Guide Dog vs. Cane - Pros & Cons! 

Ok yes but for me no im afraid of animals so personaly idk it would be hard for me

I am as of right now learning how to use my cane so as you can tell I’m on that side of the situation

Name your cane jimmy bob 😂 jk

@@madi..morris Haha I haven’t named it yet.

When you said like a 3D movie with out the glasses fun fact when you take off the 3D glasses the screen is very blurry

That's so genius lol

That's the best name ever hahah

genius

@꧁WolfieAndStitch꧂ voice to text or have someone else type it

That is such an amazing, adorable name, I love it!

😂

Cute

omg you're so cute hahaha

HAHAHAH

Clever! I love that!

Omg my cane is called candy cane because I got her right near to Christmas!

@@emmah9251 it’s definitely a great name for a cane, great minds think alike

@@kelseyshaw6101 definitely!

LOL! I had thought of that name too when they brought it up. Funny story, I went to school with two twins one was Candy Cane and the other was Sugar Cane. Their last name was cane and their parents thought that they would be cute. I can't imagine having to go through life as a human having one of those names.

@@RiverWoods111 at least their last name wasn't Tree. My Mom knew a family whose last name was tree. I think one of the children was called Christmas and I can't remember what the other one was called.

Well, and simply, put!

@@Jelleybean18 Thank you! It means a lot when someone replies to my comment!

Zhara Ireland you are very welcome! I appreciate your input :)

This is a major reason why I'm not getting another dog. I can't go through that level of emotional attachment and pain upon dog retirement a third time. First one was rather traumatizing and unexpected due to very rare illness onset. Plus, my cat is terrified of dogs and I wouldn't know how to help her adjust to a larger four-legged creature in the house so having a dog would be unfair to the cat's emotional wellbeing.

AHAHA love that!

ESATTO per qualche secondo ero confusissima

@@Irisinthegarden ahahah

Yeah, I never thought about that! Haha! (I’m learning Italian)

Molly and her secret Italian skills, lol!

That’s so clever! That the harness is white too

Living cane sounds wrong, but I see what you mean.

Im Polish and even i didn't know this

Mhm yeah I've seen this

Hi, I'm from Czech republic. :) Here in CZ white cane means vision disabilities and red+white means hearing and visual disabilities. But dog harnesses are used in many colours. :)

Oh, yes, so much of this. I have always been a full-time cane user, but I have lots of friends with guide dogs, and every time I go out with them, they get so much attention from the people around them because of the dogs, and personally I just can’t handle that. I’m honestly super introverted and socially anxious and generally prefer to just not interact with people in public as much as possible, so for me the dog just draws unwanted attention and stresses me out when I’m with my guide dog using friends. For some people they really love that, especially extroverts and social butterflies, but for some of us, it’s super uncomfortable and definitely falls into the con side.

Rudolph is such a great name for your cane! I love that!

@@hockeysteph thanks!

Omg that’s such a cute name!! If you don’t mind me asking is your RP slow processing? Like your in university and just starting to learn to use a cane, as where molly was very young. You don’t have answer if you aren’t comfortable!

@@alexjackowski1329 thanks ^^ it's okay to ask me! I actually have a channel to talk about my experiences like Molly, but I am brazillian so unfortunately I dont think you will understand my videos hahaha. Yes, my RP is slowly progressing, it was estable until I was 11, then due to RP I developed a macular edema that affected more my central vision and I started to struggle more with my vision, I have always had a worse vision than others but only now I am actually needing some specialized adaptations, I still can see a little though, more similar to Molly's boyfriend than to her actually, even though he has a different eye problem

@@lendocomlupa-leticiam5071 ahh thank you! And yes I wouldn’t be able to understand your videos but it’s good to know there are more people out there making videos like molly! I wish you luck on your journey

I guess there are people not knowing about canes, but it's definitely well known in Norway too. I've known about canes since I was a kid, but I've never personally known a blind person (and yes, I'm from Norway).

