Traveling with a Guide Dog
Traveling with a guide dog can be similar to traveling with a child at times. I have twin boys, and after traveling with and raising them, I found myself putting together a whole bag of tricks that I could pull from depending on the situation.
Getting ready to go
One of the most important tips I can impart on travel with a Guide Dog is to buy and keep a travel bag ready to go. I use a backpack with a lot of pockets and the following items stocked. I keep the bag in a convenient place so I can grab it as we are headed out the door.
- One portion of food – because who knows how long you may get stuck away from the house. Food does go rancid, so be sure to swap out the portion of food regularly.
- Waste pickup bags – accidents happen.
- A small bottle of water.
- A gentle leader. If you don’t have/use one of these little gems, you will be amazed at how well it helps your guide get through difficult situations. https://amzn.to/2CbBS6O
- A special toy – my dog Fauna loves to chew on Nylabones, so I keep a fancy bacon flavored one in the bag as a treat. The bones at home are not flavored, so the one from the bag is extra special when she gets to spend time with it. Some use a toy with a squeaker, I find these to be distracting especially on a train or plane.
- A collapsible bowl – ideal for water or food. I use these because the fold flat and have a D-ring https://amzn.to/2RIxE07
- A small blanket – Mine has a durable bathmat waterproof side and a comfy fuzzy side for her to lay on. It is about the size of a baby blanket and folds up easily without taking up too much space.
- A cable tiedown – You never know when you might need to tie your pup down for a bit.. I get mine from the Guide Dogs for the Blind Store at: http://guidedogs.shoplightspeed.com/
- A copy of my dog’s rabies and vaccines from the vet.
- A card which explains my rights as a service dog user.
- Some high-value kibble-style treats – good for getting your pup through difficult situations.
- LeanLix dog treat – a low calorie high-value treat to help pups get through tough situations. This yummy treat will keep their attention on you. https://amzn.to/2RLPoYm
- A small clip on light – This is great for evening walks or travel. A small LED light that clips on the collar to make you more visible. I use: https://amzn.to/2RDP522
There you go, if you have any items that you carry for your pup that didn’t make my list, please let me know and I can update this post.
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My photography: http://www.tahquechi.com/
Instagram and Twitter: @nedskee
Guide Dog Files Part 3
Welcome to week three of my experiences learning to work with a guide dog for the first time. In early October I traveled to Guide Dogs for the Blind in San Rafael, California to receive my guide dog Fauna, we pick up the story as I arrive in San Francisco…
In my years working in the videogames industry, I led, and was part of many teams. When a new team assembles, there are always telltale signs whether it will gel right away. Commonalities from immediate camaraderie to just having similar interests or experiences to share often lead to some of the closest teams I have worked with. Upon landing in San Francisco, and collecting our luggage, we headed to the van that would take us to the Guide Dogs for the Blind campus. Now, believe it or not I am a pretty shy guy so upon loading into the van I was greeted by a pretty typical mixture of personality types, the quiet and the boisterous. We talked relation-ally about topics that were safe for us… visual impairment, dealing with those who are not visually impaired and a new topic for me – having a guide dog. I came into this experience expecting to learn the finer points about working with a guide dog, what I got from day one was an amazing time getting to know some really great people.
We all had one thing in common, we could not wait to meet out new guide dog partners. Some (like me) had been waiting for six to nine months, and others had been fit in to the rotation of classes at the last moment and were getting their next guide dog after retiring their present dog only a couple weeks earlier. All but two of us were retrains – previous guide dog owners. In the coming weeks, the two of us that had never had a guide before would turn to the mentorship of the rest of the group to learn the finer nuances of partnership with a guide dog.
Arriving at the Guide Dogs for the Blind campus, some lamented the time since their last visit and how the campus had changed. Many of the retrains had seen nearly ten year since their last time at in a training class. The funny thing I noticed is there was no pecking order. In many group situations, where many of the group has been through an experience before, they will often band together and form a clique. This could not have been farther from the case, all the retrains were open and willing to share their day to day experiences working and living with a guide dog partner.
