[nagdu] a cane and dog discussion

[Julie McGinnity]

Good afternoon.

Wow!  I really got a discussion going.  Well, first of all, I posted
this here because I wanted to hear from guide dog users.  I wanted to
hear about how you guys feel about using your cane.  Look at the time
stamp!  I'm sorry if I wasn't clear or anything.

My story is actually very close to Shannon's story.  I've told people
this, and most don't believe me.  Ever since I was told that I could
get a dog, I wanted one.  I hated my cane, and I've always loved
taking care of the dogs in my house a a kid, so I knew the dog would
be a perfect choice for me.  I got my dog when I was 17 years old, and
thankfully, it has worked out very well.  This does not mean that we
haven't had our share of issues, but it does mean that I've felt more
confident as a traveller.  I, like some of you guys, prefer not to
leave my dog at home the majority of the time, but there are many
things I choose not to take her to, especially at school.

Dan, I agree with you.  I don't understand why people are judged on
their use of a cane or a dog.  I think it's a personal choice, and I
believe that people can be as independent with a dog as they can with
a cane.  I do wish people didn't argue about this.  It's sad.

Thanks for all the responses.  This is great.

On 6/20/11, Brittney N. Mejico <brittneymejico at verizon.net> wrote:
> Hi all,
> I have really enjoyed reading all of your responses.  Cain or Dog a question
> blind people have been talking about for years.  I honestly think we will
> never have an answer to witch is better.  It just depends on the person.
> There are advantages and disadvantages to using  both I'm sure we can all
> agree.  Personally I like using a dog I don't like knowing about all of the
> information my Cain gives me.  I go on walks just for fun, before I got a
> dog I just walked to places I needed to go and that's it.  Personally I hate
> the attention I get now that I have a dog, sometimes I want people to just
> go away.  People are always telling me how cute my dog is or how amazing my
> dog is, or asking me where they can get one of those dogs.  Also correcting
> my dog in public sometimes people come up to me and tell me what a horrible
> person I am and that is kind of inconvenient.  I sometimes wish I had a Cain
> because people left me alone.  I don't mind taking care of a dog the
> grooming and relieving, and feeding are cool. I know some of my friends tell
> me they would not want to deal with the responsibilities of having a dog,
> and to me that's fine.   Now to answer some of the questions Julie asked.
>
> Do you think that guide dog users are just as independent as cane
> users when it comes to travelling?
> Yes of course dog users are independent well I think the majority of them
> are.  I'm sure some dog users go more places than others and the same can be
> said about Cain users. Independence depends more on the person than the
> mobility tool.
>
> Do you think you lose cane skills if  you use a dog the majority of the
> time?
> No I think using a Cain is like riding a bike one never forgets.  Does a
> sighted person forget how to ride a bike when they get a car?  I'm sure
> maybe if you haven't done something for a while it will be aquard for a
> little while.
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Julie McGinnity
> Sent: Sunday, June 19, 2011 11:46 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: [nagdu] a cane and dog discussion
>
> 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.
>
> --
> Julie McG
> Lindbergh High School class of 2009, participating member in Opera
> Theater's Artist in Training Program, and proud graduate of Guiding
> Eyes for the Blind
>
> "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that
> everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal
> life."
> John 3:16
>
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-- 
Julie McG
 Lindbergh High School class of 2009, participating member in Opera
Theater's Artist in Training Program, and proud graduate of Guiding
Eyes for the Blind

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that
everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal
life."
John 3:16