sent: Saturday, February 20, 2010 12:24 AM
>>>>> Subject: [nagdu] guide dogs
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> Hi this is Jennifer.  Everything is fine with my email.  I don't know
>>>>>> what
>>>>>>
>>>>>> was going on.  In case you did not get my last email with my 
>>>>>> question, I
>>>>>> was just wondering when you go to the seeing eye do you have to use 
>>>>>> your
>>>>>> cane for the first fiew days?  Thanks
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Follow me on Twitter at:
>>>> www.twitter.com/wcmerritt
>>>> My blog:
>>>> http://wayneism.blogspot.com
>>>> My websites:
>>>> www.wayneism.com
>>>> www.whitecaneday.org
>>>>
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>>
>> -- 
>> Follow me on Twitter at:
>> www.twitter.com/wcmerritt
>> My blog:
>> http://wayneism.blogspot.com
>> My websites:
>> www.wayneism.com
>> www.whitecaneday.org
>>
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