[nagdu] The Differences in Dogs and Canes

[Larry D. Keeler]

Cindy, I aggree! speaking from a purely objective point dogs and canes as 
well as sonic devices and the like are all tools that do different things. 
Dogs are intelligent tools and sometimes that is good and sometimes not so 
much. However, I am proficient in the use of both and will advocate one 
ov3er the other according to a persons preferences.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Cindy Ray" <cindyray at gmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, June 24, 2013 6:57 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] The Differences in Dogs and Canes


>I think what I was actually trying to say is that, by and large, it is no 
>argument. People mostly are going to use one or the other because of 
>personal preferences, personal needs, sense of security, etc. Dogs don't 
>always get overhead obstacles either because they aren't always looking up. 
>So I guess I just don't see it as a contest. The one thing I find about 
>dogs is that they will sail through parking lots if the door is in their 
>line of sight.
>
> CL
>
> On Jun 23, 2013, at 10:22 PM, "Nicole Torcolini" 
> <ntorcolini at wavecable.com> wrote:
>
>> OK, yeah, but there are things that a dog doesn't detech that a cane 
>> does,
>>
>> Agreed, especially if you are talking about texture of ground or finding
>> obstacles verses just going around them.
>>
>> especially if said dog is distracted.
>>
>> And that is why I wrote "a well trained dog usually".
>>
>> And sometimes they will come to stairs and not stop; they shouldn't, and 
>> you
>> can correct the behavior, but you could get hurt. Stuff happens, and it 
>> does
>> even if you are sighted.
>>
>> I never said that using a guide dog instead of a cane was going to keep 
>> you
>> from getting hurt. I also specifically did not use the word "better". My
>> point was that the difference of clearing overhead obstacles is one that
>> seems to be overlooked sometimes. However, like all aspects of guide dog
>> training, it only works if:
>> A. The dog is paying attention, and
>> B. If the dog is good at that particular aspect.
>> Whether a difference between cane travel and guide dog travel is 
>> considered
>> a good thing or a bad thing depends on the person, the dog, the 
>> situation,
>> and a million and one other things; sometimes, a difference is not even
>> labelled as good or bad.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Cindy Ray
>> Sent: Sunday, June 23, 2013 1:40 PM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] The Differences in Dogs and Canes
>>
>> OK, yeah, but there are things that a dog doesn't detech that a cane 
>> does,
>> especially if said dog is distracted. And sometimes they will come to 
>> stairs
>> and not stop; they shouldn't, and you can correct the behavior, but you
>> could get hurt. Stuff happens, and it does even if you are sighted.
>>
>> CL
>>
>> On Jun 23, 2013, at 2:08 PM, "Nicole Torcolini" 
>> <ntorcolini at wavecable.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Okay, yes, I know that this one has gone round and round before, but I
>>> had something happen today that made me just have to bring it up one 
>>> more
>> time.
>>> There is the way of thinking that says that the good cane user should
>>> be able to travel as quickly and as safely with a cane as with a dog.
>>> However, unless you wear a full body shield, I just don't think that 
>>> that
>> is true.
>>> For reasons that I will not discuss here, I was out walking today with
>>> my cane rather than Lexia. I was traversing a route that I have taken
>>> numerous times with Lexia. Lexia usually stays a tiny bit from the
>>> edge of the side walk. However, as I was using my cane rather than
>>> Lexia, I was trailing the edge. There is a staircase that comes down
>>> from a building that has a railing that sticks out farther than the
>>> bottom step. With Lexia, this had never before posed a problem as she
>>> had cleared it as an obstacle. However, I had no way of detecting it
>>> without her; it was at hip level. As a result, I ran right into it. I
>>> was not hurt or anything, but it just goes to show that there are
>>> those things that a guide dog, at least a well trained one, usually
>> detects that a cane cannot.
>>>
>>> Nicole
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> nagdu mailing list
>>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> nagdu:
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/cindyray%40gmail.co
>>> m
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nagdu mailing list
>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>> nagdu:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/ntorcolini%40wavecable.co
>> m
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nagdu mailing list
>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
>> nagdu:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/cindyray%40gmail.com
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> nagdu:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/lkeeler%40comcast.net