[NAGDU] SWITCHING FROM CANE TO DOG, AND OTHER THOUGHTS

Sat Sep 23 01:35:31 UTC 2023

Hi Parham,

First, congratulations for researching your choices for independent travel.
I emphasize that it is a choice. You are wise to think about it. I used a
cane for several years before I got my first dog guide. I am now working
with my seventh guide and do not regret any of the dogs or the years using
them. I do use a cane occasionally. I agree that it is important to keep up
those skills. I now carry a folding cane in my purse to check out areas when
I am working with a dog because it is safer than using my feet to find out
what my dog is trying to show me. This is not something that I did with my
first five dogs as a regular thing. 

Working with your wife with her cane will be something you will have to work
out. First, your dog is not trained to guide both of you so your wife will
need to use her cane while walking with you. I have seen several techniques
used by couples with varying levels of success. You and your wife will have
to try things out and find out what works with you and your guide. Some
people just walk together and talk to one another. Then, when it is a
crowded area I have seen the cane user walk behind the dog guide user
placing a hand on the shoulder or touching an arm. The cane user cannot be
in a position which interferes with the effective and safe use of the dog.
The cane user, in my opinion, must continue to use their cane for their
safety. By the way, my husband is sighted and we have to work out what works
well for us to walk together. It varies depending on the situation.  I will
caution you that you need to ensure that you are using your dog as a guide
for you and not anticipating what is ahead or in anyway expecting that dog
to serve as a guide for both of you. Talk with the dog guide instructors.
They will tell you that the dog is distracted by people walking next to you
or in a position where they can see that person. I recently moved to a new
neighborhood and I was walking with my husband to the gym because I hadn't
walked it before. We discovered that the gps and walking alone worked better
for us. My husband would walk where she couldn't see him and wait to ensure
that I hadn't turned somewhere I shouldn't have. It works well. I agree with
you about walking different directions and exploring different locations. It
is a wonderful way to gain confidence in one another. When I first trained
with a dog they used to encourage you to take different routes to get places
on a regular basis. This makes you pay attention to the dog and the dog is
guiding not on auto pilot.  My second dog used to look at me when I wanted
to turn a different way and make a funny noise as if to say "wait, we went
the other way yesterday!"  

Each dog is different and you and your wife are different as well as the
situation in which you live. Enjoy working with your new guide and
communicate with the dog guide trainer whenever you have a question. 

Good luck! Enjoy!

Joy with Vicky #7

-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Susan Jones via NAGDU
Sent: Friday, September 22, 2023 5:29 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: sblanjones11 at sbcglobal.net
Subject: [NAGDU] SWITCHING FROM CANE TO DOG, AND OTHER THOUGHTS

Hello Parham and listers,

I got my first dog right out of high school, and had a difficult experience,
which ended in about three years.
I then used a cane for 21 years, pretty successfully, and decided it was
time to look again at the guide dog experience.
I very much wondered how, or whether, I would be able to adjust.  
It was much easier than I expected.  The hardest thing was to travel with
much less hard information, and the easiest thing was enjoying the walk
more, as I could pay attention to something besides the topography in front
of me.
I am now working with my seventh guide dog.  I believe in keeping up my cane
skills as well, because they are needed at times when I can't take my dog,
and obviously between dogs.

Guide dogs are only trained to guide one person, though it might work with
the two of you on rare occasions, and for short stretches, if one walked
directly behind the other.

As far as traveling different routes all the time, when you and your dog get
to know what is expected of each other, this is very possible.  The first
thing is to build that trusting relationship between the two of you, and
learn to travel safely together, and then you can go anywhere, expected or
unexpected, you discover it together.

Kind regards,
Susan Jones, Indianapolis Indiana

-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Parham Doustdar via
NAGDU
Sent: Friday, September 22, 2023 4:44 PM
To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
Cc: Parham Doustdar <parham90 at gmail.com>
Subject: [NAGDU] New member, and newbie questions!

Hi all,
My name is Parham. I'm originally from Iran, and I've moved to Amsterdam as
an expat and recently become a citizen.
I'm here because I don't speak much Dutch, and the information I can find
online on guide dogs is very limited. So I thought I'd join this list and
talk to some real people having real guide dogs! :-) I had some starting
questions if you don't mind.
First, I and my wife are both blind. What would your advice be to a blind
couple? Should we, or should we not, walk with the guide dog together? Since
I'm the one getting a guide dog, can she ever take the dog out in a harness?
Would the person with a cane be walking behind? Any other points?
Secondly, we love experiencing new things. That's why we'll regularly go on
new routes. We have very few "regular" routes, so most of the time we'll be
using GPS software and going on a route we might never go on again. How does
this affect a guide dog? Is that even something that a guide dog user should
be doing? Most of the accounts I can find online, including in Allison's
book Paws That Change My Life, is from people who have routes they frequent.
And lastly, I know this comes up often, so sorry for opening what might be a
can of worms, but what was the experience of a highly skilled cane user
switching to a guide dog? I am completely blind and can go almost anywhere
with a cane, but I'm trying to (1) increase my speed, and (2) go out more
confidently in windy and rainy weather, which is too frequent in NL for my
liking, LOL! I'm curious what people with good cane skills found on the
other side of the switch.
Thanks a lot for all opinions in advance!
Best,
Parham
Sent from my iPhone
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