[nagdu] I have some advice I would like to share.

Mon Jun 9 17:22:57 UTC 2014

Dan,

Thank you for this post. I agree it can be tough with a cane. I’m competent enough but I still get a bit nervous when I go out, because you never know what will happen. I don’t have my dog yet, but doing the Juno walk recently, I can see how it will be many times easier with a dog. Your experience is inspiring.

Brandon
On Jun 9, 2014, at 12:00 PM, Dan Weiner via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:

> Oh well, you guys are very competent cane users and I certainly give you
> credit.
> 
> I however will not mince words in my experience a dog is far superior to the
> long white cane.
> 
> Having said that, I know that different people use different tools well but
> I will tell you that the most active times of my life were made possible
> because of my using a dog and my motivation, both go together of
> course--smile
> 
> The training I received with a guide dog and my interaction with the dog as
> well as my high motivation  made my travel experience pretty awesome.
> I  surmize   that some of  my fellow federationsists like to downplay the
> benefits their dogs have given them because they feel shy about saying too
> much in praise of a dog  because maybe   it would undermie or contradict
> federation philosophy in some way.
> .
> I however am not ashamed to say that I went to Japan and studied there for
> almost two years with my Labrador guide, Evan, and negotiated very crowded
> conditions and got all around Tokyo.
> The fact that I knew I would be able to go around people and obstacles, etc.
> and just the thrill of getting out there and letting Evan do his work made
> me actually want to get out there and do things.
> I used a cane before that of course, but had been getting increasingly
> dependent and worried due to traffic conditions and my hearing loss on the
> left side, as well as my tendency to get massively disorientated or is it
> disoriented due to veering.
> 
> My independent travel with a dog as compared with my independent travel with
> a cane is about a ratio of five to one, maybe ten to one to be blunt.
> 
> And of course, keeping cane skills up is a great idea,I'm not arguing with
> that....but what I am saying is there are some things I just can't do with a
> cane or do them very badly that I can with ease do with my doggies.
> 
> Yours most sincerely,
> 
> Dan the man, Parker the dog
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Gary Steeves via
> nagdu
> Sent: Monday, June 09, 2014 10:28 AM
> To: Leonard Stamper; NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide
> Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] I have some advice I would like to share.
> 
> Hi:
> 
> I think we all agree that keeping up cane skills is important on several
> levels.  First, it gives us all a sense of security knowing that, as much as
> we love our dogs and the job they do, we know that we could get around
> without them.  It is very different  using the cane and dog but doable. 
> 
> The other reason is to give confidence to those around us.  I was shocked on
> saturday when i had to get a certain intersection where my band was setting
> up to play at an outdoor street festival.  My girlfriend asked how i was
> going to do it with out bogart?   I was sort of shocked since i'd been in
> this band 6 years before bogart showed up and i'd got to many of these types
> of gigs. Yes, i admit that navigating metro stations  is a bit more
> challenging  with cane over dog but on the other hand Iwas able to get to
> the bus stop in under 2w minutes from my house, a time that bogart could
> never compete with. :) 
> 
> So just mjade me realize that i needed to reassure Susan that my cane skills
> are just as d as they were before.  I actually try to plan a day full of
> errands all over the city when I take bogart to the groomers to make me keep
> my caning up to date.
> 
> Good advice and thanks for sharing with us.
> 
> Gary
> 
> 
> On June 8, 2014 12:55:22 PM PDT, Leonard Stamper via nagdu
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> Sent from my iPhone hello everybody this is Leonard again. I had a 
>> thought I would like to share, especially with new and potential god 
>> dog users. I know from experience when you first get your dog you 
>> Thelda came in the closet and probably will forget it exists. But here 
>> is a nugget of valuable information for you to think about. As we all 
>> know a guy dog will only work for so many years. Also, your life will 
>> still have to go on after that dog retires. I believe it would be a 
>> great idea, if everyone would get out the pain and just use it every 
>> once in a while just to keep your skill set shop enough that something 
>> was to happen to your dog, or here she has to retire you would not be 
>> housebound or taking your life in your hands when you travel. Just 
>> thought I would share that everybody, and your doggies stay safe and 
>> God bless.
>> _______________________________________________
>> 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/rainshadowmusic%40sh
>> aw.ca
> 
> --
> Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.
> _______________________________________________
> 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/dcwein%40dcwein.cnc.net
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> 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/programmer2188%40gmail.com