[nagdu] costs of owner training

[Tamara Smith-Kinney]

Rox,

Very well described.  /smile/  I had a heck of a time adjusting once Mitzi
was trained.  Oh!  You mean I can do and talk and think about something
other than my dog?  How weird is that?  /lol/

Tami Smith-Kinney

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of The Pawpower Pack
Sent: Saturday, January 02, 2010 8:39 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: [nagdu] costs of owner training

Albert, I can tell you what kinds of costs I, as an owner trainer  
had.  Keep in mind these are my personal costs, another OT may have  
different ones.

1. The cost of the dog.
My current guide, Laveau, was obtained from a shelter.  The adoption  
fee was $90.
2. cost of medical evaluation, heart/eyes/ over all bone structure.  I  
paid for all of that with the exception of the eye exam as my eye vet  
gives SDs and SDITs free eye exams.
3. the cost of gear.
Harnesses, leashes, service capes, collars, head collars and the  
like.  I have four other dogs so a lot of this stuff was already in my  
toolbox.  However my Doberman didn't really fit in to my harnesses for  
the Goldens.  Laveau also grew a lot! in her first year.  She put on 4  
inches and 20 lbs.  She also had a soft trachea so needed a harness  
designed to meet her medical needs and my balance and mobility needs.
4. ongoing needs such as food, medications, toys, flea and heart-worm  
meds and other expenses paid by other teams even if program trained.

There were the costs in time.

Every day before leaving for work, I worked with the dog.  She stayed  
home in the day time with my husband who works from home.  After work,  
I did more training.  I made a list of all of the places we needed to  
go and on the weekends, when I would normally be engaged in serious  
bouts of sloth and debauchery, I would instead be training the dog.

We went to malls and to the French Quarter, riding the bus and  
streetcar.  This means that I spent money on transportation and coffee  
to fortify my nerves.

The year I trained Laveau I didn't really have a life.  I didn't go on  
vacation.  I didn't buy anything for myself.  I trained the dog, spent  
time with the dog, spent money on the dog and when I wasn't doing  
those things I was reading about other people doing the same, or I was  
reading training books, and breed books.
I am really happy with my end result, though.

Rox and the Kitchen Bitches
Bristol (retired), Mill'E SD. and Laveau Guide Dog, CGC.
"Struggle is a never ending process. Freedom is never really won, you  
earn it and win it in every generation."
-- Coretta Scott King
pawpower4me at gmail.com

Windows Live Only: Brisomania at hotmail.com
AIM: Brissysgirl Yahoo: lillebriss

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