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

Tue Jun 10 19:31:43 UTC 2014

Absolutely, Rox'e; I have known Rox'e for some time.  A stay-at-home do-nothing per5son she is not, so without her dogs to help where hearing  fails and balance isn't good, she would be forced to be more dependent, and that is never--
and never will be the Rox'e any of you come to know.
Darla & Hardworking Huck

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of The Pawpower Pack via nagdu
Sent: Monday, June 09, 2014 11:15 AM
To: Dan Weiner; NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] I have some advice I would like to share.

Dan, I'm going to agree with you here.  I'm deafblind with some pretty severe vestibular issues which cause my balance to be very bad.  If I did not have a dog, I'd need to be with a person all the time.  I cannot use a cane because if I don't use a dog, I use a walker.  
I usually have 2 dogs— one semi retired and one young whippersnapper.  If one gets sick I have a fallback.  I also know my resources and have things like paratransit that I can use to go where I'd need although it'd be slower and way more awkward.  
If blindness is your only disability, I do think it's important to use your cane from time to time.  But also to understand that for some of us, that's just not reality.  
It doesn't make anyone better than anyone else much like me using a sign language interpreter does not make me any less able or less of a person than someone who can hear.  

 Rox and the kitchen Bitches: 
Mill'E, Laveau, Soleil
Pawpower4me at gmail.com
Sent from my iPhone

> On Jun 9, 2014, at 11:00 AM, 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.
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> 
> --
> Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.
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