I’m not a huge fan of flying and don’t generally eat anything before I take off, so the unremarkable bag lunch we were given when we loaded into the van hit bottom quickly and I was ready for some real food. We unloaded our baggage and were shown to our rooms. The accommodations were perfectly comfortable, a queen size bed, restroom with a walk-in shower, TV with premium channels and a built-in desk with great lighting. On the desk was a binder with large print and braille pages explaining everything from the daily routine with the dogs and when meals would be served to the amenities available to the clients at the facility. I settled in and unpacked my clothes and was quickly greeted to a knock at the door. One of the resident administrators arrived to give me a full tour of the room and amenities – excellent. A building tour was scheduled for that afternoon and I was left to get settled in after my trip.
The facility in San Rafael has some great amenities. There are rooms where you can be social with your fellow students, or have some quiet introspective time to yourself. The staff are very conscious of your space and ensure that you don’t feel rushed, overwhelmed or uncomfortable in any way – though they do keep a very rigid schedule and frown upon you taking levity with their appointed events. Our facility tour included the cafeteria, meeting room, full gym, lounge, and of course the hot tub. I found it odd that we were not shown any of the grounds or surrounding areas – that would come later.
There were eight of us, and we settled in and later headed to dinner, where the conversation focused mainly around what kind of dog the retrains had and what they hoped would be in store for them the following day. We were informed at dinner that we would be meeting our new guides the following morning at 11 am and heading right out for our first training route after getting to know them. The excitement was palpable throughout the remainder of the evening and into breakfast the next morning. It should be noted here that the food at the Guide Dogs for the Blind campus is excellent. They have a regular, low calorie and vegetarian option for each meal. Truth be told, you could choose any of the options and be happy with the meal.
After breakfast, the longest few hours I have had to endure in quite some time began. We all settled into our rooms to wait for our new companions to arrive, and I took the respite to reflect on the time I had spent to get to this point, and the decisions that led me to this moment in my life. I have never been one to ask for help from anyone especially when it pertains to inabilities surrounding my lack of vision. In the seventeen years since my accident, I have only accepted a magnifier to help me read print and a white cane to help me navigate the world. I was about to receive a guide who has had hundreds of hours of training, and all the appropriate equipment – this was a tough thing for me.
Anticipation
I was notified in February that I was accepted into the Guide Dog program, and since then I have countless hours wondered about every part of getting a guide dog. Would it be male, or female? I knew that Guide Dogs for the Blind only use retrievers for their guide stock, so I was curious if I would be getting a Black or yellow lab or perhaps a golden retriever. Eight months of wonder and anticipation were finally realized, I was given Fauna, a wonderfully calm female Black Lab. I’m not generally an emotional person, I don’t ever cry, though I do feel sadness etc. (truth be told, it is incredibly difficult for me to share this with all of you now.). When this incredible, happy little girl walked into the room and met me for the first time, I found myself welling up with tears and feeling more emotional than I have in ages. My trainer Danielle handed me the leash and began to tell me about Fauna’s history and training. To this day, the only thing I can clearly remember about that moment in my life is Fauna walking in and sitting in front of me and just looking at me. For those who have followed my Twitter or Instagram you will be well acquainted with what I call “the look”. Fauna sits and can spend hours just looking at you. If you watch a movie, Fauna will watch you. She is always waiting for the next thing to happen and she gives you her full attention. For the next hour, I sat on the floor with her and held her Nylabone while she diligently chewed on it. Little did I know that this would become her routine even weeks later after we got home.
After initial introductions and being given some time to get to know each other, we headed out to do some obedience basic training, for me, not Fauna. It was at this point that I realized that this wonderful little girl will be with me everywhere I go keeping me safe. It still makes me smile thinking about how much I missed having a lab in my life. My 17 year old Lab Haylee passed away a year before I put in my application to Guide Dogs for the Blind, and I had forgotten how much noise they make. The occasional groan or passing gas – its all part of the things you get used to when you own a lab.
