[nagdu] pros and cons of guide dogs

Sat May 1 15:43:48 UTC 2010

One quick comment.  Even though a dog may generally travel in a straight 
line, you still need to be able to detect if the dog starts drifting one 
direction or another.  This does take a little while to learn to detect 
sometimes, but, if you know up front that you are not good at telling 
direction, this may be a factor that weighs heavily on whether or not you 
get a guide dog.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Julie J" <julielj at windstream.net>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, May 01, 2010 6:48 AM
Subject: [nagdu] pros and cons of guide dogs

> Mark,
>
> No idea if this might help your situation, but here you go!
>
> I used a cane for around 10 years before switching to a guide dog.  I 
> still use my cane when the situation warrants it.  Some folks use their 
> dog absolutely 100% of the time and others are closer to 75% and perhaps a 
> few even less.  the thing is that it is totally individual.  I think 
> sometimes we get stuck in this idea that we *must* do things a certain way 
> because everyone else does it that way or because it is supposed to be 
> good for us.  It takes a lot of maturity to decide for ourselves what is 
> best for us in any given situation and how we will manage.  Mark, you are 
> an incredibly mature person in your writing.  Your thoughts are clearly 
> communicated.  You have spent a lot of time figuring out what you feel is 
> best for you.  That shows maturity.
>
> Now my .02 on the pros and cons of guide dogs:
> advantages
> *a dog can cross a street straight to the up curb
> *a dog can identify the best path around an obstacle, often without you 
> even knowing the obstacle was there
> *a dog can avoid overhead obstacles, like tree branches
> *a dog can indicate an alternate route well in advance of a problematic 
> situation, like construction
> *a dog will remember previous routes and will often make suggestions based 
> on previous experience
> *a dog can keep a straight line of travel through snow even when it hasn't 
> been shoveled and there is no way for you to identify a path
> *a dog can plan ahead and change pace or direction to avoid a collision 
> course with moving obstacles
> *a dog can avoid traffic and quiet cars that you probably won't hear at 
> all
> *a dog can target a door and take you straight to it through a large open 
> area like a parking lot or an indoor mall
> *a dog can learn to identify many, many things and take you directly to 
> them, elevators, stairs, check out counters, specific people, pop 
> machines, empty chairs etc.  the possibilities are endless!
> *a dog can learn to follow a person like a waitress in a restaurant or a 
> receptionist in a large office complex
> *most of the time you will move more quickly with a dog.  Some very, very 
> good cane travelers will find that the speed difference is not distinct.
> *a dog will keep a generally straight line of travel, good for people who 
> veer or have difficulty keep oriented
> *there are others, but I think you get the idea!
>
> disadvantages
> *dogs are more expensive, food, vet bills, supplies etc.  Most/all? of the 
> programs will provide basic necessities-leash, collar, harness, crate/tie 
> down/mat, food bowls, grooming tools and a toy or two Some programs will 
> help with vet expenses and food.
> *dogs require you to keep a schedule.  Some dogs are more flexible than 
> others, but you can absolutely count on at least 4 relief breaks per day, 
> feeding 1-2 times per day, grooming and exercise.
> *there is more clean up with a dog than a cane.  You will be picking up 
> poop, washing food bowls and vacuuming or sweeping up loose dog hair
> *the first 6 months to a year you may not see all the benefits of all the 
> wonderful things a dog can do because it takes time to develop the 
> partnership.  In this time you will need to teach the dog everything 
> specific to your situation you want the dog to do.
> *the dog may not work out.  Sometimes the dog decides it doesn't want to 
> guide, experiences health problems or it may just not have been a good 
> match.
> *you will have people who are not enthused about the dog.  They might be 
> friends or family who don't want the dog in their car or home.  They might 
> be store owners who refuse you entry.   You will have to be your own best 
> advocate.
> *people will come out of the woodwork to tell you about their Rufus that 
> died when they were 8 or their next door neighbors, best friends cousins 
> hair dresser who has a dog just like that or their aged grandmother in a 
> nursing home who can't see so well or where can they get a harness like 
> that so they can take their dog in public too or any other manner of 
> craziness.  Sometimes it is nice that having a guide dog makes you more 
> approachable and sometimes it is a hassle.  Guide dog users also report 
> varying results on the approachability factor.   I put this one in the 
> disadvantages because it is a disadvantage to me.  You might not feel that 
> way.
> *everything you do will include an assessment of whether or not it is a 
> good idea to take the dog or not.  Most of the time it will be fine to 
> take the dog.  Other times you may need to come up with plan B.  I do not 
> take my guide dogs to concerts, places where I will be sitting squashed in 
> on bleachers, friends homes that don't want the dog, zoos or funerals. 
> The reasons for each vary and my list is by no means everyone's list.
> *when the dog retires or is no longer a working guide, you will need to 
> find a home for him/her.  some people keep their dog as a pet others give 
> the dog to a friend or family member and others return the dog to the 
> program for placement.  Ending the partnership can be stressful.
>
> WOW this got really long!  I'm sure others will have more ideas.  Also 
> this is only my particular take on things.  It is most definitely not to 
> be taken as the definitive guide to choosing to use or not to choose a 
> guide dog.  that is an individual decision.  At any rate, I hope it helps 
> you.
>
> Julie
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