You need to be responsible for knowing where you are, where you are going, and how to get there, so you can instruct the dog by using various commands and hand signals that the dog has already learned. It is a partnership in which you give the dog what he needs so he can then help you get to your destination. Good orientation and mobility skills are an important foundation to successfully working with a dog guide. They are also taught to determine if a vehicle is approaching dangerously close and will refuse a direct instruction from their handler in this situation. A dog guide can help a person travel faster, but does not offer the same tactile information that a cane would.
Dogs require a good amount of care and attention.
Examples of methods previously used include message cards, taped message device, assistance from the public, and relying on remaining vision to assist with some rural crossings. It is also the person that should determine their destination. This is not the dog's responsibility. After a dog has walked the same route a number of times it is very possible for that dog to become familiar with the person's home or work place. In this situation the dog could guide them to that place with very few instructions.