[nagdu] Dogs on left or right

Larry D Keeler lkeeler at comcast.net
Mon Oct 6 18:01:03 UTC 2014 

Yah, its a personal choice. Even though the schools teach dogs to work on 
the left, I have worked Holly on the right occassionally. And, of course, 
self trained dogs can be trained however you want!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "The Pawpower Pack via nagdu" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
To: "Deanna Lewis" <DLewis at clovernook.org>; "NAGDU Mailing List,the National 
Association of Guide Dog Users" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, October 06, 2014 1:39 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Dogs on left or right


>I think this is a very individual thing.  Not all dogs will make a person 
>fall off the curb or bump into things if they walk on the right.  Some 
>handlers prefer the left. And as long as everyone involved is safe and 
>happy with the way things are, I don't understand why we can't just accept 
>that people will be different in their preferences.
>
>
> Rox and the kitchen Bitches:
> Mill'E, Laveau, Soleil
> Pawpower4me at gmail.com
> Sent from my iPhone
>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>> Well at the risk of reiterating old ground, I want to walk in the
>>> center or left and am not crazy about walking on the right side, you
>>> condition your dogs to walk on the right and you'll start brushing
>>> walls and things on the right and start stepping off curbs on the right 
>>> and twisting your ankle.
>>> I've been there and done that.
>>> In this case I think the guide dog programs are right.
>>> But I do respect your opinion and if it is something that concerns you
>>> then it is good you mentioned it and  were  forthright about it.
>>> I allow my dog to take my general directional cues and then choose the
>>> line of travel.
>>>
>>> I, as opposed to you I suppose--smile, , told the program that I was
>>> concerned that the dogs are drifting too far to the right....so maybe
>>> the poor guys are dammed if they do and damned if they don't--lol
>>>
>>> I got Parker from Gda and they don't have that problem I feel the dogs
>>> there had the basics down solidly.
>>> When I was at leader, 2007, the trainers would tell me to "Pull your
>>> dog to the right". So that I could walk on the right side of the bike
>>> path. I refused I am not going to in quotes "pull my dog" and confuse 
>>> his training.
>>> Just me, guys or as we say JMHO.
>>>
>>> Yours sincerely,
>>>
>>>
>>> Dan W.
>>>
>>> dcwein at dcwein.cnc.net
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tracy
>>> Carcione via nagdu
>>> Sent: Monday, October 06, 2014 9:12 AM
>>> To: Star Gazer; NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide
>>> Dog Users
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] A Mia misconception
>>>
>>> I agree with Marion, too.  My shepherd insisted on walking on the left
>>> in the Times Square subway station, and a great thundering herd of
>>> commuters would come rushing at us every day.  Terrifying!
>>> Tracy
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Star Gazer via nagdu" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> To: "'Marion Gwizdala'" <blind411 at verizon.net>; "'NAGDU Mailing
>>> List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Sunday, October 05, 2014 11:42 AM
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] A Mia misconception
>>>
>>>
>>>> Yes, Marion, I agree with you. It drove me bonkers when my second dog
>>>> would do this.
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Marion
>>>> Gwizdala via nagdu
>>>> Sent: Friday, October 3, 2014 10:37 AM
>>>> To: 'Aleeha Dudley'; 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of
>>>> Guide Dog Users'
>>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] A Mia misconception
>>>>
>>>> It has always been my belief that the job of the dog is to protect
>>>> the handler from obstacles and, therefore, put themselves between the
>>>> obstacle and the handler. I contend that training programs condition
>>>> their dogs to work to the left which causes guide dog users to work
>>>> against pedestrian traffic. I have brought this to the attention of
>>>> my training program which asserts this is not so; however, both my
>>>> dog and my wife's pull left in wide areas and this is very
>>>> frustrating. I have worked with my dog on this issue and, even though
>>>> it has gotten better, he still has a left tendency.
>>>>
>>>> Fraternally yours,
>>>> Marion Gwizdala
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Aleeha
>>>> Dudley via nagdu
>>>> Sent: Friday, October 03, 2014 9:19 AM
>>>> To: Deanna Lewis; NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of
>>>> Guide Dog Users
>>>> Cc: Tracy Carcione
>>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] A Mia misconception
>>>>
>>>> A trainer told me that a dog sees the left side of a crowded area as
>>>> the path of least resistance, even if it isn't actually. I was told
>>>> to just let my dog do his thing to avoid unnecessary stress.
>>>>
>>>> Aleeha Dudley and seeing eye dog Dallas Vice President, Ohio
>>>> Association of blind students Blindcowgirl1993 at gmail.com "The wind of
>>>> Heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears." Arabian proverb
>>>>
>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>>
>>>>> On Oct 3, 2014, at 8:39 AM, Deanna Lewis via nagdu
>>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Hi Noah,
>>>>> I too have had a problem with my dog's left tendency. He always hugs
>>>>> the
>>>> left side, not only can it be annoying, but it can also be dangerous.
>>>> Especially, if you are crossing a street and the dog pulls to the
>>>> left and ends up getting too close to oncoming traffic. I taught my
>>>> dog the command, "Keep right." I started teaching this by working in