Learning the route
My instructor Danielle asked if I liked coffee and if I would like to make that a destination for my initial learning route. A local Starbucks fit the bill. This would allow me experience with not only city navigation, but also the nuances of bringing a guide dog into a store. Guide Dogs for the Blind owns a lounge in downtown San Rafael California, this serves as a base of operations and a staging area for morning and afternoon training routes.
Guide Dogs for the Blind employ a massive number of volunteers in the area to add in distractions for the students learning to use their new guides. These intentional distractions combined with the ones offered by the general public offer varying degrees of difficulty and unpredictability during your training routes. This is a fantastic idea since one never can guess what you will experience when out on any given stroll. My first route, a short fifteen block jaunt was accompanied by my instructor, who closely monitored my progress, helping me learn the route and teaching me the basics of navigating the world with a guide dog. I have to say that on reflection my first route was quiet and without major distractions. My guide, Fauna handled the route perfectly and the only errors in traveling were committed by me. There is an overwhelming amount of data to process when traveling via guide dog for the first time. From keeping your follow line next to the dog, to keeping track of corrections that need to be made if the guide stops to sniff a pole or interacts with the public. Coming from only using my cane to solo travel, using a guide dog was nothing short of amazing. I found myself traveling at full walking speed for the first time since my car accident. I am generally very location aware and use time/distance estimation for navigation as well as counting steps. I found this all thrown out the door when traveling the first time with a guide.
Fauna deftly led me through my first routes, with Danielle trailing close behind, and telling me where to turn as we traveled the route. As we walked, Danielle explained the fundamentals of traveling under guide dog, but nothing could prepare me for the feeling of independence, and safety when Fauna is leading the way around the world. She stops at every corner, and checks traffic, halting my progress if she feels it is not safe to leave the corner. Her training has taught her to hold her ground, continue at current pace, slow down or back up all depending on the traffic situation. She loves to go on routes and is happy to walk as far as you want her to. Before I knew it, we were pulling into Starbucks for a coffee break. This marked the three-quarters point of the route and I was overwhelmed, excited and ready for more. We had a coffee and discussed my errors – Fauna was perfect. Danielle taught me how to juggle ordering, paying for and sitting with a guide dog in a coffee shop. I was quite shocked that you have the dog sit in front of you under the table then have them lay down and unceremoniously stuff them under your chair, where they remain while you sit at the table. After coffee, it was a straight shot from the Starbucks back to the downtown lounge where we loaded into the vans and headed back to campus for a yummy dinner and some time to relax and process our first routes. I spent the evening sitting on the floor with Fauna holding her Nylabone while she happily chewed until she fell asleep in my lap.
The first day with this wonderful little girl was exhausting emotionally, and I was ready for a good night’s sleep. Next week, I will talk more about learning the processes of walking with a guide dog, and how the team deals with distractions.
You can catch up with me on social media
Website: http://www.tahquechi.com/
Charity Work: http://www.bodyscapes.photography/
Travel & Review Site: https://www.blindtravels.com/
Instagram and Twitter: @nedskee
Guide Dog Files part 2
Welcome to Guide Dog files part two, a weekly recounting of my experience learning to work with a guide dog for the first time. After weeks of not sleeping well, we pick up the story with me headed to the airport.
The day finally arrives – September 30, 2018
I woke up early to get to the airport on time. My wife Carrie dropped me off and I headed into the check-in line with my suitcase in tow, and white cane clearly visible. This would be my first solo trip anywhere since the accident that stole my sight. I was a bit unnerved to say the least, as I have always traveled with my wife and she always played the part of sighted guide. I was flying United Airlines, and upon entering the airport, I wandered to the largest line I could find. The person directing traveler traffic diligently ignored my requests for help finding the proper check-in location. The first time flying with United Airlines in over ten years was not starting out well, but being ever-optimistic, I trudged onward. Eventually, I found my way to the end of the line and the lady directing traffic (who had ignored me earlier noticed me, and saw I was a cane user, her demeanor changed, and she abruptly grabbed my arm and unceremoniously dragged me toward an open check-in kiosk. This was the limit of my interaction with the “traffic monitor” as I will call her as I do not know her official capacity in the organization. My impression was that she could have used a bit more tact when leading me to the kiosk. I also fully realize and understand that Sunday morning at the airport is a complete madhouse and sometimes people just don’t have time to be super courteous.
