[nagdu] extremely basic guide dog questions...

[Julie J.]

Chris,

I don't think my answers will be much different from everyone Else's 
but, here you go.  BTW I have trained my own guides, meaning they didn't 
come from a program.

A.  When the dog stops sniffing and circling, I lightly touch the dog's 
back.  I can tell what's going on by the curve of the dog's back.  I 
place my foot near the back end of the dog as a sort of landmark.  When 
the dog is done, he moves out of the way and I use a plastic bag to pick 
up the poo.

B. I have a pretty good idea of when my dog is going to need to go.   I 
try to ask in advance if there is an outdoor trash can around.  If I'm 
not sure where a trash can is, I've taken a turn down the next alley to 
find a dumpster.  I live in a very small town where walking down random 
alleys is not dangerous.   It is also possible to teach the dog to 
locate a trash can for you.

C.  My current dog will pull over into the grass if he needs to go.

cane vs. dog
A dog can keep a straight line through snow, mud, open areas like a 
field or parking lot.  A dog can target specific objects and take you 
right to them, like a door, stairs, elevator, counter, Coke machine 
etc.  A dog can plan a route well in advance of encountering the actual 
obstacles.  A dog will stop or take you around overhead obstacles.  A 
dog can be patterned to a route even when it might be difficult for you 
to provide directional cues during the route.   Most dogs will remember 
places you've been and point them out or suggest them in the future.

HTH
Julie

On 7/23/2011 3:22 PM, Chris Harrington wrote:
> Hi!!!
> My name is Chris Harrington, and I've been examining various messages on
> this list for a couple of weeks now, and find getting a guide dog extremely
> interesting. I have several basic questions for people who currently own
> them, and appolagize if my questions are basic. The one I've been wondering
> about, is um, waste management so to speak... When your dog takes a crap, A:
> how do you find it to clean it up? B. Ware do you store such materials until
> you can dispose of them? C. if your dog needs to go, how does he let you
> know? Also, what all does a dog do that a cane can't?
> Thanks to anyone who can successfully answer my questions!!
> Have a great day, and thank you!!!!!
> Chris Harrington
>
>
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