[nagdu] EXTERNAL:Re: harnesses

Sat Nov 13 19:07:57 UTC 2010

Hi,
That is one problem with some schools.  They either try to do too much or do
too little.  I went to tSE for my first dog, and after little help from
them, and then the training manager giving up, I retired the dog I had and
went to GDB for my second dog.   Things are much beter this time, and when I
ran into an issue of my dog not working properly, they had an instructor
here and we fixed the issue.  I ran into the same problem again, and called
that instructor.  He gave me a few ideas and now September is working the
way I need her to.  
Jordan

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of GARY STEEVES
Sent: Saturday, November 13, 2010 12:49 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] EXTERNAL:Re: harnesses

Hi

Yes, this was an interesting situation. First, I think they were worried
about my ability to get the dog and myself either home or to a vet if it
happened again. As I mentioned, there were people in the class with
differing abilities to deal with a frightening situation. This is always the
case but I do think that this school is a bit on the paternalistic side of
the scale. I knew this when I went there and I guess I won't know how much
it is or isn't until my next dog which I will get at a different school. 

Of course, as it has been discussed here before, when you fear having your
dog taken away if he has another incident you are lesss likely to be honest
with the school about what has happened or not. I think his ceizure  like
event was  caused by  a number of things all at once. He was a bit under
weight, hadn't eaten in about a day, was very excited about seeing his
trainer who he was very bonded with and then had a couple of dog run ins.
the last one, a block before he collapsed jumped at him snapping.  All his
blood tests came back normal and he has never had any weird  behaviour
since then. WE'll keep our fingers crossed.

Gary

----- Original Message -----
From: "Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC)" <REBECCA.PICKRELL at tasc.com>
Date: Friday, November 12, 2010 5:43 am
Subject: Re: [nagdu] EXTERNAL:Re:  harnesses
To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>

> And I find it interesting that they were concerned about how you'd
> manage a seizure if you were by yourself. We all are faced with things
> we need to deal with. And, we do, having working eyeballs 
> doesn't mean
> that you will deal with a situation better then if you didn't 
> I'd be
> wanting to know the school's logic for this attitude.  I 
> can understand
> the school saying "We insist all our dogs be in perfect health, yours
> isn't" but to doubt your abilities to handle a seizure all by yourself
> just rubs me all kinds of wrong ways. 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf Of Tamara Smith-Kinney
> Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2010 5:53 PM
> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> Subject: EXTERNAL:Re: [nagdu] harnesses
> 
> Yeeks!  I'm glad it was only the one seizure and that you 
> stuck to your
> guns.  The sport harness is terrific for hiking!
> 
> So I find myself wondering at the reasons for your program's policy
> about
> harnesses...  Not that it matters to me, I just find it curious.
> 
> Tami Smith-Kinney
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf
> Of GARY STEEVES
> Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2010 11:01 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] harnesses
> 
> 
> Hello Everyone:
> 
> I'm going to ask a question which will undoubtably get some people's
> response. :) I asked my school about using another harness since 
> I am
> thinking about using the paw power sports harness on Bogart when 
> we do
> some
> summer hiking. After doing a hike with him this summer I think a 
> lighterharness designed for that type of action might work 
> better. I asked my
> school if  they had a policy about using other harnesses on 
> Bogart and,
> not
> surprisingly to me, they do have a policy forbidding the use of other
> harnesses on their graduates. They are also a school that maintains
> ownership of the dog which is a bit annoying but I doubt, since 
> I am a
> pretty strong advocate for what I need, will be an issue. For example,
> Bogart had some sort of ceizure only 2 weeks after we got home from
> training. Luckily the trainer was with us on a visit so she witnessed
> what
> happend. If I had been an insecure person and didn't say that I 
> want to
> keep
> bogart since who knows if this will happen again, they would 
> have taken
> him
> back to the school with  them that day. I think this would 
> have happened
> with most schools since they were concerned what I would do if 
> he had
> another incident and I was by myself but I was able to assure 
> them I
> knew
> how to handle the situation and always have a cane with me in case
> something
> was to happen to bogart anyways. They respect my abilities and 
> that was
> the
> end of the conversation.
> 
> Oops, sort of side tracked. Does any other school have a similar 
> harnesspolicy? Yeah, I know, what they don't know won't hurt 
> them so I
> certainly
> won't hesitate from buying a sport harness if I think it is what 
> is best
> for
> bogart and myself based on our activities.
> 
> Thanks
> Gary
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Tracy Carcione <carcione at access.net>
> Date: Wednesday, November 10, 2010 7:36 am
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] harnesses
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> 
> > My brother has a GDB dog, and a detachable harness handle, and 
> > it does not
> > come flying off while he's working the dog.  Surely, if 
> > that happened
> > often, GDB would not issue them.
> > I don't think GDB would sell a non-grad a harness.  It 
> has 
> > their name on
> > it, after all.  Like asking Dodge to sell you their 
> > trademark thingy to
> > stick on your Chevy.
> > 
> > I haven't bought one, but I rather thought that the Pawpower 
> harnesses> would cost similar to what a school would charge a 
> non-grad, if 
> > you could
> > get them to sell you one at all.
> > Tracy
> > 
> > > Hi Listers,
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > I know we have discussed this subject a lot on here, so 
> > forgive me for
> > > bringing it up again. So I called SE yesterday to see if 
> they 
> > would even
> > > think of developing a harness for a grad, who needs a 
> > removable handle.
> > > And
> > > they said they have tried, but can't make one that the 
> handle 
> > does not
> > > deattach while working the dog. So here is my dilemma. With 
> me 
> > in cars,
> > > and
> > > on the go just much more in general. I am in desperate need 
> of 
> > a harness
> > > that has a removable handle. I have seen the new GDB 
> harness, 
> > with the
> > > quick
> > > release handles. Does anyone have one? And have you noticed 
> if 
> > the handle
> > > deattaches while working the dog? And is it possible for me, 
> a 
> > guide dog
> > > user to get my hands on a GDB harness? My first pup was from 
> > GDB, but when
> > > I
> > > retired her, they took back the harness. But that was not an 
> > harness with
> > > the quick release handle either. Didn't know if anyone else 
> > has a dog from
> > > one school, but uses a harness from a different school. Do 
> the 
> > schools> frown
> > > upon this? Exchanging of harness and dogs? If this doesn't 
> > work, I am
> > > seriously thinking of purchasing a PawPowers harness.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Thanks for letting me ask questions,
> > >
> > > Marsha
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > nagdu mailing list
> > > nagdu at nfbnet.org
> > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> > > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account 
> > info for
> > > nagdu:
> > > 
> >
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/carcione%40access
> .net
> >
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > _______________________________________________
> > nagdu mailing list
> > nagdu at nfbnet.org
> > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account 
> > info for nagdu:
> >
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/rainshadowmusic%4
> 0sha
> w.ca
> > 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account 
> info for
> nagdu:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/tamara.8024%40com
> cast
> .net
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account 
> info for
> nagdu:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/rebecca.pickrell%
> 40ngc.com
> 
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account 
> info for nagdu:
>
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/rainshadowmusic%40sha
w.ca
> 

_______________________________________________
nagdu mailing list
nagdu at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nagdu:
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/jgallacher1987%40gmai
l.com