[nagdu] Dave, Tammy, & Maddox Anspach

Angie Matney angie.matney at gmail.com
Thu Aug 13 20:14:29 UTC 2009


Hey Tami,

I don't blame you! I wish I were in a position to try owner-training (not
now, of course, because Yani is going to work for another 453 years). I
considered working with a private trainer for my second dog, but given my
weird school/work situation, I had to admit that realistically, I needed a
dog who could hit the ground running, so to speak. I was very pleased with
the way Seeing Eye matched me with Yan-Yan.

I also didn't mean to imply that nothing the schools do strikes me as
custodial. For me, though, matching isn't one of those things. Of course,
you might react completely differently. 

I love hearing about your teamwork with Mitzi and the serendipitous way in
which you found each other.

Angie

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Tamara Smith-Kinney
Sent: Thursday, August 13, 2009 12:17 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Dave, Tammy, & Maddox Anspach

Angie,

Well said.  Given the numbers of successful matches the schools turn out on
a steady basis, one can only assume they know what they're doing.  /smile/
It's just my stubborn independent streak, I guess.  Which, if I do decide to
go through a program next time, I will have to deal with.

Then again, I'm hooked on owner-training!  If I choose to do that again, I
will have to find a new prospect all by my ownself in the hopes that
whichever pup I pick for myself will be a guide dog when it grows up.  The
chances of my picking a successful prospect on the first go are
approximately nil to none. /grin/  Well, a bit higher than that, but it's
scary to really think about, and I've watched some owner-trainer friends go
through the process of finding a new prospect, and the very idea makes my
hair stand on end.

Whereas, if I go through a program, my odds of ending up with a successful
match are nearly as close to 100 percent as my odds are of picking the right
puppy myself are to zero.  Who said stubborn independence was mathematically
sound?  /grin/

My getting Mitzi was such a combination of serendipity and timing and just
dumb luck that it's a mystery to me how I came to have a guide dog to go
about with.  Every once in awhile, it will still strike me that I'm striding
along beside my dog like we're some kind of guide dog team or something and
have a moment of terro because that simply cannot be.  How silly is that?

Life is a weird place to live.

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Angie Matney
Sent: Wednesday, August 12, 2009 3:47 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Dave, Tammy, & Maddox Anspach

Hi Tami,

Very interesting post. I, too, like to make as many of my own decisions as
possible. I know you weren't criticizing the programs' matching
capabilities, just as I'm not defending them; but I will say that I really
never felt that either instance of matching was one in which the school
unilaterally made a decision for me. Technically, I suppose they did do just
that both times. But in each instance, I had a great deal of input into what
I wanted. The second time around, I was much better at articulating what I
wanted. I think this was especially good since I had changed schools,  but I
think it's always helpful. 

The schools further assessed me with home visits, which I think must be
somewhat helpful in the matching process. 

The first time around, I was pretty vague about what I wanted because I
really didn't know. I didn't have tons of dog experience to draw on. I did
say I wanted a dog who would occasionally be a challenge to me but not one
that was totally out of control.  That was pretty much what I got. (grin) I
think the school really wanted Glaze to go out in my class, because she was
a reissue. I'm sure, though, that if there hadn't been a suitable match, she
would have waited a month. I will never forget my roommate, a GDB apprentice
instructor under blindfold, telling me how happy everybody in the kennels
was that Glaze "got to go out again." 

I don't know what the point of all that was. (grin) But even though the
school makes the initial matching choice, the grad can have a say in what
happens after that. 

Angie

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Tamara Smith-Kinney
Sent: Wednesday, August 12, 2009 12:56 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Dave, Tammy, & Maddox Anspach

Hm... Interesting thought.

As a wild stab, I would say the schools are trying to increase the odds that
the teams they produce will be successful once they go out into the world
together.  They have only limited knowledge of each individual handler, so
they need some way to formalize the process of providing x dog to y human.

Take me, for example.  I say that I'm an experienced with dogs, training,
horses, etc.  I say that I am a fast walker with a busy life (when I'm
healthy!), and so on and so forth.  So I want a fast-paced GSD and value
quick intelligent judgment from the dog over sheer obedience.

