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Month: April 2023

Day One

On the parking shuttle, an older couple boarded after I was settled in. She sat across from me, while he sat next to me. Both were wearing Hawaiian shirts, and she was badgering him about his shoe choice. He said he changed his mind this morning because he’d be sitting for 36 hours. I couldn’t let this go, so I asked where in the world they were headed that was a 36-hour flight. He laughed and said he was exaggerating, and that Australia/New Zealand was only a 24-hour flight. They’re going for a month. I’m going to Wisconsin for 9 days. On down the road, she got his attention and nodded at the Leader Dog logo on my shirt. He leaned forward, intuited what her nodding meant, and asked me where to find the best companion dog for his PTSD. So, I’ve got some research to do…

Person facing away from camera walking down side of snowy road with white cane. The person is weraing a bright pink/red coat and dark pants.Day Two

Wisconsin is NOT Arizona. There’s more snow in the parking lot of the hotel than I’ve seen collectively in a long time. I’m staying in Menomonee, WI, which is almost halfway between Eau Claire and Roberts, where our two clients on this trip reside. In Eau Claire, snow mounds on both sides of shoveled sidewalks are as tall as I am. Pam has been to Leader Dog for Orientation and Mobility (O&M) before but could really use a refresher at home. We made a plan and headed out. Seven and a half miles later, we came back. I’m so glad I layered up as I needed every layer I had (and wished for a couple more). Pam finished the day by independently crossing a busy, light-controlled intersection that she previously believed she could not cross. The look on her face afterwards was priceless. Kid in a candy store…

Day Three

In Roberts, the sign says “Kinnickinnic,” and we drive to River Falls, WI. I don’t know where I am, but it’s a lovely little town, through which the Kinnickinnic River runs. Busy downtown, good sidewalks, lots of opportunities for good training areas. Abby, my other client, is not as experienced at O&M as Pam, so we started a little slower than yesterday. After she got the basics of cane use down, she really flourished. By the end of the training day, she’d crossed her first street independently. Confidence breeds confidence, so she’s sure to improve even more now.

Day Four

Back in Eau Claire with Pam. Bus travel all day, as she has places to go! Eau Claire has a fairly thorough bus system but needs a few more city employees shoveling snow at some of the bus stops. Really large snow mounds to cross between the stop and the street. We had one regular bus rider promise to shovel around “his” stop before we come back on Friday. (I know the city is working hard, and there’s a TON of snow about. No serious complaints here.) Public transportation is always full of interesting and unique personalities. I like to think Pam and I added to that today 😊

Day 5

Woman with shoulder-length brown hair walking on snowy sidewalk with a white cane. She is wearing a black jacket and gray sweatpants with tennis shoes.Back in River Falls/Roberts/Kinnickinnic. Wherever I was, it was rainy and cold. They’ve predicted more snow starting any time, but I haven’t seen a flake yet. Not falling from the sky, at least. We did a bity of sightseeing first, walking over a suspension bridge over the river that’s been here for a long time. Very groovy.  It swings when you walk across. NOT groovy.

Abby is getting really confident. She crossed several busy, light-controlled intersections independently today. She had a great smile on her face after each one.

Day 6

St. Patrick’s Day. Everyone’s Irish today, right? I actually am, at least a percentage of me is, and I treated myself as such. Corned beef, cabbage, potatoes and Irish soda bread in celebration… maybe a dark, heady lager or two after work.

Oh, I did teach mobility today, and Pam did great. Also, it’s still cold in Wisconsin…

Day 7

Back in River Falls, back to working on purposeful routes for Abby. As a plus today, it’s windy AND numbingly cold. Woo hoo! Introduced stair technique to Abby and she did really well. She sure feels a lot better about the technique than before. We’re working on a route to the grocery store where she does most of her shopping. So far, she’s been able to travel the three block route to the store and back. I’ve been helping her less and less each time. The way I see it, it’s my job to work myself out of a job, so I must be getting good at this 😊 Also, Abby says I’m a good coach. I like the sound of that!