Upon reaching the check-in kiosk, a gentleman quickly appeared and asked for my identification, informing me that he would happily check me in for my flight. He then asked me for a credit card for my bag charge. Once the bag charge had completed, he said “I’m not going to make you walk through that line again, I will check your bag right here.” Upon returning, he offered me his arm for guided assistance and took me to the accessibility assistance desk where I was placed in a que for wheelchair assistance to my gate. I found this gentleman who checked me in personable and my short interaction with him was a pleasure. I believe in tipping when people help me, because it may make the next visually impaired customer’s interaction go a bit smoother. Before I head to the airport, I always seperate some five-dollar bills in my pocket so I can easily tip, and know the amount I am tipping.
Even though the airport was extremely crowded this Sunday, the wait time for assistance to my gate was only about fifteen minutes. The line for wheelchair assistance was large, and I was surprised that in what appeared outwardly to be a stressful and chaotic situation, the customer assistance agents were courteous and efficient in their process. I informed the gentleman running the check-in that I was able to walk, and he asked if I would mind walking with the next person needing assistance in a wheelchair. I may have terrible vision, but I am fully able (and love to) to walk. A young middle eastern woman showed up and my new wheelchair-riding friends and I headed out to TSA screening. The woman (I am incredibly remiss in that I did not get her name) took us through security screening, checking on us to ensure we would make it through the screening on the first pass. After everyone in the party made it through security, we gathered our belongings and headed toward the tram that would take us to the gates. Once we reached the concourse, the woman offered to bring me right to my gate which was located twenty feet from where we got off the elevator from the tram. I tipped the attendant and told her I would be fine – thanking her. To my shock, within a moment, another woman approached me, informing me that she was a United Airlines employee and offered any assistance. I confirmed the location of the gate, which was right ahead of me, I asked the location of the restroom and she told me – which was right across the hall – she also offered to take me to the door. I appreciated her assistance and friendly accommodating attitude. Well done United Airlines, you really redeemed yourself in my eyes after a rough start.
Once aboard the plane, the flight crew was distracted and I was never offered nor could I find anyone to help me find my seat. It just so happened that another Guide Dogs for the Blind client was on the same flight as I was, I asked her which number seat she was in and just counted a few rows from there, problem solved, but not good on the part of the flight crew, especially when they know that disabled passengers are loading first. After takeoff, the snack carts came through, and the flight attendant apparently nodded at me rather than asking what I would like to drink. I could not see the nod, and she finally asked me verbally. In her defense, she wasn’t aware that I was visually impaired, but perhaps it would have been a different interaction if anyone had been present when the disabled passengers were loading.
After an uneventful flight, we arrived in San Francisco, I deplaned and found an assistant had already been contacted and was on the way to lead another visually impaired traveler and I to the proper baggage claim carousel. The resulting journey to the baggage claim was generally uneventful, and the Guide Dogs for the Blind employees met us and took over for the attendant from United Airlines. Overall, I would say that United did an above average job dealing with visually impaired customers. The check-in and flight crew interactions were average, but where United’s staff shined were in the in-person interactions, through the accessibility desk. Special shout-out to the United employee who noticed me in the concourse and asked if she could help.
An hour-long trip through San Francisco reinforced the fact that I don’t miss living in the Bay area, or Bay Area traffic. We arrived at the Guide Dogs for the Blind facility and after a short time for settling in, the group of eight clients were given a thorough tour of the building. After an excellent dinner of lemon chicken, rice pilaf and seasonal vegetables, we all sat and discussed generalities for rules of conduct and what to expect the following afternoon when we would meet our guide dogs for the first time.
Thanks for following along with my story! I love to hear from my readers, and feel free to share this with others.
