[nagdu] Thinking of getting a guide dog

[Julie J.]

I think there are two sets of skills that are getting tangled here.  
Independent travel is made up of orientation and mobility.  It takes 
skill in both to move about with confidence.  The orientation part is 
what you know about the environment, directions, a sense of where north 
is, an ability to mental map and to problem solve.  the mobility part is 
the physical moving through space to get where you want to go.  
Orientation is in your head, while mobility is the physical use of cane, 
dog, echolocation, or other means.

Make sense?  Orientation skills don't change no matter what means of 
mobility you choose.  However the use of that information is applied 
differently to best utilize your means of mobility.

HTH
Julie