[nagdu] Mobility and dogs

[Mardi Hadfield]

Jeff, Rox'e and Dan are right.There are many reasons that some of us do not
have good cane skills.My first experience with a cane was 30 minutes of O&M
training.I already had a dog.When I became legally blind, I trained my then
service dog,Lily,to guide me with the help of a private trainer.I use a
wheelchair and believe me, it's a lot easier to to use a guide dog from a
wheelchair than it is to use a cane. I have broken many a cane from using it
from my chair.It gets caught in every crack and crevice and it comes back
and hits me in the stomach or in the chin.I am also deaf in one ear and I
can hear sound but I can't tell where the sound is coming from.I also miss
hearing some sounds.I feel much more safe with my dog than a cane.I did get
more O&M training, but I can't say that my cane skills are much better than
they were.I do occasionally use a cane but I really prefer the dog.Of
course, if I were to owner train my next guide dog,in about 7 or 8more
years,when Shaman is ready to retire.........I would name my dog Kane and
then I would be a Kane user and a dog user all in one and that would work
out perfectly!     Mardi and Shaman and Wanagi,GDIT.

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