[NAGDU] reasons for getting a guide dog

[Al Sten-Clanton]

Greetings!


I decided to get a guide dog on a Saturday in the spring of 1978.  I was 
walking with people after a meeting.  My can kept finding holes in the 
sidewalk.  A friend with a guide dog offered me her arm, and we moved 
along smoothly.  That day, I went from not wanting the responsibilities 
of a guide dog to wanting one very much.  I rarely change my mind in 
that way.


I didn't get a dog until just over a year after that.  In that time, I 
moved to the city and used my cane virtually every day.  I also learned 
about the value of NFB canes and about the extra value of having it be 
longer than I'd used before.  I'm very glad I had that extra year using 
a cane before getting my first dog at The Seeing Eye in July of 1979.  I 
continued to use a cane often, though rarely since 2018, when I got my 
present dog.


With that as background, here are at least some of my reasons for using 
a guide dog.  I can usually walk faster with a dog than with a cane.  
Although there's sometimes a downside to this, I can avoid lots of 
obstacles.  I find it easier to travel through a crowd with a dog.  The 
dog helps me with my tendency to veer; he also will get me to the right 
place when I cross a street where the corners are badly aligned.  The 
dog has been trained to help me avoid crashing into overhead obstacles, 
which a cane can't do; I think it's harder for dogs to do that than to 
do other jobs, but they learn to do it pretty well.


I should mention that in my first class they said we shouldn't use our 
dogs to guide other blind people because it's extra responsibility for 
the dog.  I've only done it twice that I remember.  Still, though it 
very well might have happened later for some other reason, that act of 
apparent rule-breaking by an NFB colleague was what got me on the path.


Of course, canes don't need food, water, regular exercise, or trips to 
the vet.  They don't decide they'd rather visit the dog or cane across 
the street than help you get where you want to go. Canes help you travel 
independently when you're between dogs or when you can't take the dog.  
But, for the reasons I've given and some others, I plan to use a guide 
dog as long as I can.


I hope this is useful.


Best!

Al


On 1/14/22 13:39, madison.martin2000--- via NAGDU wrote:
> Hi all,
> I got to wondering, what made you/what are your reason (s) for deciding to get a
> guide dog in the first place? I hate using a cane; but not sure if that's reason
> enough to get back in touch with my O&M instructor to work on learning roots or
> not. Anyway, I look forward to reading each of your reasons!!
> Madison
>
>
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