@@torejorgensen5344 jeg har også alltid vært klar over hva en «blindestokk» er. Men ble mildt sakt sjokkert over å lese på NRK om stakkars Mollie på 4 år 🥺 ville bare skrive om det for å si takk enda en gang tip Molly for å lage slike videoer 💙

Why did you change the channel to your language?😉 Hahahha, I was enjoying the conversation 😁

@@farnazgh6839 sorry 😅 because he said he was from norway, and its easier to write in my own language 😅😂 I just said that I felt like sharing this because I was shocked when I read about 4 year old Mollie getting such negative feedback from adults who should know what a cane is, and not think its a kid walking around with a stick for fun. And with that comment that I wanted to thank Molly yet again for the content she makes, that she takes time to educate people, and that there are still people who needs to be educated 😄

@@pepsimax8078 I can think of a couple of reasons for that woman: - Some people do not know some basic facts (maybe she was absent in school when the subject of blind people came up). - Some people have no regard for disabled people. - Some people believe that only adults (or old adults) can be disabled.

Let's hope they share pictures of him frequently.

Why won’t he be?

@@katierachel3305 she made a video about it, but he’s retiring because quarantine has caused him to “untrain” and he’s close to retiring age anyway.

@@katierachel3305 i’m so sad to not seeing gallop especially eating cheese I thought that was very cute

I know right. People don't get out of the way for my service dog explicitly because she only wears the harness and no metal bars because she doesn't have to help with navigating like a blind dog. I can't imagine anyone who sees a blind dog with the bars to not realise and help by making space!

It’s because people see dog and go blank🤦🏻‍♀️ I have had people corner me and my service dog just to talk to her and pet her which in turn is a huge trigger for my ptsd... people just don’t have any basic common respect and decency anymore

@@bcpointer987gsp9 it does get pretty bad... Even if the dog wasn't a service dog people should be respectful to the dog like they also should a human. Just because it looks cute doesn't mean everyone should touch it! /rant xD

Same, I don’t care what kind of service dog it is, my presence is a distraction and could put the dog’s human or others at risk. I’m not about to be responsible for someone getting injured or dying because I saw a cute dog and decided to get close.

@@MiepGirl Yes definitely don't touch if it's a service dog but even if the animal is just a pet you should still ask before petting. There might still be reasons the owner might not want you to like if they're busy or their dog gets anxious with strangers etc.

Aw, you're so sweet!!! Thank you :)

@@MollyBurkeOfficial I'm so happy that you saw my comment!!!! I hope that made you smile :) Much love❤️

@@__Teresa__ OMG your so lucky. Your comment is so true

Yes!

Yeah you’re right

Reading this makes me so thankful for living where I do. I couldn't even imagine living in an area where I would be scared to leave my home. We live in a little town just outside of Copenhagen. The most exciting thing that happens here is the small group of teenagers that meet in the town square to drink on weekends (it's legal to drink stuff like beer and wine when you turn 16) 😂

I'm in a wheelchair I feel safest when I'm with my gentle giant of a dog. I suppose it feels more like it did when I was able bodied. I just know no one is going to mess with my 100 pound boofhead.

That's completely understandable

As someone whose visually impaired I can't explain how terrifying and isolating it feels to be assaulted walking home at night by someone you can't see. Walking with a big dog can literally save your life just by being there!

@@ciennadeitz462 Wow. I was assaulted few months ago by a guy with a big big knife. I could see him (I am a sighted person), and I'm trained in martial arts, so thank God, I was able to defend myself when he repeatedly tried to stab me (I got superficial cuts in my left arm). Even though I came out victorious (unharmed) from that situation, it still is an awful experience being the target of such violence and bad intentions from another human being. I can't imagine what it would feel in the situation you described (been attacked by someone you can't even see).

The name Michael Cane is great! I'd just introduce the cane as "Michael" and if people questioned it, I'd say "yes, Michael Cane" I love a good play on words.

Or you could call it pinky as light pinky promise because your cane will promise to deliver to make you feel safe

@Caramel Cupcake it made me so very mad that others would act this way.....it was so rude after helping them find a seat further away from them I did go back and let them know they where disgusting excuses of human beings. They had stopped laughing at this time and just looked at me.....that is what I call RUDE uncaring humans. It is so sad you have to worry about this and never thought I would see others be so unkind.