Day 8

Last day in River Falls, working on that route to the grocery store. I didn’t say a word to her the whole time, until she got there. She was so proud of herself, as she should have been. She had a couple of foibles on the way back, but she’s really getting it. The benefit of this program is consistency and the ability to do it over and over again. You really get to see a lot of progress over a short period of time. When I dropped her off at her house at the end of the day, she said, “Thanks, Coach.”

Day 9

Last day in Eau Claire. More bus routes. Having a working knowledge of the bus system is really going to open up Pam’s ability to travel independently within Eau Claire and the surrounding communities. She’s really making an effort to get to know the drivers, which is a really good strategy because the more they know you, the more likely they are to help you out if you need a hand.

I went to dinner with Pam and her husband at the end of the day and had to absolute biggest cheese curds I’ve ever seen! Big, and delicious. They really know how to eat in Wisconsin!

Message from Pam

Woman in black pants and blue hoodie stands at curb with cars driving on street in the background. She is holding a white cane in front of her.After Barry returned home, Pam wrote on Facebook about her experience working with him for in-home Orientation and Mobility.

“I have finished my second series of O&M training. I was very fortunate to have Barry come to my city and help train me in my own surroundings, and how to cross a very busy intersection and also how to use the bus system. For me, this is a huge life changer in and of itself. I live in a perfect location that I can walk to stores and restaurants. However, as my vision continues to get worse, and I have periods of time when I can’t see at all, this added defining skill continues to allow me to be independent. Leader Dog changes our lives in so many ways. Developing this program where an instructor can come to you and train you in your environment is truly life-saving. I feel if this type of opportunity were available for more people, it would keep more of us being able to manage our own lives in our own time frames on our own. I am hoping as I fine-tune the skills and as my vision continues to decline that I will qualify for a Guide Dog. She would truly help me to get out every day, which I usually do anyway. And add a joy to my life that can compare to nothing else. Barry came to northern Wisconsin where I live from Texas where he lives. So snow and cold is not something that he deals with every day. He had the most positive, supportive attitude. He was encouraging. Leader Dog has the most incredible staff I have ever worked with in my life. I am a retired registered nurse and have worked many different jobs in many different settings. And I know how supportive and kind one person is to another can change all life. And Leader Dog does that every day. God bless you for being there.”

About Barry and his work

Barry, a man with buzzed gray hair and a gray beard, smiles. He's wearing a navy polo with the Leader Dog logo in white

The home delivery option for orientation and mobility is a new one at Leader Dog since June 2022. It’s an option we’ve always thought would be a good idea with our clients, either serving directly in their homes at the onset, or following them home to help them establish routes, putting into practice what they’ve learned over the course of their training on campus. It has proven to be very effective. Serving clients who may not be able to travel for myriad reasons such as health issues, single parent responsibilities, or a desire to work on very specific public transportation routes or intersections are some of the main reasons home delivery we offer home delivery. When home delivery occurs, the client receives the same amount of O&M training as  if they were at Leader Dog. Plus, they get the benefit of doing it in their home environment. There are benefits and drawbacks to each method of training, but by adding the home delivery option, we’ve given our clients more flexibility.

My name is Barry Stafford and I work at Leader Dog as a certified orientation and mobility specialist providing both on-campus and home delivery instruction. I’ll be sharing some of my stories with you as I travel the U.S. to work with clients and provide home delivery service of O&M instruction.

I started volunteering with Leader Dogs for the Blind in fall of 2022. As an Oakland County native, I surprisingly didn’t know about Leader Dog growing up. My first exposure was a few years ago when I was living in Chicago and my roommate (also from Oakland County) got a career changed dog from Leader Dogs for the Blind. Her name is Parker—she’s a yellow lab mix and she was (and still is!) one of the sweetest girls ever!

Olivia smiles in a selfie with a yellow lab lying its head on her chest
Parker and me

In the coming years, I learned about other guide dog programs on documentaries like “Pick of the Litter” and “Dogs.” These shows provided a perspective I had never seen before when it comes to the guide dog community. I was so moved by the way that a guide dog could enrich someone’s life and provide them with so much freedom and independence. It was beautiful to hear the perspectives of the clients, and I was really touched by the support that these guide dog programs provided.

