[nagdu] a cane and dog discussion

[Julie J.]

My thoughts on this topic have changed over time and I still think I 
have a long way to go to get to the core of it.  Anyhow here's my 
current thinking.

I think guide dog users and cane users have the potential to be amazing 
travelers.  I think how good of a traveler you are is partly due to 
inherent talent, partly to a good instructor and mostly to do with 
practice and perseverance.
I've met really good and really bad travelers from both groups-dogs and 
canes.  Dog users do have to be more committed to the practice portion 
of the equation though.  Guide dog programs also require some level of 
cane skill before getting a guide.  I suppose this does eliminate a few 
people from getting a dog.  Although if they have the perseverance part 
of the equation, they could acquire the skills they need to qualify for 
the dog.  So in the end, for me, it comes down to motivation.  How 
motivated a person is to be a good traveler is going to have a huge 
impact on how well they travel, cane or dog.

I'm a good traveler with either tool.  My preference is obviously a 
guide dog, but I don't feel any hesitation in leaving Monty behind if 
that is what is best.  Well, I don't hesitate due to travel worries, but 
I do miss him.

Like Cindy, I worry about finding suitable places to relieve Monty when 
I travel to other cities.  Sometimes when entering a new restaurant or 
business I wonder if I am going to have access problems.  Next week I am 
attending a training thing for work.  the event is taking place at an 
Asian Center.  It does stress me a bit, knowing that there could be an 
access issue.

JMHO
Julie J.


On 6/20/2011 1:46 AM, Julie McGinnity wrote:
> Hello everyone.
>
> It is very late, so I hope I make sense as I pose the following
> discussion to you.  A friend and I are engaged in an interesting
> arguement.  We are talking about guide dog users and how much they use
> their canes and a few other things.  I'd just like to pose a few
> questions.  (Some of them may seem rather basic.)
>
> Do you think that guide dog users are just as independent as cane
> users when it comes to travelling?
>
> Do you think you lose cane skills if  you use a dog the majority of the time?
>
>
> Do you think that the majority of dog handlers are bad cane users?
>
> I know these are really general questions, and if you can't answer
> them with direct answers, please, just your observations or
> experiences will suffice.  I'm just very curious about this.  I want
> to know what people think, and I don't really want to seem too
> invested in this or as though I am taking a side.  I'm pretty young
> and a relatively new guide dog user, so I know there are things I
> don't know and haven't seen yet.  I'm more interested in what you guys
> say.
>
> Thanks.  Sorry if my late night/early morning ramblings make no sense.
>