[nagdu] Dogs on left or right

Julie J julielj at neb.rr.com
Mon Oct 6 18:28:59 UTC 2014


My first three dogs were owner trained and Jetta was trained by another blind person.  So i can tell you that none of them were trained specifically to shoreline the left or right, unless I'm specifically using the left over or right over command, like on a street with no sidewalk.

Tia was a strong left tendency dog.  It drove me nuts.  Walking down a street with parking meters felt like downhill skiing around those poles.  Left to the curb, then swerve to the right around a meter, then swerve to the left to the curb, then swerve to the right to go around the next meter.  Seriously annoying. 

I don't remember that Belle had a tendency for either side.  Monty does not.  Jetta tended toward the left for the first few weeks, but is gradually choosing the middle more and more often.

I'd prefer to be a bit right of the middle, but not so extreme that if I step a bit off balance I'm going to topple off the right edge.

Julie
 

Sent from my iPad

> On Oct 6, 2014, at 1:01 PM, Larry D Keeler via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> 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




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