Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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Guide dog and losing tactile without having cane (self.Blind)
submitted by bigmiracle
Good morning wonderful people:
I'm not there yet because TG I'm blessed with good center vision but I use a white cane and have passed my local O and M instruction. I'm very interested in learning more about having a video dog. Clearly the benefits are great but I'm a bit concerned about trusting the dog when I can still TG see for myself the path ahead of me. The cane gives 7s so much information, how do you keep yourself from tripping on even small uneven ground?
Is there anyone here with a guide dog who is partial vision and has that been an issue giving up control to the dog from a certain perspective.
Thanks and look forward to your comments. Have a beautiful day!
I'm not there yet because TG I'm blessed with good center vision but I use a white cane and have passed my local O and M instruction. I'm very interested in learning more about having a video dog. Clearly the benefits are great but I'm a bit concerned about trusting the dog when I can still TG see for myself the path ahead of me. The cane gives 7s so much information, how do you keep yourself from tripping on even small uneven ground?
Is there anyone here with a guide dog who is partial vision and has that been an issue giving up control to the dog from a certain perspective.
Thanks and look forward to your comments. Have a beautiful day!
Badassmotherfuckerer 4 points 1y ago
So I’ve had a guide dog for about 5 years and he’s great. To answer your questions, you do lose some benefits a cane gives you such as tactile feedback, but you can kind of pick up on subtle bumps in a sidewalk when your dog walks over them, just not as well as you could with a cane. SO that can be a bit of an issue, however if it’s on a route you travel a lot, you can train your dog to walk around whatever trips you up. And sometimes you will have to trust your dogs judgement over your own, depending on your viison, as (my vision at least) can play tricks on me sometimes. If you have any more questions, I’d be happy to answer!
bigmiracle [OP] 4 points 1y ago
Tysm, the cane has taken my stress levels way down from where they were when i was still walking into hydrants. I'm concerned that i will feel like i need to look down as opposed to keeping my back straight and looking forward with the cane can happen if you need to trust the dog when vision thank Gd is still decent. I hear the dog helps you with low hanging trees or signs and that's something the cane can't do. I'm at a point in my life that the dog as a guide and friend would be very good for me.
How much work is it really to maintain your guide? Thanks again
How much work is it really to maintain your guide? Thanks again
Badassmotherfuckerer 3 points 1y ago
If you ever decide to get a guide dog, it might take some time, but the trust will definitely develop with enough time. And it's quite a bit of work to be honest. I assume you mean in terms of taking care of them right? The time it takes to feed twice a day, relieve 4 to 6 times a day, grooming and brushing, fitting in playtime, etc etc all adds up and takes a lot of time. I definitely think it's worth it and don't mind it, but it's something to cosnider.
ShoshanaLi 2 points 1y ago
Honestly, losing the tactile feedback from the cane takes some getting used to, and I definitely stubbed my toes more when I first got my guide. I sort of just got used to picking my feet up a bit higher when I walk, and my guide shows me any significant changes in elevation that could trip me. Guide dogs are amazing—once you bond with a dog, they’ll start to notice if a particular type of obstacle trips you up, and they’ll start to stop and show you those things because they don’t like it when you trip (in my experience, anyway!). My guide even stops to show me big puddles now because I make such an “ugh!’ noise when I step in one!
bigmiracle [OP] 1 points 1y ago
Hi Shoshana great to hear from you
bigmiracle [OP] 1 points 1y ago
Gm.. tx for taking my questions. The thing is I'm getting closer to divorce and my wife and kids are afraid of dogs and there's no way as long as I'm married to have this guide dog. I am reaching a point that I believe the dog would be very helpful to me both physically and emotionally. At the end of the day I have to do what's best for me and my health.
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