[nagdu] owner training hours was GDUI Survey

Fri Feb 27 23:56:18 UTC 2009

Julie,

That makes sense.  You keep better records than I ever did!  I did all my
review and stuff in my head, but didn't try to do the super close detailed
tracking.  Next time, I will, because I will have a better idea of what I
need to track and what my specific short and intermediate goals are.
/smile/

With a high-energy guy like Monty, 100 hours is not at all unreasonable
before you declare him "graduated."  It always felt to me that teaching
Mitzi the skills was only incidental, something to do while I taught her to
focus all that energy and curiosity.  /smile/  And, of course, getting her
to the park to run it off (ha!) was mandatory.  I can get away with skipping
park trips now, and we have room for her to run at home -- when Daisy isn't
stealing her ball! -- but she still gets a little hinky if we go too long. I
love the upside to her active energy, but it does take managing.

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Julie J.
Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 4:46 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] owner training hours was GDUI Survey

Tami,

I'm aiming for 100 hours of in harness training.  I do work on obedience, 
distractions, socialization etc. out of harness but I am not counting that 
time toward the completion of his training.  I only count the actual time he

is in harness and on duty.  I do count the time that he is in harness but 
not actually guiding i.e. waiting in line, sitting next to me, lying under a

chair or table etc.

This is the very high end of the scale and I really have no idea what the 
various programs are counting as training hours.  As previously mentioned 
they could be counting travel time.  I don't count travel time unless he is 
in harness and on duty.

I chose this number because I am obsessed with making sure that he is 
prepared to be a guide dog in the most thorough way.  I also keep training 
records, which are getting sketchy lately.  I really need to keep better 
notes! *smile*  I have also very recently found a private trainer to help me

beginning in late April.  Monty is maturing and settling down.  things are 
really coming together for us this past week.  It is very exciting!

Julie

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tamara Smith-Kinney" <tamara.8024 at comcast.net>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 24, 2009 11:27 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] GDUI Survey

> Just out of curiosity, what is your target for the number of hours?  And 
> how
> do you, as an owner-trainer define traning time?  /smile/  I will admit 
> that
> my own perception of how much time I have spent "training" varies hugely
> according to how I'm thinking of "training" at the time, as well as how 
> I'm
> feeling about the training.  There have been late summer evenings when I 
> was
> sure it was 24/7, since I seemed to be training in my sleep.  /smile/  Oh,
> how I miss those days...  NOT!  /grin/
>
> Tami Smith-Kinney
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Julie J.
> Sent: Friday, February 20, 2009 6:18 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] GDUI Survey
>
> Maybe that could be part of it, but I don't think it accounts for the 
> whole
> margain.  The low end is 20 hours and the high end is over 100.  If I'm
> remembering correctly.  Even adding in travel time there's no way the 
> actual
>
> training time could be close to the same.
>
> I think that perhaps defining exactly what is meant by training time would
> help get more accurate numbers, it is not going to be 100%.  that is the
> problem with surveys.  You are relying on self reporting and that is 
> always
> altered somewhat with the individuals perceptions.
>
> I did appreciate the numbers because it gave me a much more defined target
> of training hours that I am going to complete with Monty.
>
> Julie
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Angie Matney" <leadinglabbie at mpmail.net>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, February 19, 2009 6:02 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] GDUI Survey
>
>
>> Julie said:
>>
>>>The thing I found the most interesting from that
>>>survey was the number of hours that the various programs spend actually
>>>training the dog.  I thought it was all pretty much the same, but I was
>>>terribly wrong.
>>
>> Actually, this is one of the questions I have. I wonder if "hours" was
>> defined for the survey participants. Some respondants might have counted
>> travel time, etc. Without evidence to the contrary, I'm not sure I 
>> believe
>
>> the actual training of the dogs is
>> as divergent as the survey implies.
>>
>> thoughts?
>>
>> Angie
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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