[nagdu] what school

Thu Feb 18 17:04:02 UTC 2010

Hi Jessica:

Yes, I live in Vancouver British Columbia Canada. You may have had the
opportunity to see or hear about our beautiful city on nbc lately with their
coverage of the winter Olympics. :)

It's probably the only place in north America lately that isn't getting
snow! How ironic.

Gary

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Jessica Pitzer
Sent: Thursday, February 18, 2010 8:32 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] what school

Are you from canada then?

On 2/18/10, Gary <rainshadowmusic at shaw.ca> wrote:
> 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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