[nagdu] Shepherds at GDB Re: dog drop-out rate

[Tracy Carcione]

GDB made a big announcement a couple years ago that they were not putting
out any more shepherds, and I think I remember them saying it was because
not enough of them were making it through to be guides.
But then last year I read there was a shepherd puppy being raised, so that
was a bit confusing.
Mixed information, yep!
Tracy


> What is actually going on with the shepherds at GDB?  I've heard mixed
> information.
>
> Thanks,
> Nicole
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Tracy Carcione" <carcione at access.net>
> To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, May 17, 2010 10:36 AM
> Subject: [nagdu] dog drop-out rate
>
>
>> When we were discussing owner-training and how hard it can be to find a
>> suitable dog, I started wondering what the drop-out rate is at the
>> schools.  I had heard, way back 30 years ago at GDB, that it was 50
>> percent.  But I also think that part of the reason GDB dropped its
>> shepherd lines was that not enough dogs were making the cut.  The
>> investment was not paying off.  And I would think that, with scientific
>> breeding that has gone on for several generations, plus considerable
>> experience in training dogs, that the drop-out rate would be, well, a
>> good
>> bit less than 50 percent.
>> But I just was looking at the GDB blog.  A couple years ago, they chose
>> a
>> lab litter and followed it through to adulthood, and they just had a
>> wrap-up.  3 are guides; 2 are assistance dogs; and 2 are
>> "career-changed".
>> So, of 7 dogs, only 3 are guide dogs.  I was a bit surprised.
>> Has anyone heard any recent statistics about dog drop-out rates among
>> the
>> big schools?  I'm quite curious.
>>
>> I'm not picking on GDB or anything; it's just the one I've heard the
>> most
>> about.
>> Tracy
>>
>>
>>
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