Olivia crouching on dirt path with trees in the background. She is kissing an Australian cattle dog sitting next to her.Just before the pandemic, my now husband and I got our first dog, Milo, an Australian cattle dog mix. Milo is a working breed, and he impresses me every day with his energy, his willingness to learn, and his big brain. It wasn’t until we got Milo that I truly realized the profound impact that being a dog owner can have on someone. Our dog’s ability to pick up on our emotions and to bring so much joy into our lives never ceases to amaze me! We adopted another dog, Daisy (beagle mix!), in 2022 and our lives were changed for the better once again.

I moved back to Ferndale from Chicago in the fall of 2021 and was (and still am) working from home full-time. While the flexibility is wonderful, I found that I was looking for some additional fulfillment outside of the workspace. In my search, I came across Leader Dogs for the Blind, and I immediately knew that I wanted to be a part of Leader Dog’s amazing mission.

Olivia's torso and legs are visible, covered in yellow dog hair, and a yellow lab is wagging its tail near her legs. She is seated and the camera is looking down.I now volunteer with the breeding dogs, and I absolutely love it. I feel so honored to play even a small role in the journey to get clients the guide dogs that they need. I love all the dogs—the playful ones, the chill ones, the excited ones, the slobbery ones, and the adorable ones (okay, they’re all adorable). I usually only spend time with the older dogs, but recently got to help feed the Future Leader Dog puppies on my shift—what a highlight!

I may sometimes leave covered head to toe in fur and my dogs may sniff me for 30 minutes every time I come home from a shift, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Overall, I’m very thankful to be a part of Leader Dogs for the Blind and look forward to continuing to support their amazing mission!

Smiling woman in blue t-shirt with Bark & Brew logo and jeans standing next to black lab with blue sky in background

National Volunteer Week was established by Presidential Proclamation in 1974 to bring focus to the millions of individuals who freely give their time and talents to better their community. Later, the week of appreciation was expanded to include the entire month of April. And now, in April each year the whole world recognizes Global Volunteer Month.

Here at Leader Dogs for the Blind, it’s an important time of year for us as we stop to take a moment to formally express our appreciation to all the volunteers who make our organization succeed. Did you know Leader Dog has around 800 volunteers? That’s over five times the number of staff!

Our dedicated volunteers allow us to maximize the impact of our resources and focus on the core parts of the Leader Dog mission. We depend on them for all facets of the work we do. We frequently say, “We couldn’t do it without you” to our volunteers, and we mean that quite literally! The simple acts of kindness and generosity that volunteers give keep us going.

A man in a tan sweatshirt and jeans sits in a yellow plastic chair holding a young yellow lab puppy in his lap. The puppy is licking its nose as the man looks down at it.Leader Dog volunteers actively, joyfully and with purpose participate in every aspect of our operations. At times, some of the work is messy, smelly or repetitive, but volunteers never shy away. They roll up their sleeves and get the job done. When asked to take on a new role or help solve a new challenge, they always step up. Leader Dogs for the Blind volunteers are a special “breed” indeed.

So, during this special month we say a heartfelt THANK YOU to all the Leader Dogs for the Blind volunteers. Thank you for sharing your time and special talents with us. Thank you for supporting our mission. Know that we appreciate everything that you do and are proud to have you on our team.

A woman with short blond hair in a blue shirt and black leggings walks on a sidewalk surrounded by grass with a white cane in her hand. Behind her is a man in a green polo and khaki pants.

My name is Brad Welling, and I am one of the certified orientation and mobility specialists (COMS) here at Leader Dog. I’m originally from the Kalamazoo area in Michigan where I attended Western Michigan University. I graduated from WMU with an undergraduate degree along with a master’s in orientation and mobility. While attending WMU I came to Leader Dog for one week to gain some real-world experience. As I went on to finish my degree, I remembered the great environment here at Leader Dog. After I graduated, when I saw that Leader Dog was hiring, I knew I had to go back. 