You can catch up with me on social media
Website: http://www.tahquechi.com/
Charity Work: http://www.bodyscapes.photography/
Travel & Review Site: https://www.blindtravels.com/
Instagram and Twitter: @nedskee
Guide Dog Files – getting my first guide dog part 1
I recently got my new guide dog Fauna, and we are learning to be an effective traveling team. It makes sense to have articles and tips for traveling with a guide dog, on this site. Before that however, I thought I would tell you more about myself, and how I got here. This week I begin a new feature here on Bind Travels, called Guide Dog Files, where I will be sharing my guide dog story with you. Each Tuesday I will continue the story, I hope you enjoy.
Getting in line
I lost my sight in a car accident in 1999 after working for years in the videogames industry. I released 35 titles to market for consoles, handhelds and PC platforms during the time I worked for Atari, Accolade and Mattel Toys. The car accident stole not only my career, but my independence. I’m a very stubborn person and don’t accept assistance readily. Shortly after the accident I began orientation and mobility courses which gave me the fundamentals to navigate my world again. I started out as any student does in O&M classes, by using a white cane and learning to read traffic surges at intersections. After completing the classes, I started to notice something different when I was walking around the house and neighborhood with my cane – I was starting to remember locations of everything, and often walked without my cane using what I can only explain as echolocation, carefully listening to the sounds around me and how they were interacting with the environment. After traveling in a location under sighted guide I was able to navigate most areas unassisted (unless the furniture got moved of course) I later found out there is a term for this and it is Proprioception, a heightened awareness of one’s body in space. Here is an interesting article on the topic if you would like further information.
Helix.northwester.edu article
That is how I have rolled through life for almost 20 years. At one point I thought very seriously about applying for a guide dog, but in the end the time required for training (at the time it was one month) and the feeling that others needed the dog more than me kept me from ever pursuing a guide. I stumbled through life (literally) and one day after breaking my little toe for the umpteenth time, I decided to log onto the Guide Dogs for the Blind site and look at the application process. That was almost a year ago…
A few weeks after submitting my initial application to Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) I received an email informing me that I met the initial requirements for a guide dog, and a phone interview would be scheduled to determine further eligibility. Three more weeks passed, and a two-hour phone interview let to the scheduling of an in-home interview to determine if our home was suitable for a guide dog. A few more weeks, a five-hour home interview and another phone interview later, I was in final acceptance mode for the guide dog program. All I needed to do was schedule a physical and a visual field test to finalize the process – then the waiting began. I eventually received an email with a date for my two-week training course, which would be held in the GDB campus in San Rafael California.
I don’t make life-changing decisions in haste. It took me 17 years to start the ball rolling to get my guide dog, and all of that led me to the first day of guide dog training…which I will talk about next week.
You can catch up with me on social media:
Website: http://www.tahquechi.com/
Charity Work: http://www.bodyscapes.photography/
Travel & Review Site: https://www.blindtravels.com/
Instagram and Twitter: @nedskee
Meet Fauna
It is with great pleasure that I introduce you to Fauna my new Guide Dog. Thank you all that have been following the story so far on Twitter. I will be documenting the details of the story here that would never have fit on Twitter. Fauna is my first guide dog, and it feels a bit odd to be writing on a subject I am not well-versed in. The process of traveling and living with a guide dog is a work in progress for me, and I hope that future guide dog owners can benefit from this chronicle. I hope that the mistakes and experiences I will encounter along the way will provide a resource for those who are blind and visually impaired, just like the articles on this site.
As Fauna and I gain experience in traveling as a team, I will write articles and eventually create a new section on this site specifically for guide dog users. Thank you to those who have provided words of wisdom and encouragement along the way thus far, I appreciate you.
I’m always looking for collaboration opportunities, if you are a guide dog user and would like to submit an article for publication here, please contact me. I’m always looking for tips related to traveling with a visual impairment.
