[NAGDU] unfamiliar places

[Susan Jones]

Having retired Liza about 6 weeks ago, I'm finding I do OK in my neighborhood, but boy do I get nervous downtown, where the sidewalks are wide, and full of "furniture"!
I was hoping for home training, but was told yesterday that due to staff shortages, I would have to wait two years.
Well, then I'll be 69, and a lot less mobile then, if I don't do something soon.
So I'm compromising with a program where I'll go into class for ten days, and be home with an instructor for 5.  That will hopefully get me a new dog in September.
Meanwhile, I make myself travel with my cane as much as possible.  It's good for my soul, but what a struggle!

Susan


-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Cindy Ray via NAGDU
Sent: Tuesday, April 2, 2019 10:20 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Cc: Cindy Ray
Subject: Re: [NAGDU] unfamiliar places

I think as we get older we often develop fears, especially if we are not going out as much. I certainly know I am that way. Now that I’m trying to go to walks without a dog in order to determine if I will get one, and to get outside exercise, I find myself feeling acutely lonely without one. Who knew I would feel that way. I think it is important to continue with some adventures so we won’t get rusty and more fearful. Of course sometimes the fears are based on the possibility of falls. That is true in my case because I don’t want to wreck my surgeries, but then I should think as time goes along that will be better.

Cindy Lou Ray
Cindyray at gmail.com


Cindy Lou Ray
Sent from my iPhone

> On Apr 2, 2019, at 7:45 PM, Rox Homstad via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> I'm a Deafblind owner trainer, and my current situation is I have Soleil, my lab who just made 8 and Rowan my amstaff mix who just made 2.  I find that I'm a lot less adventurous with my younger dog because she's not as well traveled, but the only way to make her well traveled is to have adventures together. 
> I do go anywhere with Soleil, my older dog.  I went to Manhattan this February to see the WCK dog show because it was something I had always wanted to do and I was tired of waiting for someone to do it with me, so I went on my own and it is a lot scarier for some reason now I'm older but we did it.  I feel like going can be scary but I never regret having gone, even if things don't turn out like I had planned exactly.
> 
> 
> Rox'E and the Kitchen Bitches
> Soleil, Rowan, Phoenix
> pawpower4me at gmail.com
> 
>> On Apr 2, 2019, at 6:16 PM, Jean Menzies via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> I know this will greatly vary, and there is no right or wrong answer. I am curious to know how adventurous people are about working their dog into unknown areas. For example, when I was younger, I seem to recall being a lot more adventurous in figuring out a bus route and dealing with whatever I encountered after getting off the bus, and then hopefully finding whatever the destination was. Now, though, not so much. Perhaps things are just crazier out there or I am more cautious now. Who knows. 
>> 
>> But I am wondering how people feel about working through unknowns such as whether or not there are sidewalks, if there might or might not be grass to walk on, encountering light endustrial areas, service roads, parking lots, unfamiliar intersections, etc. 
>> 
>> Of course, every person, dog, and situation is different, but I’m looking for general discussion on being one’s own trail blazer so to speak. And, no, I can’t afford AIRA. lol. 
>> 
>> But I do think my new pup is going to do well, and I want to get out and learn more about the city I live in. We are relatively new here, so my depth of knowledge is still growing. But I also feel the nudge to not just wait for someone to show me rutes first, but then there is the nagging feeling of getting myself into trouble. hahaha. 
>> 
>> It’s likely too soon to throw a new dog team into unfamiliar situations like that, and we will master things I know first. But I do want to spread my wings more. 
>> 
>> Thoughts?
>> 
>> Jean and Boomer
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
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