Choosing a cane can be a daunting task when you don’t know where to start. I know when I had to get a cane for school, I had a hard time picking one out. I didn’t know who to reach out to, where to buy it, type of shaft, what size to get, and even what cane tip. When I finally did get my cane, I just got what was in stock at the accessibility resource center. I ended up buying a 58” inch rigid cane with a fixed marshmallow tip. So, let’s start there: what does that even mean? Canes come in all shapes and sizes, but do the differences affect my travel?

First, you have the material the cane is made of: some of these materials are graphite, aluminum and fiberglass. These differ with strength, flexibility and weight. When it comes to the cane shaft there are a couple options. The cane I bought is rigid, which means the shaft is one solid piece of material. Folding canes, as the name implies, will fold down to a smaller size for easier carrying and storage. They can have four, five or six segments. Lastly, we have collapsing canes, which are telescopic canes. Folding canes are handy; you can be using it and the moment you do not need it you can fold it up and hold on to it, put it in a bag or set it down somewhere. Rigid canes can be somewhat cumbersome due to their length, but they make up for it with their sensitivity to the environment. Collapsing canes can be portable, but they tend to collapse whenever encountering uneven terrain.

Canes with different types of tips
Different types of cane tips

Canes can differ in their length. Cane length changes for everybody based on a lot of different variables, such as height, walking speed, preference, reaction time and use. With these in consideration, cane length tends to range from the height of a person’s sternum up to the chin. Some people even use canes that are taller than they are! In school we were taught that the cane length should be at the top of the sternum and possibly a little longer if requested. However, I tend to lean more toward the longer cane size with it being two to four inches above the sternum. This depends on the person. If the person doesn’t have the strength or mobility to move a longer/heavier cane, or the pace needed for a longer cane, then a short cane can be best. In my case I have a fast pace and a longer stride, so a longer cane works for me.

Woman in black hoodie and jeans walks with long white cane on a sidewalk in front of a brick buildingThere are numerous cane manufacturers, but I want to focus on two big brands in the cane world: NFB (National Federation of the Blind) and Ambutech. NFB are primarily known for being one type, which are long rigid canes that are extremely light and flexible. They typically come with one tip option, the metal glide tip, which is fixed in place. Ambutech makes and sells many different types of canes. They tend to be a little heavier than NFB canes, but they make up for it with versatility. Many Ambutech canes have a bungee cord that goes through the center of the cane, this lets the cane have interchangeable cane tips. Ambutech canes come in both rigid (one solid piece) or folding.

The National Federation of the Blind has a program that gives out one free cane every six months for people that meet their requirements of being visually impaired. You can view the National Federation of the Blind free cane program here. Ambutech canes can be purchased online through their website with a variety of pricing. Selecting the right cane brand, material, size and type is just half of the battle when finding the perfect match. Selecting the right cane tip is half the battle, and one that will be discussed at great length in an upcoming blog post.

If you’re curious about what orientation and mobility really is and how it works for people who are blind, you can find out more in our post “What is Orientation and Mobility?“

If you’re in need of Orientation and Mobility training, Leader Dog can help! Whether you’re brand new to working with a cane, an experienced cane traveler, or looking to brush up skills in preparation for a guide dog, we can customize our program for you. O&M at Leader Dog is free and you do not need to plan to get a guide dog to qualify. Discover more about our O&M program.

The home delivery option for orientation and mobility is a new one at Leader Dog since June 2022. It’s an option we’ve always thought would be a good idea with our clients, either serving directly in their homes at the onset, or following them home to help them establish routes, putting into practice what they’ve learned over the course of their training on campus. It has proven to be very effective. Serving clients who may not be able to travel for myriad reasons such as health issues, single parent responsibilities, or a desire to work on very specific public transportation routes or intersections are some of the main reasons home delivery we offer home delivery. When home delivery occurs, the client receives the same amount of O&M training as  if they were at Leader Dog. Plus, they get the benefit of doing it in their home environment. There are benefits and drawbacks to each method of training, but by adding the home delivery option, we’ve given our clients more flexibility.

