[NAGDU] [GuideDogs] applying for a guide dog

[margo Downey]

It would be good for you to use the cane at other times as well.

Margo and Isis



-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of David Andrews
via NAGDU
Sent: Sunday, September 01, 2019 1:50 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Cc: David Andrews
Subject: Re: [NAGDU] [GuideDogs] applying for a guide dog

You said "I always do sighted guide except for O&M."  If you don't 
practice with the cane you will never be any good.  You may say, it 
doesn't matter since I intend to get a dog. I think the better you 
are with a cane -- the better you w2ill be with a dog!

Dave

At 06:18 PM 8/29/2019, you wrote:
>Hi all,
>Thank you for your thoughts, I really appreaciate it.
>I just wanted to clarify some things.
>I'm waiting for my instructor to tell me that I'm ready for a guide dog, I
>don't want to apply and then find out that I'm not ready for a guide dog.
>My instructor wasn't doing an assessment, we've been having regular
lessons
>together for a while. I always do sighted guide except of course during
O&M
>lessons of course. I'm honestly fine with my pace, it's my instructor who
>wants me to walk faster. I don't know how long my cane is; it's
comfortable
>for me to use though. I understand the O&M concepts, I've been getting
>training for years. The 3 routes thing is from GDF not from my instructor.
>Mike, I've done tones and tones of research to decide on GDF, and I'm not
>going to apply to other schools just to apply to other schools. GDF is the
>only one that appeals to me.  Hope this helps
>Madison
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: GuideDogs at yahoogroups.com [mailto:GuideDogs at yahoogroups.com]
>Sent: August-29-19 5:40 PM
>To: GuideDogs at yahoogroups.com
>Subject: RE: [GuideDogs] applying for a guide dog
>
>
>
>The cane is their bread and butter.
>
>I think it is good to have both skills. However, I am a really bad cane
>traveler.
>
>Give me a dog any day!
>
>Truie
>
>From: GuideDogs at yahoogroups.com [mailto:GuideDogs at yahoogroups.com]
>Sent: Thursday, August 29, 2019 5:49 PM
>To: GuideDogs at yahoogroups.com
>Subject: RE: [GuideDogs] applying for a guide dog
>
>Hi Madison, Your instructor is, frankly, way off. First, people walk all
>different speeds with their dogs-some extremely slow, some extremely fast
>and most of us somewhere in between. Further more, a dog is not limited to
>only one speed. Sometimes, I fly around with my dogs, almost at a fast jog
>or slow run; sometimes, we walk like the old lady that I sometimes am. It
>sounds like when you walk with a sighted person, you feel more confident
vs.
>when you walk by yourself. Therefore, it stands to reason that you have
the
>ability to walk faster, and you simply would do that once you trust your
dog
>and feel confident he/she can guide you as well, probably better, than
these
>sighted guides. Nevertheless, if you always walked at a very slow speed,
or
>a very fast one, dogs also walk at different speeds. My Radar and Chelsea
>had two speeds: extremely fast or asleep. <LOL> I was young, energetic and
a
>little crazy and I flew right along with them.
>
>Noah and Angel walked at a more reasonable pace and were usually steady,
but
>happy to speed up a bit if we needed too or slow down.
>
>Cheddar loves to fly but is disciplined enough that he can slow it down
when
>need be.
>
>As for applying to GDF or any other school, what are you waiting for?
>You've been talking about this for several years now. You're not going to
be
>accepted at GDF or any other school the day your application hits their
>desk-it takes time, perhaps another year or more to get into a school. I
>would think you'd have more than enough time given that time-frame to
>complete the three routes your mobility instructor deems to be so
important.
>
>Furthermore, your instructor is, obviously, pretty darn ignorant about
what
>a dog guide can do and so the school will be a better source of when you
are
>"ready" to begin guide dog work. Applicants have been told that they need
>more work, to become more confident-whatever, and you'd not be the first
or
>last for that if, indeed, it happened.
>
>It seems to me it's time to get serious about whether you really, really