You can follow my adventures online at:
Photography Site:
http://www.tahquechi.com/
Blind Travels:
https://www.blindtravels.com/
Twitter ad Instagram:
@nedskee
Time for accommodations
Traveling is an adventure, and if you plan ahead, your stress level can be significantly reduced. When booking a trip, don’t forget to inquire about accessibility accommodations you might need along the way. I find it easy to get wrapped up in the timing of flights, and locations of hotels and other pertinent destinations and sometimes forget that a sighted guide to my hotel room is a huge help. If you like tours, consider asking if the tour company has someone who can provide verbal descriptions of the locations you will be touring. Museums also offer opportunities for blind and low vision guests to touch many of the usually off-limits sculptures. When you book your next museum visit, inquire about accessibility accommodations for those with low or no vision. I find that if you call and the person answering doesn’t know, and later find out, they are more helpful to the next visually impaired guest that calls, kind of like paying it forward low vision style.
You can follow my travels on twitter @nedskee and on Instagram @nedskee I love to hear from my readers, drop me a message and tell me about your latest travel adventure! If you have a travel tip that has made your lie easier let me know and I can share it here.
Amazing announcement coming this Sunday!
This Sunday morning, Mountain time, expect an amazing announcement. I will be detailing the full story for the next two weeks over at my Twitter page. Please follow me for updates! @nedskee
Paying it forward
As a visually impaired traveler, I fully understand that the airline staff is going to be spending more time with me than the average customer. In situations where volume throughput of guests is required, such as the Skycap, consider tipping a bit more than the average guest would, it doesn’t have to be a ton – just a few extra dollars. This will not only make them more enthusiastic about helping you, but will also grease the wheels so to speak for the next disabled passenger that comes along. Consider the extra couple bucks as paying it forward to the next disabled traveler.
Wouldn’t it be great if the visually impaired community started to gain the reputation of being good tippers, and always had a positive outlook when dealing with these service specialists? It would make it better for everyone who comes after us. I have been doing this for a while, and I hope you are willing to pick up the mantle of my example. Speaking of which, book yourself a solo travel adventure to someplace you haven’t been before. If I can do it, so you can you.
You can follow my travel adventures on twitter @nedskee and on Instagram @nedskee I love to hear from my readers, drop me a message and tell me about your latest travel adventure!
The most important thing to bring on your next trip
Getting ready for a trip can be an exhausting process – packing, organizing care for your animals and making sure someone will come over and bring in the mail along with the anxiety of forgetting your medications or swimsuit can put you in a bad mood before you even get to the terminal. Planes run late, bags can get lost and flights can be oversold and cramped. All through this it helps to realize that you aren’t the only one traveling, thousands of others are in the same boat as you are when you walk into the airport. Imagine being the person working at the check-in counter when all day you deal with people who are at their wits end and on their last nerve as they walk up to talk to you. All these points are why the most important thing you can bring with you on your travel adventure is a sense of humor and a smile. Being visually impaired (at least for me) increases the anxiety level of my travel experience ten-fold. Even if the airline has skilled assistants to get you to the right gate, it can still be a nerve-racking time getting to the right gate and even finding restroom accommodations before your flight takes off.
Next time you hit the airport, take a few deep breaths before you walk in the door to center yourself and just let the events unfold in front of you with a good outlook and the knowledge that you will get where you need to be, and things will get sorted out. People are more willing to lend a hand and be courteous about helping you if you have a positive outlook on whatever situation is presenting itself.
Get out there and book yourself a solo travel adventure to someplace you haven’t been before! If I can do it you can too, and above all have a good time and keep a smile on your face.
You can follow my travel adventures on twitter @nedskee and on Instagram @nedskee I love to hear from my readers, drop me a message and tell me about your latest travel adventure!
Home sweet Home
Jamaica was beautiful. The resort we stayed at, Couples Tower Isle has been around since the late 1940’s. So many cool celebrities have stayed there, and there is a ton of interesting history about the property. Temperatures were in the high 80’s most days, and the humidity was around 80%, making it perfect weather for sitting in the pool, or in the water at the beach. Being an all-inclusive resort, there was plenty of food and drink to keep us stuffed from one meal to the next.
You might be wondering how the resort fared in terms of accessibility for visually impaired guests? Well – I’m working on a comprehensive review and will let you all know when it is live.
You can follow my travel adventures on twitter @nedskee and on Instagram @nedskee I love to hear from my readers, drop me a message and tell me about your latest travel adventure!