They don't know me from Adam, so how do they know I'm not making it all up?
Or that, like so many of us, see myself inaccurately and, not being
experienced with guide dogs, per se, don't know what I would be getting
myself into with the above-described dog?  Maybe I'm really timid and afraid
and would be overwhelmed by that dog.  Maybe I couldn't keep up or couldn't
manage a dog with that temperament.  And so on.

So Mitzi, besides being a poodle, is pretty much that type of dog.  And I
love her!  We work well together, we adventure together in and out of
harness and we just generally have a great time and I wouldn't trade her for
the world.  As we move on from her third birthday and I see the adult she
is, I am just dreadfully happy with her.


She's also a complete pain in the butt.  Those traits I value most in her as
she applies them to her work make her fairly high maintenance in termis of
time and attention and play and...

Let's say I keel over about the time you're thinking about getting another
dog.  You're an experienced handler, after all, so you know how to use a
guide dog, and Mitzi is still young enough to want to work.  So DD thinks
aha!  Rebecca wants a guide dog, I have this guide dog with nothing to do...

Only you have a demanding career and a child and other family duties, and
you need a dog that fits into that lifestyle.  I'm making a lot of
assumptions here, of course, but my first guess is that Mitzi would be too
busy to suit your needs, even if she settles down a lot more over the next
few months.  You might fall in love with her (who wouldn't?), you might
appreciate many aspects of her guide work and even her manners (she actually
has acquired some by now), etc.  But overall, I could see her driving you
batty.  Then again, you would have a kid to entertain her and keep her worn
out -- and vice versa.  /grin/  So it could work.  Not that I'm offering you
my poodle! /grin/  I'll have DD donate a gourmet meal instead.

It is interesting to think about.  When I was thinking I would be sensible
and go through a program to get my first guide dog, I was frankly a little
nervous about that whole matching business.  I mean, they have all this
experience and know what they're doing and stuff, but I don't thrill to the
notion of having other people make my decisions for me.  Had my life at that
time continued according to plan, I would have simply had to trust the
professionals and do my part to communicate well enough to enable them to
make the best match. /smile/  I wonder what the dog would be like sometimes.
When I'm not too busy with Ms High Maintenance!

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Pickrell, Rebecca M (IS)
Sent: Monday, August 10, 2009 8:56 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Dave, Tammy, & Maddox Anspach

Marian and list, 
Does this mean that there is no merit to the statement that a dog and
person are matched? 
If this is so, why must we as the end-users go get a dog and spend
several weeks at a school with it? Why can't I just go to a school, say
"I like that one" and then leave with that dog? 
I am truly curious and would be interested to know people's thoughts,
both those who work for a school and those who do not. 
If the dogs will work for anybody once they are taught how to guide, why
do theschools say "we matched x dog with y person"? 
 

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Marion & Martin
Sent: Friday, August 07, 2009 7:01 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Dave, Tammy, & Maddox Anspach

Dar,
    I cannot answer your questions, as I am not a representative of any
school. I am of the opinion that, if one owns their dog and for any
reason feels the need to transfer ownership to someone else, the school
should have no issue with it. If that person is blind and wishes to use
the dog as their guide, this, too, should be none of the school's
concern. These are the rights and privileges of ownership.

Fraternally yours,
Marion


----- Original Message -----
From: "d m gina" <dmgina at samobile.net>
To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, August 07, 2009 4:51 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Dave, Tammy, & Maddox Anspach


> See I am not concerned about this team,
> I am not concerened about any of this, except asking one question.
> Has different matches like this happened with other schools as well?
> Lets say I give you the rite to have my dog if anything happens to me.
> You agree, and this would be coming from the school where I trained my
dog 
> with.
> They would take my word that you are a swell handler, and they want
the 
> dog to still be a team with someone.
> I feel this is a plus I am at not  time unhappy with anyone.
> My next question would be, lets say my dog had to retire, could I call
my 
> school and say something like,
> "is there a team who has to brake up for what evere reason, and may I
have 
> their dog/
> I am a swell dog handler as you know, what paper work do I need to
fill 
> out to have this happen?
> I hope I explained better now.
> I think this is a swell idea.
>
> -- 
> --Dar
> skype
> dmgina23
> every saint has a past
> every sinner has a future
>
> Email services provided by the System Access Mobile Network.  Visit 
> www.serotek.com to learn more about accessibility anywhere.
>
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