[nagdu] Returned From The Seeing Eye

Wed Jul 27 16:01:04 UTC 2011

Hi Bob.
Congrats on your new partnership!
When I have a new dog, I try to be patient and encourage him to figure out
problems.  I think it helps build initiative.
I've had guide dogs for more than 30 years now, but I decided to try
something Tami Kinney does, telling the dog where I want to go sometime
before we get there.  I always thought that was silly, but it actually
seems to help Ben make right choices, or at least not hesitate by every
possibility.  We go to several stores down on our main street, and I tell
Ben which one we want maybe 20-50 yards before we come to the first one. 
If I've told Ben we're going to the diner, he'll take a different line on
the sidewalk and breeze right past the gym.  Then, when we get to the
diner, which I have been telling him "Inside diner", he goes right to it
and I say "Diner!"  with much happiness.  You might try it--tell Nick
where you want to go, like "office", and direct him there, then say
"office" a couple times in a happy way.  It won't hurt, and it might help.
Thanks Tami!  We live and learn.
Tracy

> Good Afternoon folks,
>
> I've found the comments resulting from my inquiry of a couple of   days
> ago
> very interesting and the varied  perspectives have been helpful.  My
> reason
> for asking about canes is that I'd like something relatively light,
> perhaps
> collapsible, in order to solve occasional problems of orientation
> especially
> in instances in which Nick encounters and obstruction and seems unable to
> figure out how best to get me around it or when we overshoot a     turn or
> when he takes a wrong intersecting sidewalk and I need to help him
> reorient.
> I recognize the need for a great deal of trust in the dog and this was
> initially something of a challenge during my training but my confidence in
> him is growing daily.  He does, however, make mistakes some of which I
> contribute to and since he doesn't always know where I intend to go I
> recognize that there are times when I will need to give helpful
> instructions. Right now we're working on what will become routine routes
> to
> work and on the campus where I work and there are lots of walks that
> intersect that confuse him.  I'm learning to give him time to work things
> out for hmself but there are some things he can't work out because he
> doesn't know where I need or want to go.  I'm confident that with a GPS
> and
> some kind of light cane there will come a time when I can go almost
> anywhere.  Thanks again for the helpful comments.
>
> Bob
>
>        - Original Message -----
> From: "Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC)" <REBECCA.PICKRELL at tasc.com>
> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, July 26, 2011 10:33 AM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Returned From The Seeing Eye
>
>
>> No, no, you don't need to know your neighborhood to have good cane
>> skills,
>> you need to be able to problem solve. That's what Bob?? is doing.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> Behalf
>> Of dmgina
>> Sent: Tuesday, July 26, 2011 11:30 AM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Returned From The Seeing Eye
>>
>> When I got my first dog it was mandatory to know my area. If I had not,
>> I
>> would have not gotten my dog.
>> If it is required to have good cane skills, then you need to know your
>> neighboorhod.
>> Dar
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>> On Jul 26, 2011, at 6:53 AM, "Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC)"
>> <REBECCA.PICKRELL at tasc.com> wrote:
>>
>>> 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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>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
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