[nagdu] The Differences in Dogs and Canes

[Carol Osmar]

Hello All, I am new to the list, and am looking forward to 
learning from your discussions.  I am in my 60S and recently  
retired.  I have been a cane user all my life, but just recently 
applied for a guide dog, so, I have a lot to learn.

 Although I haven't had a dog, I have been around many people 
with guide dogs, and I have noticed on many occasions, a blind 
person with a dog will plow his way through a crowd to get to the 
head of the line.  I feel this is rude.  My question is, Do the 
schools address the issue of curtesy to others when using a dog?

I have never been in New York City,   so I don't know what it is 
like traveling there as a blind person.  Perhaps you would be 
trampled if you are not aggressive there.

Carol  ----- Original Message -----
From: "Tracy Carcione" <carcione at access.net
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog 
Users" <nagdu at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Mon, 24 Jun 2013 11:05:00 -0400
Subject: Re: [nagdu] The Differences in Dogs and Canes

I think a dog is much better for moving easily through a crowd.  
I know
plenty of people use canes in New York City, but I imagine they 
have to
slow way down when things get crowded, or whack a lot of ankles.  
Ben just
slides on through, finding spaces between people.  Ben is one of 
those
"pushy urban dogs".  Crowds are something of a specialty with 
him, and I
really appreciate that.
Tracy

 Great point Nicole as even the best cane user would not find 
such an
 obstacle.

 Steve

 -----Original Message-----
 From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of 
Nicole
 Torcolini
 Sent: Sunday, June 23, 2013 2:08 PM
 To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog 
Users'
 Subject: [nagdu] The Differences in Dogs and Canes

 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
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