[nagdu] Matching

[Linda Gwizdak]

Hey, Annalisa,
Are you a red-head?  I have a Golden/Lab cross and we match - his red coat 
and my red hair! (grin!)

I've ben enjoying the talk about matching.  I think it is done by both the 
prospective student and the school training department. I'd say they do a 
pretty darned good job at it, too.

People are right about telling the school as much detail about what you want 
and that sure helps the school alot in what they choose for you.  They get 
an idea of a couple of dogs that might be a good match. But they don't 
settle on the actual dog you get until you are there and you have done 
several "Juno" walks.  That was the case with me.  My instructor told me 
about the two dogs they had in mind - the identiy of whom -  after I did get 
my dog.  They were going to give me a particular black Lab but after my Juno 
walk, they decided on Landon.  A man in my class got the other possible 
match for me.

I am glad I got Landon because a couple of months after we got home, the 
man's dog was diagnosed with a health problem that caused the dog's 
retirement.  That man has since returned to TSE and got an even better match 
for him.  So, everything worked out as they were meant to be.

Linda and Landon
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "AnnaLisa Anderson" <annalisa at sector14.net>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, August 11, 2009 6:36 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Matching


> Hi All,
>
> Interesting discussion.  I think the trainers do try to make the best
> matches they can for people based on the needs, lifestyle and personality 
> of
> the handler.  I also know though that they are not perfect at it.  In my
> last class, a newbie that I became good friends with was given an 
> extremely
> high strung and stubborn dog, not at all a good one for a newbie to start
> out with, especially if you have no experience even with pet dogs, as it 
> was
> with this woman. They just didn't mesh well together from the very
> beginning.  There were times when I was really worried about them, and she
> almost gave up a time or two.  This lady gave it her best shot, they were
> together for two years, but it just wasn't meant to be.  She has another 
> dog
> now and they are a much better match.
>
> I also think, like others have said, the more you can tell them about
> yourself on the application, the better.  The last time around, my trainer
> told me he had Sunny in mind for me before he even met me, based on my
> application and the phone interview.  I told them some very specific 
> things
> I wanted, like I needed a dog who was not bothered by loud noise or music,
> because I sing with a choir that often is accompanied by orchestra, and we
> often times end up sitting behind the percussion section.  I also told 
> them
> I live across the street from a dog park, so there would constantly be 
> that
> distraction there.  So my trainer had a good place to start, and I did get 
> a
> nearly perfect match in Sunny.  I say nearly, because it doesn't take much
> to distract her and she doesn't pattern as well as I'd like, but I'll tell
> you what, loud noise does not phase her in the least.  And she is very
> adaptable to whatever situation she finds herself in, so overall I have 
> been
> very pleased with her.  Her golden personality matches pretty well with
> mine, and our hair matches too. <smile>  She is my second dog, and I am 
> her
> second handler as well.  The first guy she was with was not a good match 
> for
> her at all, from what I've been told, so fortunately he had sense enough 
> to
> bring her back after a few months when he realized it wasn't going to 
> work.
> And because of the timing of her return, of when it worked in my schedule 
> to
> come to the school and other things, it was as if she were meant just for
> me.
>
> Sunny is also quite different in personality from my first dog; she is
> softer and such a clown, quite the attention seeker, and not quite so
> determined to get her way. <smile>  But I loved my first dog too because 
> she
> was so smart, and she loved a challenge, even though we did have our 
> battle
> of wills at times. <smile>  I still miss Megan, even though I love Sunny 
> to
> bits and wouldn't trade her for anything.
>
> There's my ten cents' worth.
>
> AnnaLisa and Sundance
>
>
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