Before I begin this post I would just like to point out that this isn’t going to be an explanation of the different uses and techniques used in using either of these guiding methods for Blind and Visually Impaired people. It is merely my experience and opinions expressed while using each method and the reasons for switching from a white cane to a guide dog. The techniques and differences (that I found or experienced) will be in another post.

I vaguely remember being told that before you even start thinking about putting yourself on the Guide Dog waiting list and that process you need to be a white cane user, white being long and not just a symbol cane user, which is something entirely different, as I will explain in my later post (part 2).

When I first trained with the long white cane, it struck me at how amazing independence really felt, something so small made such a huge difference to me and my personality and everyone sensed it. My arm ached for the first week, because it wasn’t a natural motion that I had been using, but the practice paid off and I was soon bombing down the street full of confidence, and even when I did come into contact with something I wasn’t phased. I just swept the cane a little further out and got past it. It’s a good first step when transferring trust from yourself, or a family member to something else, and I can understand why you need this training or skill before progressing onto a guide dog. I preferred the sweeping motion to the tapping motion, so I tended to stay on level terrain and not do short cuts across grass which I found to be tricky with the roller ball. The main difference I found between the cane and a dog is that the cane will find obstacles, and the dog will avoid them. I have to be honest and say that I prefer using the cane when going up and down steps, particularly up. But that is just me and my 20 something years of irrational fear of concrete steps, and stairs in general.

The cane like the dog will only protect you from the waist down so you will still find that hanging baskets, branches, plastic offer banners on supermarket shelves wills still attack you and the cane and dog wont avoid them. Also.. well at least in my case, my guide dog avoids drains but the canes are very musical over them. Mind you don’t get your cane stuck in one of those open grate type drains though!! avoid those at all costs.

As I said, guide dogs avoid obstacles instead of crashing into them and negotiating around them. This saves time and even makes me less nervous and stressed when I go outside. I trust Ellie and and I know she will avoid things and it’s really only hedges, cars and bins that I have to remind her off. If she gets me to close and I feel it – I just make her take me back and say WATCH you only have to do it once with her it’s great. Again Ellie, like the cane doesn’t inform you of over hanging branches or baskets so I wear my sunglasses every time I leave the house for eye protection, but I would wear them anyway because I find the outside light to be too bright for my eyes and I am severally susceptible to migraines. I’m thinking of getting the iGlasses from the RNIB which act as a secondary guiding method with use with canes or dogs I’ve also explained more about it here.
Ellie has opened my world up, you get to know locals with guide dogs or pat dogs so it opens the community up which is nice, which the cane didn’t really do. If anything people jump and run out the way instead of greeting you, people always want to talk to your dog and pat them and make conversation with you, they didn’t really do that with the cane. So that social interaction helped with my confidence and got me talking and opening up to people instead of trying to be invisible.
I wouldn’t go back to a cane now, but I’m glad I experienced that and if it comes to a point in my life where caring for a dog is too much for me in my dotage I’m sure I’ll go back to it, but not right now. A companion and best friend beats a metal white stick anyway. The cane doesn’t warm my feet up or wake me up for hugs.

Making the decision to switch from being a white cane user to a guide dog owner was not an easy one. It took several months, a few meetings and a lot of family discussion. It didn’t just effect me, it effected the whole family unit. Being a guide dog owner does mean that you are 100% entirely responsible for your guide dog – they really are working dogs first, pets second. The fact that the Guide Dogs Charity pay for everything vet and food related also helped in the decision making, as we all know how expensive human food and health can be, animals are a higher level altogether. There were other reasons for me focusing on getting a guide dog and moving on from the cane. The main one being, I am young and I could work if heavily supervised and trained up (which is why I’m amongst the many unemployed, regardless of ability or disability). I needed to get out, leave my comfort zone, meet people, build confidence, explore voluntary work before I could even contemplate looking for paid employment. The cane was an easy excuse not to leave the house unless I had too, it wasn’t a big responsibility, it didn’t need walking or feeding, it was just there when I couldn’t stand the house anymore, which isn’t very often. A dog meant having to go out twice if not more a day, it meant having another living thing there with me when I was scared at a road side or waiting for a bus, it gave me confidence to go down to the local shop and get bread or whatever. Having a guide dog made me go out and explore the world around me, people around town got to know us and go out of their way to say Hello or help us across the road if it’s particularly busy and too noisy to tell if it’s safe. Ellie gave me trust and I learnt to trust her much faster than any one else outside of the family, or even myself. Ellie gives me the chance to live some normality, to be as independent as I can at the moment, to have a constant friend, to have a listening ear without a judgmental answer, although sometimes I think her barks are very sarcastic!

If I was asked to give advice for up and coming guide dog owners it would be that you don’t have to be a dog person to begin with. I wasn’t. I was always a cat person and I was terrified of dogs jumping up on me but after the first meeting with Ellie that was it, I was set. The training helped boost my trust and the bond. I can’t imagine life without a guide dog now. I’ve accomplished so much in the last 15 months and no one can take that away from me. I wouldn’t have tried half of the stuff I have or been able to have helped or reached out to others without her. Ellie is a pet, but she’s a working dog first and she knows it. Loves to work and work for me and all guide dogs want to please their owners. The Guide Dogs team are always there just a phone call away, they wont leave you. They are with you every step of the way, vets are great, not means tested and never will be.

If you are new to the white cane, stick with it get yourself out of your comfort zone and you’ll never look back, seriously. It worked for me! don’t focus on it making you stick out from the crowd like I did at first and that held me back but focus on the fact it’s making you like everyone else, independent. People will soon forget that there’s an obvious difference with you but you have to be the first to forget it’s there, it will be second nature in no time.

Part two will include pictures, techniques, experience and reasons for the Symbol cane, White Cane and Guide Dog. Stay tuned..