Hi Harvey!

When I went to GDB in 1987, they told us we don't want to see people using
canes around here. This is a guide dog school, and that is how you will
travel from this day forward. That was certainly true for the time that I
worked the dog. 

If they've changed their tune since then, that wouldn't be a bad thing.   

The Eye is certainly a top notch school.

73,
Dave

-----Original Message-----
From: For blind ham radio operators [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Harvey Heagy
Sent: Wednesday, 6 May 2015 2:13 p.m.
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: absolutely nothing to do with ham radio but Dayton made me
think about it.

I don't know anything about the schools in New Zealand, but I know my
school, Seeing Eye, definitely advocated keeping up your cane skills when I
was there in 1986, and I think it still applies today.  

BTW, I am still having to remove your address from the to field and replace
it with the blind hams address before I send it out to the list.
Harvey

-----Original Message-----
From: For blind ham radio operators [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Dave Allen
Sent: Tuesday, May 5, 2015 8:55 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: absolutely nothing to do with ham radio but Dayton made me
think about it.

Hi Harvey!
I couldn't agree more. Cane skills are like CW, braille, or anything else
that you do every day. Use it or lose it. Looking forward to the school that
teaches that, hi hi.

73,
Dave   


-----Original Message-----
From: For blind ham radio operators [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Harvey Heagy
Sent: Wednesday, 6 May 2015 1:44 p.m.
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: absolutely nothing to do with ham radio but Dayton made me
think about it.

Well, Dave, that's why any guide dog school worth its salt always advises
its students to keep their cane skills up.  You never know when your dog
might have to be hospitalized or for some other reason you have to travel
without him or her.  And it's also good for the dog to learn that its master
returns and not to be afraid to be separated from his or her master.
Harvey

-----Original Message-----
From: For blind ham radio operators [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Dave Allen
Sent: Tuesday, May 5, 2015 5:36 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: absolutely nothing to do with ham radio but Dayton made me
think about it.

Hi!

Yep, it's the classic catch 22. Environments like concerts are not healthy
for the dog, but then without the dog, how else would you get there? I
solved that delimma the old fashond way. Went back to a cane and no regrets
about that. Having a dog wasn't without benefits. Great chick magnet back in
my younger days, but I got over that, too, hi hi.

In these parts, they seem to have trouble finding enough blind people to
work the dogs, if some of the stuff I've seen can even make sense. I was
once travelling with a group in Wellington and a fellow passenger was
advising the taxi driver about navigating the city traffic quite
efficiently, with guide dog at her feet. It's enough to make my head shake. 
 
I am not unsympathetic, but trying to make sense of something that just
won't.

73,
Dave
-----Original Message-----
From: For blind ham radio operators [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Harvey Heagy
Sent: Wednesday, 6 May 2015 10:06 a.m.
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: absolutely nothing to do with ham radio but Dayton made me
think about it.

When I had a guide dog, I felt it was better not to take her to things like
that and not put her in that kind of environment.  Concerts are loud, very
noisy and could have the potential of having them develop a skittishness
which may ruin your dog guide.  Sometimes while it may be technically be
legal to bring them to places, it may not be in their best interest to do
so.  The dog guide owner is the brains of the team, and you know what's at
the other end of the trip while your dog doesn't.
Harvey

-----Original Message-----
From: For blind ham radio operators [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Howard Kaufman
Sent: Tuesday, May 5, 2015 1:03 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: absolutely nothing to do with ham radio but Dayton made me
think about it.

Now there is a reason for a cane that I never thought of.
How do you dog owners ah handle that?
Asking for help in the men's room is one thing, asking some stranger to hold
your ah dog?  Is quite another.