[nagdu] Doors

Tue Sep 13 18:42:29 UTC 2011

Yikes! Glad your dog saved your fall there. I've convinced Mitzi of my
stupidity the same way once or twice, but I seem to keep my stair falls
to one or two steps. For doors, I am fortunate that she does leash guide
or give me other hints even when I drop the handle, so that has made it
easier to come up with ways to deal those awkward doors in our lives.
I've heard of the notion of Heeling your dog through the door -- some
self-proclaimed expert or other lectured me about it at length when we
were getting to that place in our training. I made the mistake of asking
if they had ideas... I need to remember to be more specific,
clearly. /lol/ I meant *good* ideas! And I didn't want to be harangued
about how I *must* use your disastrously bad idea because you know best
that that *is* how it is done by all guide dog users because that is the
way it must be! If I don't know the door I'm going through, I'm not
heeling the dog, thank you. Nor am I going to get into that habit!

Well, if others have been taught to do things that way and it works for
you, then I guess it's a good idea for you. /smile/ For me, the very
thought makes my hair stand on end. I know me too well, I guess. If
there's a disaster waiting to happen on the other side of the door, and
I don't notice with my other senses, then I can probably manage to have
the disaster. /shudder/

Anyway, I'm liking hearing about the solutions others have come up with
and/or been taught. Now my task is not be so busy thinking about how I
go around opening doors and getting through them that I fall on my face
because I'm over thinking it. /lol/ 

Tami

On Tue, 2011-09-13 at 13:02 -0400, Tracy Carcione wrote: 
> I notice, now that I pay a little attention, that sometimes I drop the
> harness and hold the door, and either bring Ben around behind me to my
> right, or leave him on my left, and let him walk through the door ahead of
> me.  He is not trained to leash guide, but he can do it a bit, and I can
> feel if he stops or moves to avoid something as he goes through the door.
> I guess I've just had too many mishaps when moving around in public
> without using my dog or cane that I am real leery of doing it.  I had a
> spectacular incident once when my dog stopped, and I thought he'd stopped
> for a door, so I stepped up to open it and fell down a flight of stairs at
> the Empire State Building.  My dog stood at the top, and his leash stopped
> my slide.  I'm sure he was thinking what an idiot I was, and he was right.
> So, after enough such stupidities, I try not to step in front of my dog,
> and to keep hold of the harness as much as possible.
> Tracy
> 
> > That spin thing is what I've been doing for the past few years, but I
> > really don't like it.  I used to do the reach across to hold the door
> > open maneuver.  I was always afraid about getting the dog's paws caught
> > in the bottom of the door, but I'm also not comfortable letting go of
> > the harness handle when working through doors.  I'm going to have to
> > think more about this.  Perhaps when I'm walking again this is something
> > I can experiment with in the house.   Keep the ideas coming!  It helps
> > me to think through all the options.
> >
> > Julie
> >
> >
> >
> > On 9/13/2011 9:01 AM, Tracy Carcione wrote:
> >> That is what I call the pirouette. I learned it in class, and promptly
> >> forgot it.  It doesn't work for me, but obviously it works for others.
> >> Tracy
> >>
> >>
> >>> Archie and I do that too. When we come to a door. I'll turn around, And
> >>> go
> >>> threw back first so the door don't hit hem.
> >>> ----- Original Message -----
> >>> From: "Natalie"<nrorrell at qwest.net>
> >>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
> >>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> >>> Sent: Monday, September 12, 2011 11:53 PM
> >>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Doors
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>> Hi Tracy, et al,
> >>>> When working Liam through a door that opens on the left, I pivot, so
> >>>> as
> >>>> to
> >>>> have my back to the door then heel him through.  I've been doing this
> >>>> with
> >>>> all my guides.  Probably my explanation sounds as clear as mud; I'd
> >>>> have
> >>>> to physically show you to make sure the words are coming out right,
> >>>> lol.
> >>>> I've been doing it so long it's natural, and it works for Liam and me.
> >>>> Best,
> >>>> Nat and Liam Joshua
> >>>>
> >>>> ----- Original Message -----
> >>>> From: "Tracy Carcione"<carcione at access.net>
> >>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
> >>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> >>>> Sent: Monday, September 12, 2011 12:23 PM
> >>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Doors
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>> Catching up on old email...
> >>>>> Like Catherine, I reach across my body to hold open doors with hinges
> >>>>> on
> >>>>> the left.
> >>>>> If I'm opening a door towards me, I try to angle my foot a bit so my
> >>>>> shoe
> >>>>> is between the dog's paws and the door.
> >>>>> It's hard to explain, since I'm so used to it I don't think about it
> >>>>> anymore much.
> >>>>> Tracy
> >>>>>
> >>>>>> Tracy,
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> I'd love to be able to work Monty through doors.  Like you I don't
> >>>>>> want
> >>>>>> to step into something unknown on the other side.  I also know of a
> >>>>>> couple of places where there are steps immediate to the door, which
> >>>>>> make
> >>>>>> working the dog a much less nerve racking experience! *smile*
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> My question is for doors that open on the right, hinges on the left,
> >>>>>> how
> >>>>>> do you keep the door open wide enough so that it doesn't whack the
> >>>>>> dog
> >>>>>> who is between you and the door?  There's no problem say on the door
> >>>>>> to
> >>>>>> my home that stays in place when I open it, but what about the doors
> >>>>>> that automatically close when they aren't being held?
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> I used to work right opening doors as you describe with Tia, but
> >>>>>> caught
> >>>>>> her feet on several occasions.  Fortunately never bad enough to do
> >>>>>> damage, but still something I don't want to take chances on.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Do I just have short arms or something? *smile*  Seriously though I
> >>>>>> would like to know how you do this.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Julie
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> On 8/30/2011 10:53 AM, Tracy Carcione wrote:
> >>>>>>> I just went out to get lunch, and I see that I almost always work
> >>>>>>> the
> >>>>>>> dog
> >>>>>>> through doors.  I don't even think about it anymore.
> >>>>>>> Tracy
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>
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