>>>> a store (Target in my
>>>> case) and working down the aisles. I did this similar to the way
>>>> Rox'e did it. I would start on the right side of the aisle, I would
>>>> tell him "Forward"
>>>> and we would go, if he started to pull to the left too far, I would
>>>> say the phrase, "Keep right". He would go to the right and I would
>>>> give him a kibble. He learned very quickly, and had it down in just
>>>> about 5 or 6 aisles. I still use the command from time to time,
>>>> especially if he veers on street crossings.
>>>>> Deanna and Pascal
>>>>>
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tracy
>>>>> Carcione via nagdu
>>>>> Sent: Friday, October 03, 2014 8:12 AM
>>>>> To: Beckman, Noah G.; NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association
>>>>> of Guide Dog Users
>>>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] A Mia misconception
>>>>>
>>>>> Hi Noah.
>>>>> This is a pretty common thing.  It's easier for the dog if she has
>>>>> the
>>>> building on her left, and all the people have to go around her.  If
>>>> she's on the right, she has to look right and left, and go around
>>>> things herself.
>>>>> But I agree with you; a strong left tendency can be very annoying.
>>>>> I
>>>> prefer my dog in the center of the sidewalk, so we can dodge left or
>>>> right, whatever seems best.
>>>>> Rox's solution seems good.  I will also say that my dog Echo had a
>>>>> big
>>>> left tendency that was driving me crazy, so I got a trainer out to 
>>>> look.
>>>> He
>>>> figured out that Echo was very sensitive to how I was holding the
>>>> harness handle.  If I held it over the center of her back, she walked
>>>> straight, but, if I pulled it even a tiny bit right, she would pull
>>>> left.  He showed me how to hold it the way she wanted, and we
>>>> practiced a bit, and voila!  it fixed the problem forever more.  So
>>>> make sure you're not pulling on the harness, trying to get her to go
>>>> right, because dogs are taught to pull in the opposite direction, and
>>>> it will make her go left. Try to hold the harness right in the center
>>>> of her back.
>>>>> Tracy
>>>>>
>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>> From: "Beckman, Noah G. via nagdu" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>>> To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>>> Sent: Thursday, October 02, 2014 8:43 PM
>>>>> Subject: [nagdu] A Mia misconception
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> Good evening everyone,
>>>>>>              I am noticing a consistent tendency in Mia's guide
>>>>>> work that I would like to eliminate.  It seems as though her
>>>>>> perception of her guiding window (the space both above her and to
>>>>>> her right that she needs to keep clear of obstacles) is quite a bit
>>>>>> wider than necessary.  In other words, I think she feels she needs
>>>>>> to guide me as though my right arm is raised and pointing straight
>>>>>> out to my right.  Although her efforts to make doubly sure my right
>>>>>> shoulder doesn't collide with anything might seem touching, it has
>>>>>> several negative symptoms.  As we walk down a sidewalk, she will
>>>>>> tend to favor
>>>> either the middle or the far left side.
>>>>>> If there is a building line, curb into the street, row of parking
>>>>>> meters, etc. to my right, this tendency becomes especially
>>>>>> pronounced.  As I attend a large university, the volume of people
>>>>>> on the sidewalk at any one time can reach levels comparable to New
>>>>>> York City.  This means that her love of the left often results in
>>>>>> oncoming people either having to step off of the sidewalk or cut
>>>>>> over to my right in order to avoid us.  Or, if we approach a group
>>>>>> of people that is standing on the sidewalk such that there is still
>>>>>> a little bit of room for us to pass, she will sometimes freeze or
>>>>>> walk at a snail's pace.  The same is true for slightly narrow, but
>>>>>> definitely navigable gaps between furniture or other objects.  When
>>>>>> I ask her to hup right, she will (usually) but not all of the way
>>>>>> to the boarder of the sidewalk.  Also, she will drift back to the
>>>>>> left
>>> immediately.
>>>>>>              I've tried putting the leash in my right hand and
>>>>>> tugging slightly to the right.  I've tried scolding her and, in
>>>>>> extreme or repeated offenses, correcting her when she pulls me to
>>>>>> the left.  I've tried putting on a praise party on those few
>>>>>> instances where she keeps me to the right without repeated
>>>>>> encouragement.  None of these efforts has noticeably mitigated the
>>>>>> issue.  I am not exactly sure how or why this started; I only
>>>>>> became acutely aware of it in late August around the time other
>>>>>> students started moving back to
>>>> campus.
>>>>>>              Other than this problem, I hardly have grounds for
>>>>>> complaint when it comes to any aspect of Mia or her work.  I simply
>>>>>> want to be able to walk along and have thoughts or conversations
>>>>>> with others that are not continually interrupted by me having to
>>>>>> remind my dog that we need to stick to the right.  Your thoughts
>>>>>> and suggestions about how to correct this issue would be much 
>>>>>> appreciated.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Thank you,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> -Noah
>>>>>>
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>>>>>
>>>>>
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>>
>>
>> --
>> Julie McGinnity
>> National Federation of the Blind performing arts division secretary, 
>> Missouri Association of Guide dog Users President, National Federation of 
>> the Blind of Missouri recording secretary, graduate Guiding Eyes for the 
>> Blind 2008, 2014 "For we walk by faith, not by sight"
>> 2 Cor. 7
>>
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