[nagdu] dog breeds and owner training

Julie J. jlcrane at alltel.net
Mon Feb 9 13:31:28 UTC 2009 

Allison,

Thanks for sharing!  It's very interesting.  Can you talk more about the 
role your parents had in the process?  It's unusual for other people to be a 
part of the training/placement process.  As I understand it, this is one of 
the reasons that most of the programs have the blind person travel to their 
facility.  I love reading about new approaches and training models.

Julie


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Allison Nastoff" <anastoff at wi.rr.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, February 06, 2009 7:13 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] dog breeds and owner training


> Dear Julie,
> I would be glad to tell you a little about my training.  It was a 
> wonderful experience, and I would reccomend that anyone who wants to get 
> trained for a guide dog in their home environment to look for programs in 
> your state, or check out Occupaws if you live in Wisconsin.  My training 
> with Gilbert lasted three weeks.  The first day, the trainer came to my 
> house, met my parents, and taught me the basics: how to groom him, how to 
> give corrections, how to care for him.  Then, I was left with the dog for 
> the rest of the day to bond with him.  Every day after that, the trainer 
> met at my house where we did the discipline routine, and then we would go 
> somewhere to work.  Usually we worked at Carroll University's campus, the 
> college that I now attend, but we also practiced walking on the country 
> roads by my house, as well as other situations like the mall where we 
> practiced using an escelator, night routes, and restaurants to practice 
> getting him under tables.  The day usually lasted from 9:00 in the morning 
> until about 3:30 in the afternoon, with a break for lunch.  Either my mom 
> or dad would also accompany me every day during training so that they 
> could help me once the trainer left.
> This kind of training was perfect for me because rather than learning 
> routes in an unfamiliar area and then applying what I learned back home, I 
> got to learn routes that I would actually use in college.  Besides that, 
> my training was individualized to my particular needs.
> Again, I would definitely reccomend that people look for similar programs 
> where they live.  If anyone has questions for me, feel free to ask.  I 
> love talking about my experience, and bragging about Gilbert.  (laugh)
> Allison and Gilbert
>
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: "Julie J." <jlcrane at alltel.net
>>To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog
> Users" <nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>Date sent: Fri, 6 Feb 2009 07:29:50 -0600
>>Subject: Re: [nagdu] dog breeds and owner training
>
>>Allison,
>
>>Welcome!  I'm Julie, the moderator.
>
>>I am very interested in hearing more about your experience at
> OccuPaws.
>>Could you tell us about the training?
>>Again, Welcome!
>>Julie
>
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: "Allison Nastoff" <anastoff at wi.rr.com
>>To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog
> Users"
>><nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>Sent: Thursday, February 05, 2009 8:30 PM
>>Subject: Re: [nagdu] dog breeds and owner training
>
>
>>> Hi Mardi,
>>> If you live in Wiscosin, there is a guide dog training program
> called
>>> Occupaws, which also does home training.  I got my first guide
> dog, a
>>> yellow lab named Gilbert from Occupaws six months ago.  For
> medical
>>> reasons, I was also unable to be away from home by myself for
> four weeks.
>>> I have been very happy with Gilbert, and I received wonderful
> training
>>> right on my college campus.  Whereever you live, I strongly
> encourage you
>>> to look into home training programs.  They are out there, and
> they make
>>> much more sense for some people.  By the way, I am also a new
> member of
>>> this list.
>>> Allison and Gilbert
>
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>From: Haben Girma <habnkid at aol.com
>>>>To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog
>>> Users" <nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>>>Date sent: Wed, 04 Feb 2009 20:54:31 -0800
>>>>Subject: Re: [nagdu] dog breeds and owner training
>
>>>>Hi Mardi,
>
>>>>I wonder where you live? Perhaps up north like Alaska where
>>> huskies are
>>>>so common? You mentioned that you could not get a program trained
>>> dog
>>>>because you could not leave your home and business for 4 weeks.
>>> There
>>>>are schools like Fidelco that do in-home training.  By the way, I
>>> just
>>>>joined this list.
>
>>>>Cheers,
>>>>Haben
>
>>>>Mardi Hadfield wrote:
>>>>> Hi every one,  I have had many different breeds of dogs as pets,
>>> But all of
>>>>> my guide dogs have been Huskies.  I tried a border collie, and
>>> he would have
>>>>> been a good guide,but he was an abused dog before I got him and
>>> he could not
>>>>> handle being out in public.  Wanagi is a shepherd / husky cross
>>> and she was
>>>>> coming along very nicely with her training, when the weather
>>> changed to cold
>>>>> and rainy and I discovered that she had a hip problem.  I think
>>> she would
>>>>> have made an excellent guide if she did not have that problem.
>>> I should have
>>>>> had her  xrayed, but the vet said she moved fine so I thought
>>> she was OK.  I
>>>>> will not make that mistake again.  Tracy said it, not all dogs
>>> make it as
>>>>> guides.  I kept Wanagi as we did bond, right from the start.
>>> She is still
>>>>> very special to me.  I hate that I have to retire Nala.  As much
>>> as I loved
>>>>> Lily, my first guide, Nala is a much better guide and she really
>>> loves her
>>>>> job.  I have continued to work her only because she does not
>>> want to retire
>>>>> yet.  But I know that when the weather here gets hot, she will
>>> not be able to
>>>>> work.  I am going to try out a german shepherd tomorrow.  I hope
>>> this dog will
>>>>> work out.  If I were able to walk and use a guide dog, there
>>> would have been
>>>>> several dogs that I tried out that would have worked.  Finding a
>>> dog that can
>>>>> keep up to my pace with the wheel chair and remain in the right
>>> position
>>>>> next to the chair, is not easy.  I am spoiled,as Nala was
>>> perfect from the
>>>>> very beginning, when I got her.She learned very fast and really
>>> enjoyed
>>>>> working.  The first time I took her on the bus, she went up on
>>> the lift ,just
>>>>> like she had been doing it all her life.  In the time period of
>>> 4 months,she
>>>>> was a finished, trustworthy guide dog.  This time is not so
>>> easy, as I just
>>>>> can't seem to find a dog that even wants to work, let alone keep
>>> up with me
>>>>> and stay in the correct position.Things would be much simpler if
>>> I could get
>>>>> a program trained dog,but I just can't be away from my home and
>>> other
>>>>> animals and my business for 4 weeks.  So I will keep looking for
>>> that so far
>>>>> allusive dog.  I know that I will find it , I just hope it is
>>> soon.  I love
>>>>> Huskies and for me they make a good guides, but I am open to
>>> other breeds,
>>>>> if that dog can do the job for me.   Have a great day,  Mardi
>>> and
>>>>> Nala,semi-retired
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> nagdu mailing list
>>>>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account
>>> info for nagdu:
>
>>>
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/habnkid%40
>>> aol.com
>
>
>
>
>
>>>>_______________________________________________
>>>>nagdu mailing list
>>>>nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>>>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>>> for nagdu:
>>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/anastoff%4
>>> 0wi.rr.com
>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> nagdu mailing list
>>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account
> info for
>>> nagdu:
>>>
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/jlcrane%40
> alltel.net
>
>
>
>
>>_______________________________________________
>>nagdu mailing list
>>nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
> for nagdu:
>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/anastoff%4
> 0wi.rr.com
>
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
> nagdu:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/jlcrane%40alltel.net
>

More information about the NAGDU mailing list