[nagdu] Occupaws was dog breeds and owner training

Julie J. jlcrane at alltel.net
Mon Feb 16 15:02:24 UTC 2009 

Allison,

I'm glad that your parents are supportive and a resource for you. 
Unfortunately that doesn't seem to be the case for all people. *smile*

I really like hearing about your experience with Occupaws.  Thank you for 
sharing.

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 13, 2009 4:17 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] dog breeds and owner training


> Hi Julie,
> My parents accompanied me almost every day during my training.  This was 
> partly due to the fact that the dog trainer came from Madison, and was 
> unfamiliar with the area.  My parents helped direct the trainer to 
> training sites.  But the Occupaws training program also viewed training 
> for a guide dog as a family affair.  The trainer encouraged my parents to 
> come so that they could observe the training techniques, and would know 
> how to assist me after he left.  For one lesson, the trainer blindfolded 
> my parents, and had them walk with one of the dogs that was still in 
> harness training but had not been matched with a blind person yet, to give 
> them a sense of what walking with a guide dog feels like.
> Of course, if there was a serious problem, my parents are not experts, and 
> we would still contact the trainer if we needed to.  But the fact that my 
> parents know the basics of guide dog techniques has provided a wonderful 
> support system.
> I really liked this training approach because when problems arise, my 
> parents and I have been able to resolve them on our own, and when I began 
> my second semester of college, my parents were able to use the techniques 
> they witnessed to direct Gilbert and me through my new routes rather than 
> having to contact the trainer.  I would definitely reccomend this approach 
> to other people, especially first time guide dog users.  My parents have 
> not hindered my independence.  Adjusting to a guide dog, and college 
> simultaneously was overwhelming, and knowing that my parents knew some of 
> the techniques, and could help me made the experience a lot less 
> stressful.
> 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: Mon, 9 Feb 2009 07:31:28 -0600
>>Subject: Re: [nagdu] dog breeds and owner training
>
>>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
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>
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>>>>> aol.com
>
>
>
>
>
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