[NAGDU] Questions from a potential future guide dog user.

[Aleeha Dudley]

Hi Sandra, 
I have been using a guide dog for almost 5 years now and am also a proficient cane user. Here are some things I’ve ound 
First, if I am in a situation where I cannot tell what is in front of me and my dog has stopped moving because they can’t find a way around, I carry a small telescoping cane that I can use to figure out what is in our way. Better my cane be broken than my face. :) 
I learned very quickly to feel under my feet for the elevation changes and listen for openings in walls or other landmarks. The dog will also learn to recognize familiar turns or landmarks and indicate them with a turn of the head or by pausing. 
While dogs enjoy routine, there are many dogs that are adaptable to new situations and new routes. My dog is one of these dogs. She loves new areas and situations, and would be very happy if we travelled a lot. Some dogs’ routines are, for lack of a better phrase, the lack of routine, if that makes sense. 
I hope this helps with some of your concerns.
Aleeha Dudley 

> On May 9, 2019, at 3:43 PM, Sandra Gayer via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hello Everyone,
> I'm new to the list and I use a long cane. I apologise in advance if
> my questionshave been asked before or seem dim to all of you seasoned
> guide dog owners.
> 
> I know guide dogs are taught to guide you around obstacles and find a
> clear rout but, what if there is no clear rout?
> 
> I use walls, rails and other edges to know where I am. However, I know
> that guide dogs are taught to walk in the centre of a path. Does
> anyone find this disorientating? I get a, sort of, no man's land
> feeling when I'm in open spaces. Is this something you learn to get
> used to?
> 
> I'm a Singer, an Actor and a Broadcast Presenter. I travel to new
> places quite a lot. I have read that guide dogs thrive on routine.
> Does that mean that the guide dog wouldn't perform well in new
> environments?
> 
> I'm wondering if anyone has come across a person using a guide dog but
> using a cane on the right side? I just don't see how else I could get
> information about the ground; slight rises, dips, there is shared
> curbing in the UK, where I live, and although this means there is no
> curbe, there is a slight difference in texture to the ground. Also,
> things like changes in relief are communicated easily through the
> cane.
> 
> Any help would be greatly appreciated.
> Very best wishes,
> Sandra.
> 
> -- 
> Sandra Gayer DipABRSM, LRSM.
> 
> Soprano Singer
> www.sandragayer.com
> 
> Broadcast Presenter
> www.rnibconnectradio.org.uk/music-box.html
> 
> Actor
> www.visablepeople.com
> 
> Voiceover Artist
> www.archangelvoices.co.uk/content/sandra-gayer
> 
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