[nagdu] guide dogs

Wed Mar 17 00:11:33 UTC 2010

I totally agree that there's more challenges with a guide dog than a
cane. Or, perhaps I should say different challenges. Periodically I'll
get into a discussion with students I work with or Joe Blow from the
street, and someone will comment something along the lines of, "I
guess you don't have to pay attention to things as much with a dog
than you do with a cane." My response usually goes something like, "It
depends on where you are. If I'm in a familiar environment and taking
a route that both I and my dog have been on many times, then no I
don't think aboutas much, But if I'm in a new area, then there's lots
of thinking and problem solving going on between me and the dog."
Truth is, I may not be thinking so much about obsticles when traveling
with a dog, but my mind has just as much on it since I'm keeping track
of where we are, the environment and people around us, and whether the
dog is staying on task. In other words, I don't just tell the dog,
"Forward," and sit back and enjoy the ride. We know this as blind
people and guide dog users, but the average Joe on the street often
thinks that this is all there is to using a dog, at least I think many
Joes do, grin. The challenge comes when someone says something like,
"So you just tell him/her to go to the library and they do the rest?"
And then trying to figure out how to explain to the person, well, no,
that's not exactly how it works. Or, decide to yourself for whatever
reason to agree with the person, smile, and go on your way, even
though you know it's nothing like that.

Sometimes I'll take my dog through certain areas at work just to keep
her guessing. Such places that have lots of doors, twists and turns in
them. I enjoy this and I think that she does too since it's not what
we normally do, and she becomes more dependent on me to tell her where
to go.

Wayne

On 3/16/10, Tamara Smith-Kinney <tamara.8024 at comcast.net> wrote:
> Jennifer,
>
> When I first started using a cane full time, I would get very nervous going
> anywhere new!  It took just getting out and doing it to get over the fear.
> If I couldn't get myself going the whole way, I would sometimes do partial
> "practice runs."  When I had done the real thing and gotten back hme and
> everything, it was such a victory, though!  So that made the next time
> easier.  And the time after that, and the time after that...  /smile/
>
> I also reminded myself a lot that everything I did during cane travel was
> good practice for when I would be  able to get a guide dog.  Which turned
> out to be a good thing, because I ended up owner-training and needed to have
> my wits about me in the O&M department while I concentrated on her...  /lol/
>
> Anyway, with the cane, I would set myself little mini-goals while I
> traveled, to improve my overall skills on the way from Point A to Point B,
> and I would think of myself as "proacticing" for a guide dog, since that was
> way more motivating than just getting across the street.  /grin/
>
> So my goal for the trip might be to be super aware of the curbs and stop
> spot on at every one.  Sounds silly, but it kept me going from curb to curb,
> and it really improved my awareness of my cane and my feet both as well as
> giving me a better feel for time/distance.  I would also give myself little
> listening exercises and ask myself, "How can I tell when I get near the
> corner?"  At first, I was so dull to my surroundings, but then I would
> notice that I "felt" the difference in my surroundings even if I wasn't
> aware yet of what it actually was.
>
> I don't know if that makes sense or if it's helpful to you.  But those were
> just the little mental games I played with myself to keep myself going
> through life when the thought of going down to the corner was just
> terrifying.  /smile/
>
> In some ways, a guide dog can make journeys seems less daunting, but using a
> guide dog is also a difficult skill to learn, with a whole new set of
> challenges.  /smile/  Especially at first!  I would rather go dog than cane
> any day, and I especially love not having to worry about what I'm going to
> bang my head on, but there have been times I have felt daunted about a
> simple trip just because I wasn't feeling friendly enough or together enough
> for all the people who would want to talk about (or to) my dog or pet my dog
> while I was trying to find a seat on the bus or...  Different worry than
> with my cane, but still!  Now I'm just used to it, and I have my set
> responses I don't even have to think about, so I don't have to work up nerve
> ahead of time like I used.
>
> Good luck on your walk!  The important thing is that you're getting out and
> doing it.  Oh! Don't forget to congratulate yourself with every obstacle you
> conquer successfully.  If there's a tricky block or some other part of the
> route, stopping at the curb and taking time out to take a deep breath and
> feel really, really smug just because you got there never hurts.  Or is that
> just me.  /grin/
>
> Tami Smith-Kinney
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Jennifer L Finley
> Sent: Tuesday, March 16, 2010 10:14 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: [nagdu] guide dogs
>
> Do any of you ever get nervous when going on a new rout with your cane for
> the first time?  Well, I have to walk to the nersing home, and it is my
> first time doing it with out anyone.  I don't think that I am going to do it
> today, but I am going to do it on thursday.  I am just so nervous.  I feal
> like that when I get my dog that it will go better.  I just can't seem to
> bring my self to do it with my cane.
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