[nagdu] thank you

[Julie J.]

Bill,

Those are all good questions, unfortunately there aren't any easy answers. 
*smile*

Both of the dogs I have right now I got as older puppies, 9 to 10 months 
old.  Belle had absolutely no training, but did have very nice manners. 
Monty had a very minimal amount of obedience training, but needed some 
refinement on his manners!   When I'm looking for a dog to train I 
concentrate on the personality of the dog and not so much what training 
they've had.  I look for a dog who is very comfortable in their own skin.  I 
want a dog who is easy going, confident, adaptable and recovers quickly and 
easily from new or startling situations.

How long it takes to complete the guide training depends on how old the dog 
is when you start, what previous training they've had, how much you work on 
the training, how quickly the dog learns and how quickly the dog matures. 
Belle was 9 months old when I got her.  She knew absolutely nothing, not 
even her name.  It took me one year to complete her training.   Monty was 
approximately 10 months old when I got him.  He is now 18 months old.  He is 
an extremely high energy dog, who is taking a bit longer to mature than 
other dogs I've had.  I have no idea when he'll be finished with his guide 
training.  I'm hoping for this late summer/fall.   So about 1 year for him 
too.  He learns faster than Belle, but is not nearly so focused as she was. 
Every dog is different and every owner trainer is different.

If you start with a dog who has a lot of the basic skills already mastered 
and is a bit older, I think you could complete the guide training in 4 
months or so.

HTH
Julie



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bill Deatherage" <deatheragew at bellsouth.net>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, April 25, 2009 12:37 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] thank you


> Hi Julie,
> Thanks for the welcome.  When you are finding a dog for training how do 
> you get started.  Did you start with your dog as a pup?  and do you start 
> with simple obedience?  all so how long does it take to get a dog fully 
> trained?
> Bill Deatherage
>
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