[nagdu] owner training was hi

Tamara Smith-Kinney tamara.8024 at comcast.net
Tue Feb 3 22:11:41 UTC 2009


Rebecca,

You are so right!  I don't know if this is true for anyone else, but I found
the back and forth (from cane to dog and back again) during some of those
stages particularly challenging.  My O&M skills are certainly better because
of it, but if I go out for cane now for whatever reason, I can find myself
reeling about like a drunken sailor if I'm not careful to keep my head in
the right space.  I like to bring Mitzi home from park play on leash to
extend her play time and still find myself forgetting to use the cane in my
hand.  It's a super familiar route, but I can still manage to get myself in
trouble.  Good grief!

A sighted guide, if you have one available can be helpful.  Or incredibly
unhelpful.  My roomie is pretty good about telling me about obstacles and
stuff when we're doing indoor work, and that has helped Mitzi and me by
allowing us to concentrate on communicating the trickier ones we find,
especially while shopping.  He (roomie) is not completely trained yet,
however.  /smile/  He absolutely dotes on that poodle, who adores him
utterly.  Some days he just can't seem to resist reaching out to ruffle her
curly top and grin at her and make silly noises while we wait in the grocery
line or whatever.  Awww...  So cute!  At least, everyone else around thinks
so.  Sigh.  Last I heard, guide dog was not a performance art.  Isn't there
something in the rules of etiquette about how the dog is supposed to remain
still and avoid drawing attention to itself?  /smile/  Most of the time, my
grown up girl can get her head back in the game as soon as we start to move.
Every now and then, though, she forgets she's not a puppy, and I find myself
with my hands full of cute in the midst of a growing audience, all ooh-ing
and aah-ing and inspiring her (and sometimes him) to new heights while I
gamely attempt to get a grip on the situation before any hope of escaping
with my dignity intact is gone for good.

Don't panic!  It's not so bad that my safety is in question, nor does she
cause any actual trouble.  I could certainly live without all the added
distraction, though.  "Perhaps," I will suggest once we're back in the car,
"it would be better if you didn't love on her while she's working."  He will
laugh and ruffle her curly top and blow in her face, but shape up for awhile
when she's on the job.  So progress continues.  /smile/

The real point is that you want to have good enough independent O&M skills
to both manage and teach your young dog in ever more challenging venues that
you can keep the both of you safe.  Even the best and most supportive of
sighted assistants can end up being a distraction with the best of
intentions.  And it's not really fair to expect another person to grasp your
training plan and where you are with your dog fully enough to adapt to your
changing needs in addition to guiding you and your dog.  JMHO.

Then again, if you do find such a person, I have a birthday coming up.
/smile/  Just send him/her along with a nice purple bow, and I'll be happy.

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Pickrell, Rebecca M (IT)
Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2009 5:09 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] owner training was hi

Julie, 
Correct me if I'm wrong, but while owner-training, you also need another
mobility device i.e. a cane, sighted guide, what have you, before the
dog is ready to guide, and perhaps even after the dog has some guide
skills, but not all. 
If I'm right, it might be a good idea to point that out, and if I'm
wrong, to explain how I'm wrong. 
 

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Julie J.
Sent: Tuesday, February 03, 2009 7:33 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] owner training was hi

Yes and yes.

Please refer to the messages from Mardi recently.  she is in the process
of finding a dog to train.  Not every dog is going to make a good guide
dog candidate.  sometimes you have to evaluate quite a few before the
right one comes along.  There are transportation expenses, veterinary in
depth evaluations for each dog you decide to train, equipment,
incidental training costs etc.  It adds up.  I probably looked at 30
dogs before settling on my final choice this last time.  I spent almost
$500 just to go look at dogs.

The training time varies depending on the readiness of the dog and the
abilities of the handler.  At a minimum you can expect to be training
daily for four months.  I start with younger dogs that need more basic
obedience and they take longer.  If you start with a puppy it could take
two years. 
Whatever age dog you start with you can expect to spend a minimum of 30
minutes training every day.  In addition to that time you will also need
to spend time exercising the dog, grooming and providing basic care.

Obviously when you begin this process the dog is not a guide dog. It
cannot go everywhere you go.  If you work or have other obligations
arrangements will have to be made for the care of the dog, until it's
training is adequate to accompany you.

Anyhow, that is the very short version of time and money and owner
training. 
I'm happy to talk more about it if you have more questions.
Julie


----- Original Message -----
From: "kl" <FuzzyPurpleCouch at neo.rr.com>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, February 02, 2009 7:18 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] hi


> Does it take a lot of time. Doe it cost a lot. I would love to talk to
you
> about it.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf
> Of Julie J.
> Sent: Friday, January 30, 2009 7:32 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] hi
>
> It's Tami that has the owner trained poodle in Oregon.
>
> Are you interested in owner training?  There are several people on
this 
> list
>
> who have owner trained our guide dogs, including me. I'd be happy to
talk 
> to
>
> you about it.  Or you can search the list archives.  There's quite a
bit 
> of
> info there.
>
> Julie
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "kl" <FuzzyPurpleCouch at neo.rr.com>
> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2009 8:13 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] hi
>
>
>> The person who has the owner trained poodle and who lives in orgon.
Will
>> you
>> e/mail me off list.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
>> Behalf
>> Of Tamara Smith-Kinney
>> Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2009 5:06 PM
>> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] hi
>>
>> Kl,
>>
>> Hi, and welcome!  I live in Oregon and am working with my
owner-trained
>> poodle guide Mitzi.  Or learning to work with her, to be more
accurate.
>> Our
>> team building progress has been spotty due to life stuff, so I'm
still a
>> complete dunce quite a bit of the time.  Sigh.  I was worried there
for
>> awhile that the disruption in our work and in my progress as a guide
dog
>> user would ruin her and waste all the time and effort we both put in
so
>> that
>> she would be ready to put up with my bumbling efforts to change
roles, 
>> but
>> she's doing quite well.  Whew!
>>
>> Anyway, sorry to hear about your voc rehab problems.  I've been
there,
>> too,
>> only I had to live in their housing across the state from where I
lived 
>> at
>> the time to get some living skills training....  So that was where I
>> discovered how incredibly awful people who work with the blind (the
help
>> us,
>> of course!) can be.  I hope you are able to get what you need for
your
>> vocation even though you don't have case with your state's agency.
>>
>> Tami Smith-Kinney
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
>> Behalf
>> Of kl
>> Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 2009 9:47 AM
>> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] hi
>>
>> Hi I am in ohio. I have had some problems with my rehab counselor. I
no
>> longer have a case open with thim.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
>> Behalf
>> Of Ron Davidson
>> Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2009 6:21 PM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] hi
>>
>> Julie is right every state has rehabilitation services that include
O&M
>> training. If you are considering a dog most schools require you have
>> mastered your O&M skills and can travel safely by cane before
proceeding
>> to
>> get a guide dog. You will always from time to time use your cane and
some
>> of
>>
>> the cane skills coincide with dog handling skills and techniques.
What
>> state
>>
>> are you from?
>>
>>
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