[nagdu] intro and some questions

[Julie J.]

Welcome Chantel!

I'm Julie, one of the moderators.  I'm glad to have you on the list!

Your first question about locations...as I understand it most of the 
programs will want to see that you get out regularly and have enough 
places to go so the dog will get enough practice to maintain it's 
training.  How many routes and how far depends on the particular program 
and the particular dog you are matched with.

Are there more places you'd like to go?  Could you walk nowhere in 
particular, just for the exercise?   Are you planning to go to college, 
move to a different location or take on a new job in the near future?  
These are all things to consider when thinking about where you travel 
and how a dog might fit in with your lifestyle.  It's just food for 
thought, please don't feel that I'm asking you to answer all that. *smile*

Second question about picking a program...I tell everyone decide what is 
most important to you first, then look at the various options to see 
which one comes closest to what you want.  Some popular criteria:
how quickly you can get into class
breeds offered/will the school honor your gender or breed preferences
dormitory/living arrangements, private rooms, vegetarian meals etc.
amenities at location, computer, wireless internet, private relief 
areas, swimming pool, exercise room etc.
length of training and/or home training options
location of school in proximity to where you live
speed and availability of follow up services
specific trained behaviors, escalators, follow another person, find, etc.
financial assistance with ongoing expenses
and my personal number one most important item...ownership

HTH
Julie




On 8/2/2011 1:05 PM, Chantel Cuddemi wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> My name is Chantel and I am planning to get my first guide dog. My first
> question is, what do you do when you don't have that many places to walk to
> but you still feel that a guide dog would benefit you?
>
> How should I decide between schools other than talking to them? Should I
> keep speaking to handlers about the schools as well as talking to the
> schools?
>
> Any help is greatly appreciated.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Chantel.
>
>
>
> Email: jawsgirl87 at gmail.com
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