Guide Dog Class Lecture: Working without Sidewalks
Working your guide dog in the street is advisable only when there are no other options, and there is no sidewalk or path alongside the road. To work your guide dog safely in the street, you’ll need to ensure that the street is wide enough and road conditions are favorable before heading out to the shoulder of the road.
Common Characteristics of Sidewalkless Areas:
- No sidewalk
- Curbs and gutters may be absent
- The edge of the road can be defined by dirt, gravel, grass or hedge instead
- Roadway may or may not be paved
What’s Involved When Working without Sidewalks?
- Staying close to the side of the road
- Moving around obstacles parked alongside the road
- Negotiating intersections
Staying Close to the Side of the Road
You and your guide will be walking facing oncoming traffic, close to the left or right edge. Walking on the left side of the road is generally safer because your dog can “hug” the edge. From here, your dog can see the near-traffic approaching, which is preferable over having cars come up from behind.
Check the edge at regular intervals to stay close to the side of the road. Halt your dog and do a formal left or right turn to the side of the road. When you and your dog have found the edge, offer genuine praise and food reward. In new areas, you may want to stop every 10 to 15 paces to check your edge and reward your dog. This early investment will develop the good habit in your dog of staying close to the edge without drifting into the street. To resume, make a formal "right" or “left” turn depending on the side of the street you are traveling on. During the turn, making your turns “shallow’ can help keep your dog close to edge of the road.
Working on the Right Side
You may have a route in your home area that requires you to work on only one side of a sidewalkless road. This means that one direction of the route will require working the dog on the right side. While working your dog on the right side is not as safe as working on the left, sometimes it is the only option available.
Obstacles
As you walk along the residential roadside, you will often encounter obstacles such as parked vehicles, dumpsters, motor homes, or piles of yard debris. Because the dog views the roadway as a large sidewalk, your guide may be inclined to take the initiative to guide you around them. However, for your safety, we encourage your dog to show you the obstacle first.
How to Move Around an Obstacle:
1) Cue your dog to take you up to the obstacle
2) Probe with your left foot and an arm sweep to locate the obstacle
3) Lightly touch the obstacle while you praise and reward your dog
4) Listen for approaching vehicles
5) Direct your dog toward the street with a formal turn (this will be a right or left turn).
6) Immediately slow your pace and perform a moving turn (“left”, “left” or “right” “right”…)
7) Your dog will return to the curb when an adequate opening presents itself. Praise and reward lavishly!
If your dog continues forward without regard to your moving turn cue, stop and do a formal turn with your dog. If your dog does not respond to this, feel to the side; perhaps there are many cars parked bumper to bumper that your dog needs to pass before getting you back to the curb edge.
Intersections
You know you are at an intersection when your dog follows the curb edge around a corner and travels in a new direction. Unlike guidework on sidewalks, we actually want your dog to round the corner. Continue walking around the corner until you feel yourself straighten out. Go a few more steps then halt your dog and make a formal turn (just as you would when normally checking your edge). At this point, if your destination is down this intersecting street, continue along the roadside in the new direction.
If, however, you intend to continue your original travel line, you will need to cross this intersecting street. How do you line up for this crossing? There are two ways depending on your orientation preferences – one way is to do two formal turns, the other is to do a heel about-turn.
Two Formal Turns:
From your position facing the curb after checking your edge, make two formal turns, right or left depending on the side of the road you are on. After the first turn, take 1 or 2 steps and then halt your dog. After the second formal turn to face the street, immediately halt, this gives the handler a moment to assess any traffic conditions prior to crossing. Essentially, you have pivoted in place on this second turn. You are now ready to cross.
A Heel About-Turn:
From your original position facing the curb after having rounded the corner and checked your edge, set your harness handle down and heel your dog, so that your heels are at or near the curb edge. Now the edge is at your back, facing the roadway, you are now ready to cross. Assess the intersection for traffic and cross as normal. Once you’ve completed your crossing, locate the edge on the other side of the street and reward your dog. Make a formal turn allowing your guide to follow the corner around, back to your original travel line.
Country Roads
Country roads often do not have curbs. If they are paved, your edge is usually the dirt or gravel on the side of the road. If the road is not paved, your edge may be indicated by weeds, grass or an uneven surface. Either way, the edge will not be as easy to detect as in a residential area with curbs. While you may not have to contend with parked cars and as many intersections as in a suburban area, you do need to consider cars traveling on roads with little or no shoulder, even more reason to check your edge when you hear an oncoming car! Many country roads have paths on the shoulder, which may be a safer option.
Multi use paths
Since multi use paths tend to be wide open, they are easy for your dog to walk along. On these paths, some guides may default to a sidewalkless technique and walk along the left edge. If you are sharing the path with pedestrians, joggers and bicyclists, walking along the left side means you will be walking toward others coming from the opposite direction. Depending on the circumstances, this may or may not be an issue.
For information about hiking on trails, refer to the Special Travel Conditions lecture.
When the Sidewalkless technique is not an option.
As mentioned earlier, working in the street may not be an option. For example, narrow roadways with fast moving or heavy traffic may simply be too unsafe to use at any time. Aside from the physical safety of the team, the psychological effects of working close to steady heavy traffic for long periods of time need to be considered: a guide dog can become either overly sensitive or sub-sensitive to traffic. Use common sense in working sidewalkless roads. If a road is dangerous for you to walk on with a cane, it can be even more so when walking with your dog because of the extra space needed for both of you. A different route or alternative transportation may be necessary in these cases.
Audio Streaming
You can stream the audio of the class lecture here, via a Soundcloud widget. If using a screen reader, please select the "Play" option below.
Downloads
Text File
Working without Sidewalks.rtfAudio File
Working without Sidewalks.mp3