Barry, a man with buzzed gray hair and a gray beard, smiles. He's wearing a navy polo with the Leader Dog logo in white

My name is Barry Stafford and I work at Leader Dog as a certified orientation and mobility specialist providing both on-campus and home delivery instruction. I’ll be sharing some of my stories with you as I travel the U.S. to work with clients and provide home delivery service of O&M instruction.

Day 1

I love my job, but one of my least favorite parts of it is the lines. Lines, lines, everywhere lines. This one at Terminal C in Houston was prodigious. And, honestly, it’s 2023. What’s wrong with our X-ray technology where I can leave my computer in my bag, but STILL must take my shoes off? Are my shoes an issue of national security? Maybe… I have no issues with TSA. They have a tough job and I’m very willing to comply. Maybe I should select better on/off shoes.

Anyway, after I cleared security, I visited yet another airport restroom in which I waved my hand under both water faucet and paper towel dispenser when both were manually activated. Mostly: Ewww. Secondly: why aren’t all restrooms standard? (This brings up all kinds of questions about standards, like “Why aren’t all audible pedestrian signals designed exactly the same and placed at the same place at every intersection?” and “Why aren’t all elevator button patterns designed the same?” There’s a lot more questions here than answers.) I wasn’t the only one doing this, thankfully, as I joined many of my fellow travelers in waving at water fixtures in Terminal C.

Phoenix sign on trees

After all the lines and a long walk (even for a mobility specialist) I got to my gate on onto the plane. I get a lot of freedom in picking my flight and, to some degree, my seat assignment, but this one was row 37 of 39 available rows. No big deal, really. I had a window seat and a good book (Last Stand by Nathaniel Philbrick. Highly recommend). A diesel mechanic from Louisiana was in my seat and I didn’t want to scuffle with a guy who works with his hands every day (his forearms were ginormous), so I’m glad he moved willingly. Love my window seat. I really, really love my window seat. The mechanic and his wife were headed to Phoenix for a diesel mechanic competition during which he would be (among other tasks) assigned a motor with some diagnostic issues and he would be scored on how quickly and accurately he diagnosed the issues. A man with a trade like that will have a job as long as he wants to work. Don’t ignore the trades as a career option, young readers. The mechanic and his wife left a very young family of three with the in-laws for a short getaway to the Valley of the Sun. Nice couple. She was incredibly nervous before, during, and after the flight. She even said it would be ok with her if I held her hand for support during takeoff. I didn’t, but I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t have minded at all.

Landing in Phoenix, I successfully operated all the fixtures in the men’s restroom, checked out a car and headed to the hotel. Thank the Good Lord for GPS because this area is HUGE, and I’ve only been here once, about 20 years ago. Another hotel (they’re starting to all look the same) and another “free, hot breakfast (which are also starting to look the same). Tomorrow, we’ll see if I can find my client’s home and get started. Funny to have a job orienting someone to the environment when I’m not really oriented to the environment, either. Shhh, don’t tell him…

Day 2

Saguaro cactus with mist in the backgroundI woke up reminding myself where I was. Sometimes, the rooms can start to look the same. The free, hot breakfast included bacon. Boom. I also had to remind myself what car I’m driving this week. The “panic” button works great when you don’t know which one is yours, but it tends to make other folks a little nervous. I’m staying in Mesa, and my client is in Scottsdale, so I left a little early to scout out the neighborhood. Google Maps gives me a good idea about each client’s home area, but nothing beats walking the area myself.

The client was ready to get going, but I always find it helpful to have a conversation first, just to make sure we’re both speaking the same language, and to determine personal goals. When getting ready to head out the door, the client told me about a conversation he had with a friend who is blind asked him, “What’s the most difficult road to travel on?” He responded with “A busy intersection?” “No, the most difficult road you travel on is the one in front of your own home.” So true. Yogi Berra once said that baseball is 90% mental, while the other half is physical. That’s true about mobility, too. The choice clients make to affect a change in their life is the hardest one. Allowing your neighbors, friends, and co-workers to see you walking with a cane is a really big deal. The skills I teach to folks are honestly not rocket science. It takes a little motivation and a lot of guts, but if you want to make a change, you almost always can.

