[nagdu] which side are you on?

Sun May 26 20:22:02 UTC 2013

Daniel, First I got a little confused like Cindy as to whether you
meant the dog walks on the left side of you or the path. No biggy
though. I will respond to both since both scenarios have been
addressed here. Why are dogs usually trained to walk on the left of
the handler? Who really knows. My own belief has always been that the
horse walks on the right, so now the person is easily able to walk
with both; their dog and their horse. ;)  As for the dog walking on
the right or the left of the path; well I think we need to consider
cultrural standards. We learn in O&M to walk to the right as a
courtesy. We learn in kindergarten to do the same. It is more
appropriate and considerate to walk to the right in the United States
and makes things safer when approached by fast movers such as joggers,
skateboarders and bicyclest. As for you friend; I would suggest Anger
Management. Eve

On Fri, May 24, 2013 at 9:15 PM, Buddy Brannan <buddy at brannan.name> wrote:
> Nah. I don't buy that. For instance, I understand that, due to streets being very narrow, guide dogs in Japan are trained to work on *both* sides. Go figure...
> --
> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
> Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY
>
>
>
> On May 24, 2013, at 11:10 PM, "Julie Phillipson" <jbrew48 at verizon.net> wrote:
>
>> I've always been told that dogs just naturally go to your left side for what ever reason.  It is more difficult to train a dog to work on your right side and takes longer.
>>
>> Julie Phillipson
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Buddy Brannan" <buddy at brannan.name>
>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Friday, May 24, 2013 10:34 PM
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] which side are you on?
>>
>>
>> The gun thing I seem to recall someone telling me once…that hunters have their dogs working on the left so they can hold their guns in their right hands. Or something like that. Who knows? Now, i think it's done because that's how it's always been done.
>> --
>> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
>> Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY
>>
>>
>>
>> On May 24, 2013, at 8:50 PM, Tami Jarvis <tami at poodlemutt.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Buddy,
>>>
>>> Hm... I like your explanation of why left working dogs like to track left and vice versa. It is consistent with what Mitzi tells me when I ask her to track left. /smile/
>>>
>>> I have heard various reasons for the tradition of keeping the dog to the left, but the gun is new. /lol/ One reason I have heard is that it leaves the right hand free for shaking hands. Having the guide dog harness and leash in the right hand does make that trickier, although for a leftie the shaking of right hands is not natural to begin with. /lol/
>>>
>>> Tami
>>>
>>> On 05/24/2013 04:48 PM, Buddy Brannan wrote:
>>>> i,
>>>>
>>>> Why yes, yes, I have had people try to micromanage where my dog walks, and it's terribly annoying. All the explanations in the world don't help, and while your friend needs to get a grip, he won't understand this need.
>>>>
>>>> While my current dog has a right tendency, I believe this is somewhat unusual. My first two dogs, both from different schools from each other, had very definite left tendencies and would walk on the left side of the walkway. Since our dogs work on the left (a matter of tradition as I understand it, no actual technical reason for it, except something to do with holding a gun in your right hand), my suspicion is that the dog will generally find it easier, less work, and less for him to have to pay attention to and account for if he walks on the left rather than the right. Think of it from his point of view. If he's got you on his right, he has to move over less often to avoid things he'd naturally avoid anyway. In other words, let's say he's walking and he sees an obstacle. He would naturally walk around it giving himself enough clearance. If he knows he also has to clear you, it's much easier for him to do this if he can do so by only taking his own body width into account. So, he'll
>>> go around the obstacle, putting it on his left, with still enough room on the path for you, and not having to go further out of his way to clear the obstacle and do a stellar job and earn that "atta good boy" from you. Contrast that with walking on the right. OK, the dog sees an obstacle and has to clear it. Going around it to the right, putting the obstacle on the left, will push you off the path. But going around the obstacle to the left, putting it on the right, and also having to account for your body width, means he has to judge that width more precisely. And what if you clip it because he's too close? Earning that "atta good boy" is a whole lot more intensive for him, certainly more work, and like any good human, your dog is most likely to take the path of least resistance.
>>>>
>>>> So, you might ask, why not just walk down the center then? Ideal, sure. You can then piss off both sides of the sidewalk. Only kidding. Again, that's not the path of least resistance for your dog. Walking on an edge means that your dog has something to follow. Not so walking down the middle. No edge = more work to keep a straight line.
>>>>
>>>> OK, now everyone tell me where I went wrong on this doggie brain analysis.
>>>> --
>>>> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
>>>> Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On May 24, 2013, at 6:51 PM, "Daniel" <daniel.sweeney1 at comcast.net> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Hi all,
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> I have just spent a troubling afternoon with a couple of great friends. We
>>>>> were on a walk in Golden, Colorado, through town and along the river trail.
>>>>> My friend kept telling me to stay to the right on the path because of all of
>>>>> the foot and bike traffic on the trail. The trail is a wide, cement trail,
>>>>> approximately 10' wide. Cass always walks to the left  on any path. My
>>>>> friend became increasingly upset with me because everyone had to move around
>>>>> me to avoid missing me and Cass. I tried to have Cass move to the right, but
>>>>> she insisted to continue to travel on the left side of the walk, as she
>>>>> always does. It is true the path was very busy, but I told my friend that
>>>>> Cass would avoid anyone that was in her way. He became very irate, telling
>>>>> me I should walk with Cass on my right side instead of my left side. I told
>>>>> him that this was not an option, and that I knew what I was doing, and just
>>>>> chill out and let me and Cass do what we do. He said it was absurd that any
>>>>> dog would not be trained to walk on the right side of a path, and I told him
>>>>> that she was following the side of the walk.
>>>>>
>>>>> Does anyone come across any of the same remarks from people. Do your dogs
>>>>> travel on the right or left on a path with no curbs, or buildings to line
>>>>> either side.
>>>>>
>>>>> I must admit I do not remember having ever discussed this during training
>>>>> with Cass. I naturally assumed that Cass would follow along the left side.
>>>>> My friend said that everyone else had to move out of the way for me, and
>>>>> that it was not right that I took up the left side. Just because I was blind
>>>>> did not give me the right to make everyone else move out of the way for me,
>>>>> and that I had to be more considerate of them. Needless to say I was just a
>>>>> bit pissed off at this point.
>>>>>
>>>>> What do you think about this?
>>>>>
>>>>> I told him to forget about ever trying to get me to move my dog to my right
>>>>> hand, it was not going to happen. Other than that, I fell short of giving
>>>>> him a good reason for travelling on the left side of the walk.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>>
>>>>> Daniel and Cass
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
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>>>>
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