[nagdu] seeing eye

[Ginger Kutsch]

Dear Jennifer,

You are correct. If you do not request a preference, you are more
likely to be matched with a dog sooner. Here's an excerpt from
The Seeing Eye's alumni 2008 summer newsletter that discusses how
the "waiting list" works:

Some applicants express a strong preference for breed, gender,
color, or other characteristics of the dog. Adding these factors
can seriously delay your class date. Let's use the example of
buying a new car. If you walk into the showroom and request a
custom paint job, a six-CD stereo, special wheels and a horn that
plays your favorite song when you honk it, it becomes a custom
order and you're going to have to wait much longer than the
fellow who walks in and asks for a car from the lot. The same is
true for an applicant who wants a specific breed, gender, size,
and/or color of dog. 

The first and foremost concern of The Seeing Eye's training staff
is the match -- matching you with the best dog for your specific
needs. We start with about 40 dogs ready for each class, roughly
20 males and 20 females and roughly 10 of each of our four breeds
{Labs, goldens, lab/golden mixes, and German shepherds}. That
means there are 40 dogs for your trainer to consider as a
possible match for you. If you want a specific sex, that number
drops to 20. If you want a specific breed, it drops to 10.
Requesting both a breed and gender limits the pool to 5. As these
additional preferences are factored in, there is less and less
chance that good matches for you will be available in an upcoming
class. Your application may have to be deferred to a later and
later class simply because there isn't an available match that
also incorporates your specific preferences.

Dogs are animals, not machines, and it's up to nature, not an
assembly line, to determine whether a dog matches a person in
terms of temperament, speed, energy, strength, personality, and
all the other more essential characteristics we consider during
the matching process. Throw in a few more characteristics such as
gender and breed, and the chances of a match become even more
limited.

So, the true answer to the "waiting list" question is "it
depends." It's possible that someone who says, "I'll take
whatever The Seeing Eye feels is the best match," could wait as
little as a month. At the other extreme, someone with specific
personal preferences might find that it takes as long as five or
six months. Above all, ensuring the quality of the match and the
success of the team is our utmost priority. It is our obligation
to take the greatest care in selecting the dog that best ensures
the safety and success of the team. Both with and without
personal preferences for breed, sex, or other characteristics,
you have our commitment that we will do our very best to respond
to your need and schedule you in a class as soon as possible.