These saguaro cacti are everywhere out here. One theory is that they are 40 years old for every arm they have. This one must be about 1000 years old!

Day 3

Downtown Scottsdale. The environment has got a lot more complex today, by design. Downtown Scottsdale is a really happening place. You can’t throw a rock in any direction without hitting a new restaurant, bar or combination thereof. The sidewalks are narrower, are not straight and not in as good repair as yesterday. Lots and lots of tourists. All this combined makes for a complex travel environment for a traveler who is visually impaired. Colin, the client, did well despite all the obstacles in his way. His wife joined us, and she was able to see the progress he’s made in such a short period of time. We had dinner with Colin’s family (what a great group of folks! Great support group for Colin), then did a night lesson. Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) has an effect on vision at night and folks who have RP often avoid traveling at night because of this effect. The night lesson was done mostly to enhance confidence in the cane skills taught earlier that day, so we stayed downtown and traveled a familiar route. The pedestrian traffic was much heavier than before, and the glare from the headlights really gave Colin fits, but he pushed himself to get things done. He did very well, and his wife was impressed. It’s sometimes hard for family members to see their loved one traveling independently. Not because they don’t want them to, but because they’re concerned about safety. It’s hard, but an important step in proving that it can be done.

We’re headed to downtown Phoenix tomorrow to see what kind of trouble we can get in there.

Day 4

Downtown Phoenix. The big city, which, in lay terms, means you must pay to park. Construction everywhere, lots of traffic, but not nearly as much pedestrian traffic as yesterday. We finally got into a bigger crowd on the ASU Downtown campus, and Colin did well in the busier areas. The biggest adjustment he’s made these last three days is that he feels comfortable enough with his skills to hold his head up and predict what’s coming at him. This is a habit that most people who have gradual vision loss find themselves getting into and it makes sense. You stop being curious about what’s coming ahead; you just want to know what the next step or two holds. You use your remaining vision, whatever you have left, to make sure you don’t trip. The use of the cane, or the dog, allows you to hold your head up again. It improves your balance, your straight-line travel, and your posture. Colin holding his head up has made him feel confident again, and those are his words, not mine. Great to watch.

Also, the Valley of the Sun was windy and cold today, plus the wind was really whipping in the wind tunnel that is downtown anywhere. Never got above 50. “Phoenix in February will be great,” they said. “Sunny and 75,” they said. Ha!

We ended the day with a trip to the airport in Phoenix. Colin travels quite a bit for work and he wanted to feel more comfortable with traveling in the hustle and bustle of the crowds. We parked remotely and rode the train into the terminal, so we got to work with trains, escalators, and did a bunch of crowd work. Crowd work is crowd work, so we could have done it in a mall, which we briefly visited in Scottsdale. Crowds in airports are a slightly different animal in that they are all transferring their gaze from their phones to the signage above, making sure they’re headed in the right direction. Holding his head up allowed Colin to maneuver around travelers who were obviously not going to maneuver around him! We took a path from the train to the terminal he uses most frequently, as he has a trip coming up. We spent a lot of time looking at things like where the closest restroom is to his security line, where to go after checking in at the airline counter, and which escalators go to/from baggage claim. If he takes the train in, he’s got a great route because he will get dropped off and picked up at the same spot. If he uses an Uber or gets dropped off by family, it will be a bit trickier because you can’t guarantee where you’ll get to park at the passenger drop-off area. Still very doable, just more work.

Day 5

Man in dark jacket and pants walking with white cane in Arizona desert on sandy pathWe spent today hiking the Sonoran Desert today. Colin is an avid hiker, mountain biker, skier, etc. but hasn’t done much since his latest vision decline. I mentioned going hiking with the client I worked with last month, and he said, “Can we do that?” 100%! I feel like part, or most, of my job is to increase people’s confidence to the point that they can do the things they want to do, when they want to do them. So, he packed his hiking pack, planned a route and we went hiking. Colin used his cane for a while. He’s using a roller ball tip, which works pretty well on harder surfaces, and it really helped him find sharp drop-offs in the path. The ball tip is not great on deep, sandy material, nor is it good for technical hiking where you might need some support in steep climbs. He has a trekking pole that worked really well in those situations, but it didn’t give him a lot of preview. So, we tested out both in as many different situations as we could and decided that we needed to develop our own hiking cane. One that’s strong enough to lean on and use for support, but with a tip that won’t roll out from under you when you do, among other qualities. We’ll let you all know what we come up with.
We met Colin’s family for dinner again, and it was well after dark when we arrived, so Colin got more night work whether he wanted it or not. He is so much more confident than he was when we met! He grabbed his wife’s hand, unfolded his cane and led her out into the dark night. It was really great to watch.