@Caramel Cupcake awe for me it is natural I do not understand how or why others can be so mean and cruel at all, guess it is my nature or I have really good parents. And I too wish more people out there were more kind to everyone ❤🤗

I had that happen at college was sitting an looking close to my laptop cuz I cant see well an this couple sitting next to me goes do u need glasses an I ignore them which is rude but I was doing stuff an trying to focus an didnt feel like explaining an they kept asking an giggling I just look over at them like are you serious an still try an ignore them an they keep going so I get up an leave

@@shays9595 I am sorry others think it is funny and feel the need to bother you while you where trying to study....like I said other humans can be jerks.

I used to have that happen to me. It only stopped after I started using my cane to smack the seat itself. It stopped pretty quickly after I smacked a guy in the privates.

I'll miss gallop too but I'm also excited to see this journey. It's something I've never experienced myself, so not only will it be educational but also interesting. I love to learn about life through many different views and perspectives. I'm also excited to meet mollys next guide dog.

Hmm... Mr. Stick, might have to steal that one! Good luck with the guide dog!

@@MollyBurkeOfficial Thank you! Have you heard of the Ambutech Jumbo Roller eyelet tip from the CNIB? I find it doesn’t get stuck as much. It’s flatter and a bit larger than a regular rolling tip.

I wish you luck in your guide dog journey! I love your canes name, lol.

Me Just kidding I love itttttt ❤️😻

Gotta have the Lavender show, that girl is gorgeous!

Right? Lavy girl is so pretty

ye

Thank you so much for sharing your experience!

I'm an ASL interpreter and I've always wondered how technology is made accessible for Deaf-Blind people. Didn't know they had tactile displays! Thanks for sharing!

Thats epic.

Do they apologize to you? I can report that about 90% of the time you run over someone with a wheelchair, they will apologize. It’s kind of evil, but I can’t say we haven’t done it on purpose once or twice.

@@juniper617 I assume that the only times you’ve deliberately run into or over anyone with your wheelchair is when they just wouldn’t get out of your way, and that it probably was a repeat offender, in which case they _should_ be the one to apologise.

Hello fellow federationist! I haven’t fealt one yet since I joined the federation about 7 years ago. My chapter is part of the Ohio affiliate.

The NFB canes are great, but they aren’t going to be appropriate for everyone. Speaking only for me-and not for anyone else-I have tried several of the NFB canes; I like the telescoping one for indoor use or if I’m needing to teach my dog to locate a counter/light pole etc. But the NFB canes don’t work for me when I’m out and using it extensively. I like the Revolution canes better because they feel more secure and I get better feedback. I’m glad that the NFB canes work for you. They’re super light and very good quality.

Love seeing other NFB folks out here! Definitely second in this. Honestly, the biggest selling point of the NFB cane to me is that it was designed and tested by blind people, for blind people, which is super unique and I think really speaks volumes about the level of attention to actual practicality, science, and real life usability.

@@bratprivilege Hi: I completely agree, and it’s the ideal that other product designers should follow. Even if the fiber hollow cane doesn’t work as well for me, I still really love the NFB canes for this reason.

Correction about the height. It should measure at the very least from the floor up to your nose, not sternum or armpit level. I find there canes lighter to use and easier on the wrist. I have a folding ambutek cane as a backup as I don't like the telescoping or folding canes the NFB has available. They've broken across time for me, unfortunately. Being able to find things much sooner is one of the benefits of using a longer cane.

I knew a lady whose service dog had a very similar harness to ones that guide dogs use, but it was to help her with her mobility. It helped her get up from chairs and assist while walking. So, it looked very similar, but my guess just more solid due to how sturdy it needed to be to support weight. So at a glance, could definitely be mistaken for a guide harness.

@@mila3483 interesting. Well, either way, a harness like that is clearly a service dog of some sort, not a pet! Its sad that hers gets mkstaken for a pet :/

We were certainly taught this in school as children.

but........ that's still a dog dsfjhgksadgfja

@@drimachuck they didn’t care about him being a dog. They cared that she was a female and he was a male. They keep men and women separated or something like that and apparently that applies to gallop as well

@@hazelfilene964 but..... it's not a male human, which makes it ridiculous lol

@@drimachuck that’s why it was funny

I thought of that story too hahahaha. "But.....*he's a boy*" lmao

A purple cane sounds so cool!!

