[nagdu] The new GDB

[Angie Matney]

Thanks for letting me know--I was worried that this had been eliminated.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "KAYE KIPP" <kkipp123 at msn.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, November 30, 2009 7:27 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] The new GDB


> The class I was in did solo routes.  In fact, one day, on the weekend, we 
> got to go without the instructors even being there.  One of the kennel 
> staff dropped us off at the lounge and we took off for a couple of hours. 
> That was fun.
>
> Kaye
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Angie Matney" <angie.matney at gmail.com>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, November 30, 2009 1:08 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] The new GDB
>
>
>> Hi Kaye,
>>
>> I remember you from another list. I'm glad your new girl is working out 
>> so well.
>>
>> I, too, am a former GDB grad. I never did the two-week training, but I 
>> did get my first dog from there.
>>
>> The clicker-training stuff is exciting. I really want to do more of that 
>> with Yani.
>>
>> I did hear one thing about the new GDB classes that concerned me. I heard 
>> from someone else who went to GDB recently that no one in this person's 
>> class had the chance to do a solo route. Was it the same for your class, 
>> or did you all have opportunities for solos?
>>
>> Best, and good to see you on here.
>>
>> Angie
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "KAYE KIPP" <kkipp123 at msn.com>
>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Monday, November 30, 2009 3:07 PM
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] The new GDB
>>
>>
>>> Yes, the training was very different.  There's a real emphasis on food 
>>> rewards, which I found hard to get used to, but at least with Marjorie, 
>>> it works.  We also worked with the clicker.  It does work. I 
>>> clicker-trained Marjorie to find a bus pole and she'll never pass that 
>>> pole up without at least showing it to me.  And it didn't take very 
>>> long.
>>>
>>> There was still plenty of waiting around, but since I've been there, the 
>>> training has changed.  The training is only for two weeks, even for 
>>> first-timers, at least in Boring.  I would think there wouldn't be so 
>>> much waiting around now because the training would have to be more 
>>> intense.
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>> From: "Tracy Carcione" <carcione at access.net>
>>> To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Monday, November 30, 2009 11:57 AM
>>> Subject: [nagdu] The new GDB
>>>
>>>
>>>> Kaye, you're just the sort of person I've been wanting to talk to, 
>>>> someone
>>>> who's been to GDB recently, and had GDB dogs before (as have I).
>>>> I've been reading a bit about GDB's new approach--less waiting around
>>>> during training, and using clicker training.
>>>> Did you find your recent class to be significantly different from 
>>>> previous
>>>> classes?  Do you use different methods to control or correct your dog 
>>>> than
>>>> you did before?  I realize it's very hard to compare dogs.  My Echo was
>>>> very different from my Amba, even though they were both black labs from
>>>> GDB, and trained with the same methods.  But a correction that would 
>>>> turn
>>>> Echo into a quivering jello would barely have gotten Amba's attention.
>>>> Also, I went through GDB's 2-week retrain class 4 different times, and
>>>> there was still plenty of waiting around, though not nearly as much as 
>>>> for
>>>> the first-timers.  On the other hand, it seemed like my dogs were just
>>>> getting to the testing stage of things when I was getting ready to go
>>>> home, and I needed someone out on follow-up in a month or two to help 
>>>> me
>>>> polish up the rough edges.
>>>> Anyway, I'd be real interested to hear your thoughts about your recent
>>>> training, and if it was really different from before.
>>>> Tracy
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
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>
>
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