[NAGDU] Shopping with a guide dog and indoor relieving?

[Sherry Gomes]

I get *all* my groceries delivered, because I hate grocery shopping intensely. As for other shopping, I have purses where I carry bags, treats, phone, credit cards, all that. Some of them are big enough to put small things in. Otherwise, I'll either carry shopping bags over my arm or use a back pack. As for indoor relieving, I've never allowed any of my dogs to do that. When I trained with Petunia in 2014, after the first week, we were told we could relieve our dogs on the patios outside our rooms. But it was covered, and Petunia would not relieve there, so it was out to the relieving circle. With every dog I've had, they are expected to relieve in all types of weather which probably isn't as hard on them as extreme heat or cold is on me. Lol. Now I have a fenced yard, so home relieving is there. Out and about, there's always an area around with grass or a quiet corner with pavement outside where she can do her thing.

Sherry





-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of David via NAGDU
Sent: Tuesday, June 4, 2019 6:14 AM
To: Sandra Gayer via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: David <david at bakerinet.com>
Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Shopping with a guide dog and indoor relieving?

Good questions, all. See my interlineal answers

*David in Clearwater, FL*
*david at bakerinet.com*
On 6/4/2019 7:15 AM, Sandra Gayer via NAGDU wrote:
> where is the shopping going to go? How do I carry it?
Shopping bag, cart, or backpack.
> Has anyone had good, or bad, experienceswith pull along cases/trolleys? Pulling behind you or in front of you?
When traveling, I use a 4 wheel hard-sided trolley pull-along that can tilt and be used like a two-wheeler. In a supermarket or big-box store, I use the grocery carts and try to pull them along beside me by holding onto the front side of the basket. This is often too wide for other people and the aisles. Claire does not account for the extra width when guiding. I use a hand-carry basket that some stores have at the entrance when I won't have too much stuff. There are problems, of course. If you pull the cart behind you, it can creep up and give you a nasty bump on your heel. In all cases, except when using a backpack, when your right hand is in use, it is difficult to correct your pup effectively and quickly. You can sense through the harness handle when your pup drops to pickup food on the floor.  If you are quick enough, you can do a harness correction.
> Backpacks? This last would be worse and could do damage if I fell but I cold be wrong about this.
Actually, I think the opposite is true. If you can twist as you fall, you can land on the backpack - won't help with the damaged goods you fall on, though. This is by far the most comfortable way for me to shop. 
I just put the backpack on the moving belt when I check out. I then find an empty register to repack items from the bags into the back pack. 
Aldi's has a packing area just beyond the cash registers.
> if the weather is bad, how do you get the dog to relieve indoors or at least undercover where there's no grass?

I don't. Claire will not relieve indoors. Think about it, this is actually a good thing. If there is no grass, she has been trained to relieve at the curb. Airports are a problem for us. She absolutely will not go into the indoor relieving areas. No amount of coaxing, rewarding, or commanding will work. If we have a connection, I need to plan enough time to exit, relieve, and return through security.

Keep asking questions, Sandra. Answers and support are why we are all here. I learn something on this list almost every day.

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