The plan for tomorrow is to use some different mapping apps with a set of bone conduction headphones and do some Juno work.

Day 6

The final day of training was spent using different GPS apps with the Aftershokz headphones. Back in downtown Scottsdale because Colin wanted more crowd work, and boy did we get it. Spring Training for Major League Baseball starts tomorrow, and apparently, bachelorette party season has started. Colin and I saw no fewer than 10 separate bachelorette parties going on in our area. The weather was beautiful today, so if I was a bachelorette, I might celebrate with my friends in Scottsdale today, too. Colin did well using the apps for GPS and really liked the bone conduction headset as he was able to hear everything else going on around him. Using Google and Apple maps, he was able to locate several objectives. GPS is like horseshoes and hand grenades: all you need to do is get close. Once the GPS tells you that you’ve reached your destination, you may be stopped before, right at, or after the door, so there’s a good chance you’ll need to gather more information such as using your remaining vision to locate a store number or sign, or solicit assistance from a passerby. The crowd work Colin did today is just another sign that he has progressed so quickly. His head was up, his shoulders back, walking confidently on narrow sidewalks through dense crowds of bachelorettes. It was great to see.

Heading back to Texas tomorrow. Really enjoyed my time here, but it’s always good to go home.

Black lab in Leader Dog harness facing toward the camera on a sidewalk. A person's leg can be seen in the background next to the dog. The background is blurred and the dog in focus

Today, we’re going to talk about guide dogs—those amazing four-legged companions who help people with visual impairments get around. There are a lot of myths and misconceptions out there about these incredible dogs, so we’re going to sort through the facts and fiction.

Myth #1: All guide dogs are the same breed. Truth: There are a few breeds that are commonly used as guide dogs—like Labrador retrievers, Golden retrievers and German shepherds—but other breeds can be trained as well. In fact, some guide dogs are crosses between multiple breeds. At Leader Dog, we use the three most common guide dog breeds as well as crossbred Labrador retrievers/golden retrievers and German Shepherd/Labrador retrievers.

Black lab/golden retriever cross running on grass with its tongue flopping to one side and its ears waving in the airMyth #2: Guide dogs are always “on duty.” Truth: Guide dogs are definitely trained to work when they’re in harness with their handlers, but they also need time to relax and play. When they’re not working, Leader Dogs are just dogs—running around, playing and snuggling with their people.

Myth #3: You can pet a guide dog whenever you want. Truth: This one is definitely a myth. When a guide dog is working, they’re focused on their job and need to pay attention to their handler and their surroundings. So, it’s important to never distract a guide dog by petting them, talking to them or making eye contact with them. It’s okay to ask their handler if you can say hi to the dog, but always wait for their permission before interacting with the dog.

Myth #4: Guide dogs know where they’re going all the time. Truth: While guide dogs are trained to lead their handlers safely through different environments, they don’t always know exactly where they’re going. Instead, they’re trained to follow specific cues from their handler like “forward,” “left” and “right” and to stop at curbs or obstacles. It’s up to the handler to give the dog directions and let them know where they want to go.

Myth #5: Guide dogs can only help people who are completely blind. Truth: This one is also a myth! Guide dogs can help people with a wide range of visual impairments, from total blindness to partial vision loss. Leader Dog requires our clients to be legally blind, but many of our clients have some remaining vision.

So, there you have it: some common myths and truths about guide dogs. These amazing dogs are trained to help their handlers live more independent lives, and they do an incredible job. And remember, if you see a guide dog out in public, give them plenty of space and respect for their important work!