[nagdu] Returned From The Seeing Eye

Wed Jul 27 01:43:54 UTC 2011

Meghan, As a new Handler, I agree with you whole heartedly.
Bertha 
-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Meghan Whalen
Sent: Tuesday, July 26, 2011 11:00 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Returned From The Seeing Eye

I agree 100% with Rebecca.  Knowing a neighborhood is not what will 
insure success.  having confidence in yourself and your dog is what will 
help most.  Confidence doesn't mean knowing everything, it means 
trusting that between the two of you, someone will figure it out.  When 
we get these dogs, we do not, or should not, give all orientation 
responsibility over to the dog, but that also means we should not take 
opportunities from our dogs.  If I only went to areas I knew with my new 
dog, I would have never been given my previous dog, as I was in the 
middle of a move.  A good friend just came home with her new guide, and 
she is working her in my neighborhood, one she does not know, but that 
does not mean the team is any less effective or successful.

The tendency to be judgmental is particularly prevalent amongst guide 
dog users, and it exhausts me.  It is not up to us to determine if 
someone should or should not know the area they are coming home to, 
because clearly, the program from which the dog was received would not 
have accepted and trained the team if they were believed to fail upon 
returning home.

I know I am now rambling, but I truly do wish there was more of a 
tendency to support rather than point out what we would do differently.

Meghan

  On 7/26/2011 8:57 AM, B Avila Guerrero wrote:
> My two cents in here. Robert, I didn't know my neighborhood at all when I
> first came home with my guide.
> I moved into a house early May and spent most of my O&M time working on
> intersections prior to going to TSE. I can tell you we are learning
Colorado
> together. I have been in Colorado almost a year and didn't really learn my
> way around for several reasons.
> This did worry me a bit when we first came home, but as I say, we are
> learning our way around Colorado together. Smile
> I can also tell you, as the days go by, you get a bit more comfortable and
> confident with your guide, day by day. Take care
> Bertha
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC)
> Sent: Tuesday, July 26, 2011 6:53 AM
> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Returned From The Seeing Eye
>
> Maybe it's me but I found the "I hope you know your neighborhood" comment
a
> bit insulting.  Even if he doesn't, for any number of reasons so what?  We
> all must learn new things all the time.
> To answer the question, you can heel your dog and use a cane when you want
> to check things out.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of dmgina
> Sent: Sunday, July 24, 2011 10:13 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Returned From The Seeing Eye
>
> Dar here,
> Welcome home.
> One of the concerns I would have if you use a cane all the time, is your
dog
> will become sloppy on the job.
> Since you are trying to figure out the problen not letting the dog do what
> he is trained to do.
> Deciding what is best, and you trusting the dog.
> I hope you know your neighborhood?
> Dar
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Jul 24, 2011, at 6:30 PM, Robert Martin<robert.martin at cfu.net>  wrote:
>
>> HI,
>>
>> Late on Thursday afternoon I returned to Iowa from three and a half weeks
> at The Seeing Eye In New Jersey.  I am now the partner of a sixty-pound
> Golden Retriever named Nick who is a very mellow and exceptionally
friendly
> dog who also seems to be a very good worker.  If I learn to be as
effective
> as he is, we should have a wonderful partnership.  We have lots of
learning
> and getting acquainted before us but I think we're well matched and well
> trained.  I was enormously impressed with the instructors and the staff at
> the Seeing Eye.  Like everyone I was apprehensive but quickly realized
that
> I was in excellent hands and although I made this decision somewhat later
> than do most people, I do not regret it for one minute.  I will probably
be
> calling on all of you for advice from time to time and I'm confident I
will
> continue to benefit from the experiences of all of you.
>> For the moment I have one questions.  It's quite an adjustment to move
> from the kind of information one receives from a cane to that which one
> receives from a dog.  I was told   that there is sometimes a benefit from
> coupling the work of the dog with the occasional use of a cane to figure
out
> what kind of obstacles  the dog is trying to cope with or to get a better
> sense of orientation to an unfamiliar site.  Can any of you suggest what
> kind of cane you may occasionally use in conjunction with your dog?  Does
a
> good collapsible cane work well for such situations where a cane might be
> appropriate?  Any advice will be much appreciated.
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Bob
>>
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