[nagdu] what school

Thu Feb 18 15:54:03 UTC 2010

Hi Cheryl:

Currently I have been accepted on the wait lists for three programs: Guide
Dogs of the Desert, Guide dog Foundation and Guide Dog Canada (also called
canine vision Canada). Guide Dog Canada has poodles coming ready for
matching soon so they have told me that they might have a match for me in
their May class. If that doesn't work out the GDD has said they are thinking
they might have a match for me in the fall classes and I still have no time
line from GDF.

Because I am waiting for a poodle my time lines are probably longer and my
selection of schools more based on the availability  of this breed. However,
I have also done some research on different schools harness placement and
amount of pull they like and all these schools seem to have the same style
of ull etc that I liked in one of my several juno walks.

Where did you get your dog from?

Gary

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of cheryl echevarria
Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 1:37 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] re mitsi's age

Hi Gary:

What school will you be going through or are you doing your own training.

Just curious.

Cheryl Echevarria
Independent Travel Consultant
http://Echevarriatravel.com
1-866-580-5574

http://blog.echevarriatravel.com
Reservations at echevarriatravel.com
Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Montrose Travel CST-1018299-10

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "GARY STEEVES" <rainshadowmusic at shaw.ca>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 4:26 PM
Subject: [nagdu] re mitsi's age

> Hello Tami:
>
> As I am getting closer and closer to not just my first guide dog, but my 
> first poodle experience I am curious how old Mitsi is now? You talked 
> about her calming down and, as you might imagine, I am wondering when this

> happened for her. I have heard that it takes about a year to get the team 
> working really good together but since you did owner training I'm not sure

> how your time frame has worked out for you.
>  Right now I am looking at a possible match in May so it all could be 
> happening real soon. I'm both very excited and rather anxious. The anxiety

> just comes from the unknown and wondering how I will adapt  to the changes

> in my life with  a new companion.
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Tamara Smith-Kinney <tamara.8024 at comcast.net>
> Date: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 12:54 pm
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] How to encourage dog initiative
> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>
> > Joy,
> >
> > Yeah, it's finding that balance that I will probably always have
> > to watch
> > myself on.  As Mitzi leaves her juvenile nonsense more and
> > more behind, it
> > is much easier for me to trust her and be guided without having
> > to coach
> > myself, but I still find myself lecturing me in my mind as we go
> > along./smile/
> >
> > I am so sorry about Belle.  *Hugs*
> >
> > Tami Smith-Kinney
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org]
> > On Behalf
> > Of Joy Relton
> > Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 10:19 AM
> > To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> > Subject: Re: [nagdu] How to encourage dog initiative
> >
> > Hi Tracy,
> >
> > You make some good points that I have also experienced. The
> > other thing that
> > I have found is that sometimes I have been known to push to far
> > forward on
> > the dog's side so that he/she isn't really given the full range of
> > decisions. That's why I try to play a few sounds tracks in my
> > mind, like,
> > "follow the dog" "make sure that there's tension in the harness"
> > and "have
> > faith in your dog's abilities as well as your own".  Almost
> > like I can hear
> > those words being spoken by my instructors in the past. (grin)
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org]
> > On Behalf
> > Of Tracy Carcione
> > Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 9:15 AM
> > To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> > Subject: Re: [nagdu] How to encourage dog initiative
> >
> >
> > It's been a while since I've had a new dog, knock wood, but I
> > think that
> > what I do to encourage initiative is to encourage the dog to
> > make decisions
> > when we get into a situation, and show him that I'm willing to
> > go with his
> > decisions once he makes one.  At first, this can involve
> > standing somewhere
> > and saying Hup-up in a cheerful way, and sometimes some gentle
> > handwaving to
> > suggest possibilities.  I've even found myself giving that
> > wonderfullymystic GDF command "Find the Way!" In my experience,
> > this kind of thing
> > requires me to work my dog on my own quite a bit.  Standing
> > still and
> > waiting for the dog to figure out a challenge seems to drive
> > sighted people
> > buggy.  Even if I explain before we set out that I am
> > trying to teach the
> > dog that he can figure things out without much help, when the
> > situationcomes up, the sighted person barges ahead saying "Oh
> > come on; this way."
> > So, instead of the dog learning that he can make decisions, he
> > learns that
> > if he waits, someone will go ahead and he can follow them.
> > Not the
> > conclusion I want.  Someone told me that her dog would look
> > around for a
> > sighted person to follow, if the dog felt her person was
> > confused.  That's
> > initiative too, but not the kind I want. So, for me, it's really
> > importantto work with my dog alone in the beginning.  Maybe
> > other people have better
> > control of their sighted partners than I do, but for me they can
> > be quite a
> > hindrance to team-building.
> >
> > In the beginning, and not much after either, I wouldn't expect
> > the dog to
> > figure things out if I was facing the whole wrong way or
> > something. An
> > experienced dog can sometimes figure that out, but really it's
> > my job to at
> > least aim in the generally right direction. Although once, at a state
> > convention banquet, I had to step out, and I pointed the way I
> > thought we
> > should go and told Echo "Outside!"  She led me the other
> > way than I pointed,
> > around the table and to a clear aisle, and then took me to the
> > door.  I was
> > very impressed.  Just like in the Seeing Eye dog books!
> >
> > I may have messed up Ben's initiative a bit by not trusting his
> > decisions.It's hard for me to tell when he's going around
> > something and when he's
> > going to sniff something, especially in suburbia, where the work
> > is less
> > challenging and he gets more distracted. Luckily, Ben has lots
> > of confidence
> > and initiative, so I haven't made a complete hash of things. Tracy
> >
> >
> >
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