[nagdu] To Marion

Tamara Smith-Kinney tamara.8024 at comcast.net
Wed Aug 12 21:26:10 UTC 2009


Gary, are you a writer by any chance? /grin/  Unlike publishers, guide dog
schools don't get all bent out of shape if you apply to more than one at a
time!  I think it's a very good idea to do so when you need a specialized
breed, and poodles or lab/poodles are still a pretty scarce commodity these
days.

This is secondhand info, but I've been told by other poodle guide users
that, in addition to requiring a poodle for allergy reasons, you need to
demonstrate the ability to handle one.  Even those who make it through
training are, ah, um, well...  Poodly.  There is no other way to describe
it, even if one were to write an opus.  /smile/  Some taxonomist somewhere
at some time classified the silly creatures as canines, but I am not always
certain that wasn't a screw up.  /grin/  The lab/poodles and labradoodles
I've met show very strong poodle behaviors and temperaments, so the same may
apply to them.

I may be wrong, but what I'm sort of getting at is that it might help you
get to the top of the list if you can arrange to get to know some individual
poodles and their strange and mysterious ways.  I've heard Jenine explain
some of the differences in working with one fairly well, since her school
has a working poodle program that takes into account their general, you
know, weirdness.  For instance, to take an example I know well, my Mitzi
poodle is both a strong and a soft dog, both at the same time.  She can be
very willful, but handling her as one would a strong dog causes a meltdown.
We will not discuss the sulking, although her coonhound stepsister has a
master's in sulking!  /grin/  So I have to be firm but take time and
attention out for all sorts of finesse when Mitzi is in a mood.  Also,
poodles have lots and lots and lots of energy.  If you're reading up on
them, you've probably noticed that they are proclaimed to be "great
apartment dogs, so long as one is willing to give them some exercise."  Ha!
Unless you have a ten-acre apartment or just plan to never be in the
apartment, they're leading you on! /grin/

Sorry, now I'm just poking fun at me and my poodle.  We now have a house
with a backyard, but we still spend a fair amount of time at the dog park
where she can do some socializing and also really get out and run and get
her sniff on and all that so she doesn't feel the need to do all that when
she's supposed to be working.  She's a fantastic guide these days and can be
civilized and have etiquette in public, but her sense of mischief is ever
lurking and could get us into trouble if I hadn't just gotten into the habit
of watching out for it and working around it. /smile/  So if we're on a
boring shopping trip with The Dad, for instance, I will work in time to let
her guide me around the store and through or around some aisle chatters,
then have her "find dad!" so that she can take me back to him and show how
clever she is!  And I always have her find the door on the way out, because
she loves to take me where I want to go without all that annoying left and
right business to interfere with her work.  /smile/  And I will let her have
a good sniff when she goes outside as a reward for practicing proper
etiquette indoors.  Etiquete is so boring and cramps her style, don't you
know.  /grin/

Anyway, good luck.  When I was still married to Mr. Allergy and looking for
a program poodle, they were even more scarce than they are now, and only a
couple of schools were beginning to try to get a poodle program going.  I am
looking forward to hearing how your search goes and how you progress with
your poodle or poodle cross1

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of GARY STEEVES
Sent: Wednesday, August 12, 2009 9:41 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] To Marion

Hello Marion:

I noticed that you mentioned you are going to guide dog foundation on long
island. Is this correct? The two schools I am looking at going to now due to
the breed I am looking for is guide dog foundation or guide dogs of the
desert. they both use poodles and lab - poodle crosses.

I'd be interested in your thoughts on gdf and their program. It sounds like
you have had several dogs.

The other question I have for you and others is is it acceptable to apply to
more than one school based on the limited availability of the breed I am
requesting? Probably looking at a year or more waiting time. However, I do
not want to annoy any school or be politically incorrect. I just want to be
sure I get the best dog for me as my first guide dog.

Thanks
Gary
 

----- Original Message -----
From: Marion & Martin <swampfox1833 at verizon.net>
Date: Wednesday, August 12, 2009 5:08 am
Subject: Re: [nagdu] To Marion
To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>

> Lora,
>     This will be my first dog from GDF; however, 
> most of the training staff, 
> including their Training Officer, are from Southeastern Guide 
> Dogs where I 
> received my last three pups. Therefore, I am very confident in 
> the quality 
> of training the dogs receive, the quality of follow-up I will 
> get, if 
> needed, and their phoilosophy of blindness. I will let everyone 
> know how 
> things work out!
> 
> Fraternally yours,
> Marion
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Lora" <blindhistory at gmail.com>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog 
> Users" 
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, August 11, 2009 10:14 PM
> Subject: [nagdu] To Marion
> 
> 
> > Marion
> > Have you not been to Guide Dog foundation before? Do you know 
> how their 
> > post
> > graduate services are?
> >
> > -- 
> > Lora and Trice
> > _______________________________________________
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