It depends on the situation. I’ve been a guide dog user for about 6 years now, and love it most of the time. If the route that you need to follow is super vague (e.g. “go 3 blocks north, go through the parking lot, and your destination will be one of the buildings on the left”), using a guide dog in combination with directions from a cell phone cannot be beat.

If you are trying to build a detailed mental map of a space, or if it is extremely crowded with possibly intoxicated people (hello concert venues), I think that the cane is the way to go. As with all things, there are tradeoffs.

I’ve only ever used a cane, I’m on a wait list for guide dog currently. I recently read that they have a Bluetooth/smart cane that is integrated with google maps and can tell you what road you are on, why businesses you are around, and where to turn. I have yet to get one because the price tag is around $500. I’m hoping to get a dog soon.

I think that not one choice is better than the other, it just depends on what you need as a traveler. Ive been a dog handler for a few years now and am on dog 2, and I will say that I miss some things about not having a cane. The lift and Uber issues first and for most. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been late for work because of dog rejections and I do mor than most handlers when it comes to preventing leaving hair behind. Be ready for people to not like your dog. The good thing is you can take it pretty much anywhere you want. The bad news is that some people you run into will not like your dog and you will never know why. Vet care, food, toys, grooming, it can all get very expensive. Some vet hospitals will not charge for care of a service dog but only a very small number of them. Of course with a cane you don’t need to worry about any of these things. I will say though I had to make sure I went out without my dog every once in a while. Still need to make sure you keep up on your cane skills and doing things like finding doorways and things to keep those skills sharp.

I lean more towards cane usage, mainly because they require significantly less upfront investment and long-term care. I won't deny the companionship a service animal can provide, but I've reached the point where I work with what I'm used to.

I'm a cane user and probably always will be. I like being able to trail along walls and such. And I like orientating myself with landmarks like garbage cans and poles or whatever that are always there. Not the same for everyone though I'm sure. I know a few people who prefer a dog, but navigation is definitely different. I'm not against dogs at all I just don't feel one's right for me. Who knows though in a few years I could change my mind but right now I have no interest in getting a dog as at this current point in time I'm doing alright with my white staff of vision, heh.

Cane all the way. There are a lot of reasons I have never wanted a dog. First off I just don't like dogs and don't want to be a dog owner regardless of the type of dog. I don't want to deal with the hair and the slobber and crapping and throwing up in the corner, the stinking food and all that stuff. Second I travel a lot for work and I'm always going to different places. Some people would say that's where a dog would help but I have no real idea where I'm going most of the time, I get cabs and ubers and they drop me at the door. The dog is not going to help me get from the door to where I'm going as it doesn't know any better than I do. I fly quite often and I don't think I can take a dog on a London to LA plane flight of possibly 12 hours without it taking a dump in my seat.

I have been guided very briefly by someone else's dog, it was terrifying, I have no idea how anyone ever trusts them. It's a dog. It's a highly trained dog but it's just a dog. At some point it will turn around and gnaw your leg off.

Be careful about relying on your dog’s memory for everything. You still need to be the one giving directions.
I like my cane and I’m good with it but I do prefer my dogs. People actually get out of the way when we’re coming through and i go a lot faster with my dog (when she’s not dragging her feet, heh).

I’m thinking about this question right now. I love my cane, I really do.

However, there are some big drawbacks for me. For example, it can really only do pavement. This can be very troublesome in some situations. I am also naturally quite a brisk walker, so I can sometimes become quite frustrated with the fact that, when using my cane, I have to walk much more slowly than I would like.

That said, I have never been a guide dog user, so I don’t know anything about the other side of this.