[nagdu] Going out during training

[Peter Donahue]

Hello Tracy and everyone,

    During training at our centers students are expected too use their canes 
at all times be they traveling on their own, or undergoing instruction by 
one of the center's cane travel instructors. It should be the same way for 
students undergoing guide dog training.They should be expected to work their 
dogs during instructional time and during travel they might undertake on 
their own. When and how they use their dogs when training is complete is 
their business.

    As for when this should happen I believe Structured-Discovery gives us 
an answer. Instead of school staff categorically telling students they 
cannot travel off the grounds accompanied by their dogs they can guide them 
in determining when they would be ready to undertake such a  journey. This 
is far healthier as it would involve the student in the decision making 
process something they'll need to do when training is complete. This is a 
far more healthier approach to the issue and involves the trainer and 
student as equal partners in the determining process rather than the 
paternalistic approach of "No unaccompanied travel allowed until you get 
home." Now it's time for a delicious bowl of beef stew and tonight's edition 
of "Performance Today."

Peter Donahue

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tracy Carcione" <carcione at access.net>
To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2011 1:22 PM
Subject: [nagdu] Going out during training


I don't think that going out with a brand-new dog, in an unfamiliar area,
during class is a good idea, certainly not in the first couple weeks.  It
takes a while for the dog and person to adjust to each other, and, until
that happens, the guiding/following may not be all it should be.
As to going out without the dog, I wonder what people think should happen
in the following:
I was rather shocked by an episode Gary related about his class.  People
were free to go out after the training day, and it sounded like one woman
was making a habit of taking off, leaving her dog in the room, where it
started barking its head off, and other people repeatedly had to go and
deal with the problem.
If people are free to go out, and their dog causes a problem in their
absence, I think it would be reasonable to give them a warning, and, if it
happens again, send them home.  After all, they're in class to learn how
to handle a dog, and if bar-hopping is more important...out they go!

It did sound nice in Gary's class, to be able to nip down to the corner
and have a brewski.  But TSE is too far out in the country for that.  GDB
too, for that matter.
Tracy




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