[nagdu] hi

[Ron Davidson]

Hello Kizzy and welcome. I received my dog from Guiding Eyes For The Blind 
in NY. I did like Julie said do research and decide which you feel is best 
for you. We have a guide do school here in Kansas but I preferred to train 
in a much bigger city and that is one reason I went where I did. I know of 
three videos available from them for education purposes. When I do my public 
speaking I start with the history of guide dogs and then go into the 
selection and puppy raising  and the final training before being selected 
for the student. Then I go into the student field interview process and then 
the training at the school and on into the training you do when you first 
return home. I then usually finish up with some demonstrations on what he 
does. At the end we have question and answer time which you never seem to 
have enough time for all of them. My final thing I also do is to tell them 
that I don't consider myself disabled I just do things different than other 
people. Then I show them an example of my work as a professional woodcarver. 
This I think helps reinforce to them that a blind person can do what ever 
they want and your not handicapped unless you want to be. I know that I went 
over board with my answer but I did. But I hope this helps you out.