>want a dog guide or not. If not, that's fine; however, just make that
>decision without all these excuses and delays.
>
>Maybe spending a little more time with people who have and work dogs would
>be helpful and a lot less time listening to some mobility instructor who,
>apparently, slept right through the education, experience and training
about
>guide dogs. <sigh>
>
>Historicly, and apparently still, O&M instructors have not been overly
>enthusiastic about dog guide work. They learned the cane, seem to prefer
the
>cane and seem to endorse the cane over a dog guide. I'm not sure why this
is
>as they do receive dog guide instruction and education, and there is no
>reason in the world an O&M can not work with a student using a dog but,
for
>whatever reason, this mentality remains.
>
>Jessie L. Rayl, Ed.D., LPC
>
><mailto:Jrayl114 at comcast.net> Jrayl114 at comcast.net
>
>FB: Eaglewings10
>
>From: GuideDogs at yahoogroups.com [mailto:GuideDogs at yahoogroups.com]
>Sent: Thursday, August 29, 2019 5:53 AM
>To: GuideDogs at yahoogroups.com
>Subject: Re: [GuideDogs] applying for a guide dog
>
>Hi Madison,
>Just what do you think a guide dog is, if not a sighted guide?
>The word guide should give you a clue.
>
>Really, this is ridiculous, and I have to agree with David, perhaps your
>continuing mobility training is doing nothing but fattening the
instructor's
>
>wallet.
>
>Oh yes, it may be getting you out of the house and allowing you to become
>familiar with the streets in your neighborhood, but you are learning those
>routs with a cane, not a dog.
>With a cane you tend to rely on land marks, things your cane hits along
the
>way.
>A dog is going to take you around and past those landmarks treating them
as
>obstacles to be avoided.
>
>As for your walking speed:
>In my last class, I was first given a little female that I had to push
down
>the sidewalk, and even once drag across the street because she was just
too
>darn slow.
>When the senior trainer asked me what I thought of her, my response was,
>"She's a good dog, just not the right one for me."
>I was allowed to do what I called test drive two other dogs.
>The first one was faster than the female but when urged to get along and
>move faster, the only thing that sped up was his tail wagging.
>He was in permanent meander down the street mode.
>When I told Baron "Forward" he picked right up, and I knew I was going for
a
>
>walk.
>Halfway down the first block I said to the trainer, "Now there's the pull
I
>was looking for."
>Not only was his pull just right, but I could feel every move he made as
he
>avoided things along the rout.
>
>Some dogs walk faster than do others, just like people, and any school
worth
>
>their salt knows that and trains each dog accordingly.
>
>Maybe you should spend more time walking with your instructor as the guide
>instead of getting used to what's around you with a cane.
>
>And what's this learning three routs about?
>
>I'm just wondering about this entire set-up someone talked you into.
>
>PJ.
>
>----Original Message-----
>From: 'Madison Martin' maddymartin at mymts.net [GuideDogs]
>Sent: Wednesday, August 28, 2019 6:59 PM
>To: friends at guidedogs.groups.io ; chat at guidedogusersinc.org ;
>GuideDogs at yahoogroups.com ; 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association
of
>
>Guide Dog Users'
>Subject: [GuideDogs] applying for a guide dog
>
>Hi all,
>I just wanted to clearify something. I'm not actually currently applying
to
>GDF because I have to work more on my O&M before I can apply. That's what
my
>O&M instructor told me. I need to work mainly on my confidence and my
pace,
>I'm a slow walker (except when I'm walking sighted guide). My instructor
>told me that my slow pace won't work with a guide dog. However, when my
>instructor tells me that I'm ready (and once I have 3 routes) then I'm
>deffenetly applying to GDF. I just thought that I should clearify things,
in
>case anyone thought that I am actually currently going through GDFs
>application process.
>Madison


_______________________________________________
NAGDU mailing list
NAGDU at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
NAGDU:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/margo.downey%40roadrunne
r.com