[nagdu] extremely basic guide dog questions...

[Nicole B. Torcolini at Home]

Okay...this one is going to be kind of long, and I am probably going to 
repeat what others have already said.

To start with your relieving questions:
a. Most programs train the dogs to allow you to put your hand on their backs 
while they are making transactions. When your dog is done, you just feel on 
the ground near where your dog was located. Of course, you put a plastic bag 
over your hand. Any bag will work, but they sell bags on rolls that are 
supposedly for that very purpose; they are slightly more durable and I 
believe not as see through.

b. Usually, you find a trash can or dumpster before you allow your dog to 
relieve.

c. Different dogs will act differently. My dog starts pulling on her leash 
when she needs to go. That being said, unless your dog has done something, 
like play very hard or see a person he/she likes, your dog should not have 
to go off schedule. It will take a little while to get a solid schedule 
after you receive your dog, but, as long as you mostly follow that schedule, 
you should not have problems.

d. Extra: You tell if your dog is doing 1 or 2 by the position of the back. 
A straight back means 1, and a curved back means 2.

Guide Dogs vs Canes

    Okay, this is a slightly controversial topic at times, so I shall tread 
carefully. For more on the different opinions, feel free to dig through the 
archive.

    Supposedly, a person should be able to travel as well with a cane as 
with a dog. I personally find traveling with a guide dog faster and 
smoother. As other people have mentioned, you usually just go around objects 
that your cane would find without even really knowing that they are there. 
If you rely heavily on landmarks to know your location, a guide dog may not 
be for you.

    Two main advantages that most if not all programs teach is avoidance of 
overhead obstacles and traffic checks. That being said, these behaviors are 
usually not used as often as most other guide work behaviors, so they can be 
forgotten if not used. Traffic check is when the dog refuses to go forward 
or backs up or pulls you out of way of harm because of moving vehicles.

    On a similar topic, most guide dogs are very good at intelligence 
disobedience, which is recognizing when proceeding or following a command is 
unsafe and refusing to do so.

There are several other things that a guide dog can do. However, some dogs 
are better at them than others, and it is still the responsibility of the 
handler to be aware at all times.

Memorizing Routes
    I don't think that many people just walk out their front doors and tell 
their dogs to go to the bus stop, but some guide dogs will memorize routes, 
recognize when you are traveling those routes, and start making turns and 
other actions without being told. The one draw back to this is when the dog 
thinks that he/she does not knows where he/she is going but does not, which 
is why the handler always has to pay attention.

Taking Shortcuts
    Sometimes, a person might take a route that has more guidance, such as 
following a wall around a courtyard instead of cutting across. Sometimes, 
guide dogs will recognize that there is a faster, more direct route and 
starting taking you this way.

Find the...
    door, chair, elevator...
    Most dogs can easily be trained to find basic objects, such as the ones 
listed above.

Location and Retrieval
    Some programs teach (or used to teach) dogs to locate and retrieve 
objects that have been dropped. Even if your dog has not been taught this, 
it is very easy to teach them.

Do You Want This? You Have Used it Before.
    Some dogs will notice patterns in your behavior and travel. They will 
start offering things to you. That is, your dog will pause near or pull 
toward something or some location that you have used in the past. Some 
people like this where as others find it annoying.

People Magnets
    People love dogs. This can go either way. Sometimes, you will find 
yourself overwhelmed by people who will not stop petting or talking to or 
flirting with your dog, no matter how many times you assertively tell them 
to stop and explain why. Other times, you will find that the dog is a 
wonderful ice breaker. One day, after you may go somewhere with your dog 
that you used to go with your cane and find that more people notice and talk 
to you.

Access Issues
    I have been relatively lucky, but you always have to be prepared. Not 
everyone understands about guide dogs be allowed where other dogs are not, 
and, even if they do, that does not mean that they are going to play by the 
rules.

I hope that my answers are helpful. Feel free to email me on or off list. I 
received my first guide from GDB just over four years ago.

Nicole and black lab Lexia

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Chris Harrington" <charrington7 at gmail.com>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, July 23, 2011 1:22 PM
Subject: [nagdu] extremely basic guide dog questions...


> 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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