Long cane or guide Dog?

If you are finding it consistently hard to see the path in front of you, especially objects and drop-offs, it’s time to consider using a long cane or guide dog.

Long canes are designed to reach past the next footstep and typically have a rubber grip and red section at the bottom. White “identification” canes with or without a red section identify the user as vision impaired, but their short length provides only limited information about the environment. Compared to the long cane, they are less effective for safe travelling. BALANCE for Blind Adults offers Orientation and Mobility instruction on using long canes safely and efficiently.

Guide dogs are professionally trained. Instruction in using a guide dog is given at a training centre, usually over a four-week period. After this initial instruction, you continue training with your dog in the community. On your return home, BALANCE Orientation and Mobility instructors can help you with route training. For information on training centres, see our list of Guide Dog Schools. For information on using a guide dog, see the pages About Guide Dogs, Tips for Guide Dog Users, and Preparing for Guide Dog Training.

Both methods—long cane and guide dog—make for safe and efficient travel. But which method is best for you? Here are some points to consider in terms of navigation, care and responsibility, and travelling in the community.

Navigation

• The long cane is designed to be an “obstacle detector.” It helps you detect objects and drop-offs in your path and negotiate your way around them. It can also be used to find and count landmarks—a bus stop pole, for example, or the number of driveways from a street corner to your home. It's important for sighted people to realize that a person using a white cane might be walking toward a particular object on purpose. The object could be a landmark that tells the person, for example, when to turn left to find the bank or grocery store.
• A guide dog, on the other hand, is an “obstacle avoider.” By holding the specially designed harness, you are led around obstacles and prompted to stop at curbs and stairs. Travelling with a guide dog tends to be quicker than with a cane. Avoiding obstacles allows for a “smoother” walk, especially if the dog is familiar with the route. It’s up to you, however, to maintain control by giving your dog directions on when and where to turn. This includes, for example, when to leave the curb if you’re waiting for the traffic to clear at an intersection. It also includes changes in routine. If, for example, your bank is on the way to the grocery store, your dog may mistakenly think it’s your banking day and lead you to the bank instead of the store. In this case, you’ll need to tell the dog to continue forward. It also means being a good judge of distances. A cane user, on the other hand, can “shoreline” or trail storefronts to locate the correct door.
• Travel using a guide dog provides minimal tactile contact with the environment. This can deprive you of information that helps with orientation. Because movement is initiated by the dog according to your signal, you have to be ready to follow and respond to information transmitted through the harness. You’ll need to notice and act on all directional changes, small or large, in the dog’s movement.
• Using a guide dog facilitates travel in open areas, off-road conditions, snow and parks.
• A guide dog can lead you safely along a crosswalk to the curb on the other side. If you’re using a cane, you need to work harder to maintain your line of direction to get across.
• Many guide dog users have functional vision. They must learn to trust their dog, let the dog take the lead, and avoid pulling the dog around a perceived obstacle. The “obstacle” might only be a shadow. If you take over your dog’s role, the dog will be confused.

Care and responsibility

• On cold winter mornings or when it’s pouring rain or if you’re sick, the cane stays in the corner. A guide dog, however, must be taken out regardless. On the other hand, dogs, unlike canes, are very affectionate and loyal companions.
• A cane doesn’t need to be fed, groomed or taken to the vet.
• Guide dogs want to work and need to work in order to maintain their skills. If you don’t travel much, a cane might be a better option.
• As a guide dog user you are responsible for another living being.
• If you use a cane, you need to know when you’re having a bad day. If you’re a guide dog user, you need to be aware of the dog’s bad days too.
• Although both methods require considerable training, learning to use a cane doesn’t usually involve a stay away from home.
• Your guide dog will eventually need to be retired and you’ll have to train with a new dog. Because the emotional bond with your dog is strong, it can be very difficult to make this decision or deal with the death of a companion. Some cane users say this is something they’d rather not go through.
• If you live with others, you’ll need their cooperation in respecting the work involved in training and caring for a dog.
• If you or those you live with are allergic to dogs, you might find it restricts the breed of dog you can use or prevent you from having one.
• You have to adapt your lifestyle and routine to the needs of your dog.
• You have to clean up after a dog, both hair and excrement.

In the community

• Canes aren’t distracted by pigeons, squirrels and dogs en route.
• People tend to want to pet your dog. This can be dangerous because it distracts the dog from doing the work you need. It also means you have to constantly educate people about not feeding or petting your dog.
• Some people find that travelling in public with a guide dog makes them feel more secure than travelling with a cane.
• Travelling with a guide dog can facilitate social contacts because it’s a topic of conversation, people are curious, and they tend to approach you to talk.

Unless you are already an experienced cane user, it’s important to take Orientation and Mobility instruction on how to use a cane before applying for a guide dog. It’s also important to prepare for guide dog training. For more information, see Preparing for Guide Dog Training on our site.