[nagdu] owner training was a bunch of other stuff

Tue Jan 5 20:28:01 UTC 2010

Julie,
Your O&M professional was absolutely correct about the history of people 
training their own guide dogs in past times.  The Seeing Eye has a pamphlet 
on this very topic - I forget the name of it. I think it can be found on the 
Seeing Eye website with their publications.  This history even mentions 
guide dog use in ancient times as well - in Pompaii to be exact! they had a 
picture of an engraving from back then.  Very interesting little booklet.

Thanks for your sharing about what it really entails to be an owner trainer. 
It sure isn't for the non committed! (grin!)  I don't want to do this myself 
but I have always supported the idea of people doing it.  Hey, as long as 
you can produce a good and safe guide, why not? I have actually gotten into 
yelling fights with other guide dog users here in San Diego over the issue. 
They hated the idea and I was in total support of it because I had already 
known an owner trainer back in the early 1970s in Boston.  that lady did a 
great job in training her German shepherd!

You're right, we need to respect choice as long as the people involved are 
responsible handlers who train good, safe guides for themselves - and you 
owner trainers on this list are a testimony to this!  Great job!

Also, thanks for David Andrews e-mail for off list.

Lyn and Landon
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Julie J" <julielj at windstream.net>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, January 02, 2010 10:07 AM
Subject: [nagdu] owner training was a bunch of other stuff

> Owner training has been around for a long, long while.  I had an O&M 
> professional tell me of ancient text or drawings that tell of blind people 
> using small dogs to guide them by means of a stiff pole attached to their 
> collar.  No clue where he got that info though.
>
> At any rate owner training precedes program trained guides by 
> hundreds/thousands? of years.  However just like current days, instances 
> of blind people training their own guide dogs were rare.
>
> I think there are two main reasons for the rarity of owner training. 
> First it is a load of work.  I don't just mean time consuming or labor 
> intensive, I mean like every. single. day. hours. per. day. WORK.   It 
> took me a year to train Belle and about 15 months with Monty.  They were 
> both around 9 months old when I got them.   Other owner trainers training 
> times may vary, the shortest I have heard of is 4 months.
>
> You have to have a clue about dog training, be willing to learn and it's a 
> steep learning curve or you have to have knowledgeable trainers willing to 
> help you.   the simple truth is that most people do not have the knowledge 
> or inclination to gain it that is needed.  Nothing wrong with that.  It's 
> a choice.
>
> Choosing the dog is the most difficult part.  You need a dog of a specific 
> size range, temperament and health.  Depending on your particular 
> circumstances there will most likely be additional requirements that you 
> want or need in the dog.   I wanted a larger dog, but Monty  still 
> exceeded my expectations!  I wanted a male.  I wanted a low shedding/short 
> hair breed because of my husband's sensitivities.  I am fond of floppy 
> ears.  I prefer a energetic, outgoing exuberant dog.  Intelligence is also 
> a must for me.  I like a bold confident dog.  I like a dog that is mainly 
> bonded to me, but also enjoys my family.
>
> All of my guides have come from rescue organizations, although I looked at 
> many options.  The rescue organizations just happened to have what I was 
> looking for. The cost has been minimal, around $100 to $150.  My phone 
> bill however, was probably twice that when calling prospects to talk to 
> them about their dogs.  My time was the biggest investment.  I cannot 
> begin to count the hours spent in researching breeds, breeders, rescues, 
> breed rescue programs, talking to people about particular dogs and 
> actually going to look at dogs.  Oh and also fuel to get to those places 
> and the time and kindness of my husband who drove me. Remember I live in a 
> small town.  there isn't a lot to choose from in the immediate vicinity. 
> Monty came from about an hour and a half away from where I live.
>
> then there is the cost of equipment.  A harness and handle will cost 
> between $80 and $350, depending on the material and options you choose. 
> Then there are collars, leashes, coats, dishes, toys, food, preventative 
> medications, as needed medications, veterinary care, screening tests, and 
> training equipment.
>
> There are a lot of incidental costs when training.  Practicing laying 
> quietly under the table while at an outdoor cafe requires that I purchase 
> food for myself.  Practicing riding in a car, bus, or other transportation 
> requires that I buy a ticket or pay a fare.  At the very least it will 
> cost me doing something nice for my husband if he is the driver that day. 
> the primary cost is time though.  When you are training a guide dog you 
> have to center the excursions around the training of the dog, not what you 
> need to get done that day.  For example if I need to get groceries, I have 
> two choices I can plan an appropriate training exercise to the grocery 
> store that includes me picking up the 5 most important items or I can 
> leave the dog at home and get all my groceries.
>
> I mainly choose to owner train because I love to do it.  It would be an 
> absolutely disastrous failure if you didn't love the process.   If you 
> just want a guide dog, go through a program.   If you love the idea of 
> training then continue to explore owner training.
>
> I think the second reason that more people don't owner train their guides 
> is social pressure.  blind people are constantly told what we can and 
> can't do. Often this comes from other blind people in addition to the 
> sighted public and of course the professionals.  After a while it becomes 
> difficult to separate out what is really not doable and what is just 
> perceived to not be doable.
>
> I have been told that I shouldn't train my own guide dog because it is 
> dangerous.   I have been told that it is illegal, which it is not.  I have 
> been told that it is unnecessary-that there are others to do that for me. 
> I have had people be very angry with me.  I have had people in awe of me. 
> I have been scorned and applauded and every manner of thing in between.
>
> I don't owner train my guides for anyone but myself.  It doesn't bother me 
> that some blind people get angry with my choice.  It doesn't flatter me 
> that some sighted people think I am amazing.  I do what I do because it is 
> important to me.  I have nothing to prove to anyone but myself.
>
> HTH
> Julie
>
>
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