[nagdu] changes at GDF was Missing WashingtonCo.BoyFoundAfter5-MileBarefootWalk

Thu May 20 11:52:14 UTC 2010

It does. But don't all the guide dogs do that? What is special about GDF
in this regard? Cheryll wrote it like it was something real special and
it sounds like well, basic guide work to me. 

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of solsticesinger
Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 9:12 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] changes at GDF was Missing
WashingtonCo.BoyFoundAfter5-MileBarefootWalk

Step refusal is basically to keep us from tumbling down flights of
stairs. 
If I give Caroline the forward command, and we're at the top of a flight
of 
stairs, she will not go forward until my foot is planted on the step
below 
us. Hope that makes sense.

Shannon and Caroline
Are you a fan of Women's music? If so, join me each Wednesday evening
from 7 
until 10 eastern  for The Eclectic Collection: a Celebration of Women In

Music.
http://mojoradio.us:9090
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC)" <REBECCA.PICKRELL at tasc.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 2:18 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] changes at GDF was Missing Washington 
Co.BoyFoundAfter5-MileBarefootWalk

Step refusal? What is that?

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of cheryl echevarria
Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 11:25 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] changes at GDF was Missing Washington Co.
BoyFoundAfter5-MileBarefootWalk

Julie:

My guide dog is also from GDF.  I find them a great school, they do
leash
guiding as well, and step refusal, they are a great school.

Cheryl Echevarria
Independent Travel Consultant
C10-10646

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: "Julie J" <julielj at windstream.net>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 8:41 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] changes at GDF was Missing Washington Co. Boy
FoundAfter5-MileBarefootWalk

> Shannon,
>
> I'd be interested to know what changes have occurred at GDF since you
> first
> went there and which you like and which you don't.
>
> Although it's a long way off, I am considering GDF for my next guide,
if I
> decide not to owner train again.  I'm a little OCD about advance
planning!
> *smile*
>
> Julie
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "solsticesinger" <solsticesinger at gmail.com>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2010 10:43 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Missing Washington Co. Boy Found
> After5-MileBarefootWalk
>
>
> > Thank you for sharing this with us. I find it all very interesting.
> >
> > I've gotten both my dogs from GDF, and have found them incredible to

> > work
> > with. The school has grown in many ways from when I first went there
in
> > 1997. Some changes are good. Others, not so much, but overall, I
really
> > do
> > like the program. I'm glad they were willing to work with you, and I

> > hope
> > you get a fabulous dog.
> >
> > Shannon and Caroline
> > Are you a fan of Women's music? If so, join me each Wednesday
evening
> > from
> > 7
> > until 10 eastern  for The Eclectic Collection: a Celebration of
Women In
> > Music.
> > http://mojoradio.us:9090
> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> > From: "Katrin Andberg" <katrin at maplewooddog.com>
> > To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> > Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2010 8:15 PM
> > Subject: [nagdu] Missing Washington Co. Boy Found After
> > 5-MileBarefootWalk
> >
> >
> > There are many tasks that service dogs can do for adults with autism

> > that
> > are real true tasks.  Many relate to disorders that tend to coexist
with
> > the
> > autism diagnosis.  For example I am autistic and also have a
> > neurological
> > sensory processing disorder with poor proprioception.  The sensory
> > processing disorder I have because I am autistic and that is what I
> > mainly
> > utilize my dog for.  Because of this disorder I have difficulty with
> > correctly processing my environment through my senses.  Personally
my
> > most
> > 2
> > affected senses are my eye sight and my hearing.  I use my tactile
sense
> > a
> > lot to correctly interpret what my eyes are seeing or to tell me how
far
> > away from something I am and things like that.  Pretty much I can
never
> > trust my eye sight.  I am not legally blind but I do utilize many of
the
> > same skill sets that people who are legally blind use.  I have been
> > through
> > O&M training, which of course the state would not fund even though
my
> > drs
> > recommended it, so I had to pay out of pocket and it was a HUGE help
to
> > me.
> > I have also learned a lot by trial and error how to get along best
in my
> > environment.  One of the reasons I am on guide dog user specific
e-mail
> > lists is because it is a simple way for me to learn new things from
> > others
> > who have problems with vision even though the reasons we have
problems
> > are
> > not the same and see how they get things accomplished.  There are
things
> > I
> > have read about on the list and then gone "Hey that would really be
a
> > good
> > thing for me to try!" and I do it and it is a great help to me and
makes
> > things a lot easier.  I am a very independent person and I tend to
learn
> > things a bit differently because of my disability but I still get
the
> > job
> > done.  I do not though have the benefit of a vision center or a
state
> > commission for the blind or someplace like that as those places
won't
> > assist
> > me.  There is a local autism society but most of their services for
> > people
> > my age are for things like social groups or employment which I don't
> > really
> > need that kind of help with at this time.
> >
> >
> >
> > For what my dog does for me, he does all of the same tasks that a
guide
> > dog
> > for any of you do.  He does obstacle avoidance, he does intelligent
> > disobedience at streets and other dangerous situations, he does
stopping
> > at
> > curbs and stairs and other changes in pavement.  He also has a
follow
> > cue
> > which I use quite often when we are in new places.  I have also
trained
> > him
> > to find our home, the last car we were in if someone takes us out,
how
> > to
> > find people I go places often with by name, how to find places I go
> > often
> > by
> > name and a number of other things for me.  He finds entrance and
exit
> > doors,
> > he finds counters, he finds empty seats, etc.  I also have a dog who

> > helps
> > me at home only (I could have trained James but my corgi really
wanted a
> > job
> > so it was fun to train him too) who alerts me to various timers
going
> > off
> > and the smoke and CO alarm.  Again because of my sensory processing
> > disorder
> > I have difficulty with actually processing what those sounds are or
> > simply
> > not tuning them out and hearing them at all, so he tells me when
they
> > are
> > going off same as a hearing dog for the deaf would do.
> >
> >
> >
> > The dog I currently have, James, I owner trained.  My next dog I had

> > been
> > hoping to owner train, but due to life circumstances I am not going
to
> > be
> > able to so I have recently been accepted to GDF and will be going
there
> > at
> > some point in hopefully the next 2 years.  Finding a program that
would
> > accept me and train the tasks I need (which is mostly guide work)
was
> > very
> > difficult as pretty much no service dog programs train guide skills
and
> > very
> > few guide dog programs will accept people who are not legally blind.

> > GDF
> > was the only school I was able to find that was willing to accept me
to
> > date
> > on the east coast.  They have been great to work with and hopefully
will
> > be
> > a good match for me.
> >
> >
> >
> > Katrin
> >
> >
> >
> > Katrin Andberg
> >
> > Katrin at maplewooddog.com
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > nagdu mailing list
> > nagdu at nfbnet.org
> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
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> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
>
>
>
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