Just so you know, my niece spent a bit of time on crutches do to multitude of surgeries and she would go buy fancy duct tape and wrap her crutches in it. She was also then able to change as she wanted. It is a very affordable way to change the color of crutches or a cane and not have to be stuck with one color.

Where I am only white is recognised as visual disability. No other colours. If you plan on travelling at some point make sure you have the option to change the colour to be recognised.

Iconic. ;) LOL

It’s a skill. It’s actually takes quite a bit of practice to use a cane in a way that keeps you safe.

It makes sense when one stops to think about it. With a cane, especially if you are newly blind as an adult or you’re a child, you do not have to think about another living being. As a guide dog handler, you have a multitude of jobs in addition to knowing where you are in space and being able to properly direct the dog: You must be able to: Redirect the dog’s attention if he/she gets distracted by sniffing, a person, another dog, etc; Rework the dog if he/she fails to indicate an elevation change or runs you into an obstacle; Make sure the dog is in position and under control when at the grocery store, in a restaurant, on a bus, etc; Be able to take appropriate actions if the dog has accidents or becomes stressed; Be able to problem solve when the team gets lost or if the team has miscommunications. These are just a few of the things that are involved in having a guide dog, which is why the percentage of handlers is very small. Having a guide dog is a lifestyle; having a cane is not.

I love how lightweight and sleek these canes are, but I wish you could change the tip. I'm not a fan of the metal glide tip.

Agreed- I like it for indoors, but outside not so much.

This cane discussion is interesting. Me personally, I tried several of the NFB canes including the free one and while I really liked the quality and weight, none of them worked for me for extensive use; the telescoping one is great for indoor or very limited use, but when navigating outdoors, I like the heavier Revolution cane with a marshmallow or tear drop tip. One of these days, I’d love to get a Wewok Smart cane and see how well that works, especially paired with the app.

Love this. Hard agree on the NFB cane. I grew up using a folding graphite cane with a marshmallow tip, so when I first started using the hollow fiberglass rigid kind, it was kind of a culture shock and I definitely had to acclimate and mostly learn to not be so heavy-handed, because the cane is so light that you don’t need to put so much force behind it, which I think is where a lot of people go wrong when they first pick one up because they are so used to a much heavier cane, and end up breaking the NFB cane sometimes by being a little too rough on it. But now I’ve been using them for like seven years and honestly haven’t switched back. I keep a telescoping NFB style cane in my bag for emergencies and for situations where having a collapsible one would be nice.

I'm glad you love them too!! I love how it barely needs a flick of the wrist; as a piano player I can just use my hand muscles instead of my wrist really easily. The only downside is that I would love to have the option to use a roller marshmallow with mine or something that can do constant contact, but maybe one day I'll try to get creative and rig something up. Thanks for the tip about a telescoping NFB, that's something I haven't tried. :)

I would definitely agree that guide dogs are better suited to those with significantly less vision, and canes are generally better for those with more remaining vision! Good point. :)

@kayla’s Life thank you for your opinion.

Great comment. I’m completely blind and have been a guide dog handler for two decades, but I am also equally comfortable with using a cane. I do like the increased speed that I can have with a guide dog, and as someone who is more trainer-oriented, I love training and watching my dog learn. Having said that, I’m at a point in my life where I find dealing with things like public access issues and interference due to my guide dog draining. That plus all the work that goes into keeping a top-notch guide working... it’s exhausting and I have serious reservations about getting a successor once my Shepherd retires. I’m glad the guide dog lifestyle works for you, and I hope you’ll have many wonderful partnerships for as long as a guide can meet your needs.

This one is from the brand Wilfred and Aritzia! :) I got it in all 5 colors because it's so soft and comfortable and fits so well!!

@@MollyBurkeOfficial I have a pink and blue cane so I Collett sky.

So glad you asked this question because I was wondering the same thing 😃

Hi: I’m not Molly, but I’m a guide dog handler and have been for 22 years now. Congratulations on pursuing your dream job as a GDMI. I don’t give advice, but here are some things that I have observed over the years and wish trainers would take to heart: 1: Keep an open mind and don’t stop learning, even after you’ve been training for two, three decades. You’re learning from your supervisors and master instructors on aspects of training a guide dog, but your best teachers for training teams and really learning about blindness are your students. 2: Have conversations with each and every one of your students. Really listen to what they tell you, ask questions, and encourage an open dialogue. If a student says: “I’m not comfortable with this match.”, that’s not to be ignored. (I tried to tell my first instructor during class that the dog I was matched with pulled too hard and it hurt to work her. He brushed me off, and since I didn’t know any better, I took her home; we only had a two-year partnership. I made the difficult decision to return her because I was in constant pain even after working her for six plus miles every day.) 3: Embrace that each student you work with will be different and unique and adjust your teaching style accordingly. One of the things that I found hard to deal with in my last class was my instructor taught in a cookie cutter manner. If you have a retrain who for example demonstrates that she already understands the principles of clicker training, don’t spend ten minutes explaining the basics to her. Work on refining those skills to suit the team. 4: You don’t know everything, and you will never know everything. And you don’t know what it’s like living as a blind person with a guide dog. When a student expresses her grief at losing or retiring her dog, you don’t understand what that’s like, and it’s okay to say that rather than: “I completely understand.” It can be more powerful to just sit in silence and be present with your student’s pain, or just to acknowledge her loss. 5: You’re going to work with students who don’t click with their dogs right away or vice versa. Handlers coming for a successor dog may still be mourning their previous guide and may compare this new dog to the more experienced one. Don’t dismiss the person’s grief; remind him/her that this is a young dog but also encourage him/her to talk about the previous dog. You cannot take someone’s pain away, but you can help him/her through it by encouraging sharing and by being fully present and empathetic. I could write a lot more, but this is probably long enough. If you have not already, you may wish to consider looking up Christie Bane’s guide Dog blog and reading her book titled Forward Together: An Inside Look At Guide Dog Training. Good luck.

What was the process like getting into an apprenticeship?? Super curious!!

@@khanhhm5762 Thank you so much for taking the time to respond! I truly appreciate the advice, and will definitely keep it in mind!

@@user-fj9fo9uv2m I have a few years prior experience working as a dog groomer, and then I moved states to pursue this opportunity. After moving I started at the guide dog school as a kennel tech, which at least at this school is where most trainers start in the hopes of eventually getting an apprenticeship. After going through a preliminary process where I attended various lectures covering things like orientation and mobility, the structure of the eye and eye diseases etc, and shadowed the certified trainers several times, I was able to apply for an apprenticeship when a previous trainer retired. It is quite competitive, as there are not many guide dog schools and I am very fortunate to have been able to get an apprenticeship without a college degree, as the school accepted my previous experience instead. A lot goes into it, but it's so worth it and honestly I think I have the best job in the world

It’s really good to be able to gain a knowledge about Keynes and other skills that you are likely to need when you do go blind I release my own podcast if you want it’s an extra tip school Fishel affairs and I’m also pretty impaired so I can totally relate

I can say I am not a big fan of them. When I was at college some engineering students came up with a cane that vibrates when you get close to steps or objects. The guy asked me why wouldn’t you buy one? I told him because I feel that pretty much makes it so you don’t even have to use your cane techniques, and people should know how to use cane techniques properly to find those objects.

@@ryanm7249 Interesting thought. I’m not agreeing or disagreeing, and I haven’t played with a Smart cane extensively. But from my limited experience, I personally would love one if I could affordit because I see the vibrations and sounds as extra feedback. When I played with the Wewok Smart cane for example, I still had to use good cane techniques. Having said that, I wouldn’t completely rely on a Smart cane at this point, especially in extreme weather conditions.

That’s been in the works for years. They’ll probably be more available in the future, but right now, there are too many flaws for robot guide dogs to be marketable. The closest thing is a Smart cane, but even those have their flaws. Also, there’s the cost. (The Wewok smart Cane for example is six hundred dollars.) Any time you create niche technology like this, it costs; and with 70% of blind people being unemployed, affording such products is currently not possible.

It’s a nice video to watch after an hour and M lesson I also had mine yesterday to so it was a nice choice of video to watch

The smartass in me would probably reply to that lady with “well I would never want to leave the house if I was ignorant like you

I've met many of that woman's kind. G-d forbid you hit their shoe because they're walking too close to you. Everyone today has a big mouth on them.