[nagdu] new guide dog.

Sun Feb 6 20:54:24 UTC 2011

Hi, Alex,

Let me say first that I'm not trying to change your mind about getting your 
guide dog from Fidelco.  I just have a few comments to make about the 
Fidelco contract based on my experience with Fidelco from 2001 and 2002.

The Fidelco contract which I received at the time I trained with my 2 
Fidelco dogs gave the graduate the option of gaining ownership of the dog 
after 6 month of successful partnership or leaving the dog in the ownership 
of Fidelco.  This choice seemed pretty clear.  However, the thing that 
always confused me was that, except for the checkmark in the box indicating 
which ownership option the graduate chose, there didn't seem to be any 
difference between the terms of the contract for those who owned the dog 
versus those who left the dog in Fidelco's ownership.  For example, the 
graduate still had to agree to follow Fidelco's 
suggestions/recommendations/dictates regarding the brand of food that the 
dog would be fed and other ways in which the dog would be managed/treated. 
Fidelco still reserved the right to remove the dog if the organization felt 
that the dog was not being maintained according to the advice of the 
program, without having to prove neglect or abuse to any legal authority. 
This seemed contradictory to me, and it seemed as if the choice of ownership 
options was there purely for cosmetic/public relations value, rather than as 
a true legal distinction.

As it turned out, I had to return my first Fidelco dog after just 3 months 
of partnership, and I had to return my second Fidelco dog after just about a 
year of partnership, well beyond the point where my choice of ownership had 
supposedly gone into effect.  Both times I returned the dogs voluntarily, 
but in both cases I expressed my expectation that Fidelco would include me 
in planning and discussing the dogs' future placements, as I had, of course, 
become very attached to each of them.  In both cases, however, once the dogs 
were back in Fidelco's custody, I was not consulted nor even kept informed 
as to the disposition of the dogs, and I had to go to considerable lengths 
just to find out in a general way where my dogs had been placed.

I would be interested to know whether this situation with respect to the 
ownership issue and its consequences has changed in the intervening years or 
whether it remains essentially unchanged.  I would also like to know if 
Fidelco's policies in real life have been brought more into alignment with 
the ownership clause of the contract.

I just thought you might want to look at these matters before you enter the 
emotionally-charged relationship with a guide dog training program and with 
a living canine personality and partner.  And yes, the people at Fidelco are 
nice, and perhaps you think such a situation where you would have to send 
back a beloved guide could never happen to you, and if it did, of course the 
Fidelco people would want to keep you in the loop as to what would happen to 
your own dog.  But just remember, forewarned is forearmed, or an ounce of 
prevention is worth a pound of cure, or look before you leap--or whatever 
proverb you like--is still the best advice I can give you.

Best,
Ann

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "alex" <aaatlantic at aol.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, February 05, 2011 11:52 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] new guide dog.

> thanks bryan,
> I am very happy to say that some of the staff are very good people and 
> Jason he is very good man.  he is going to be my traner
> thanksOn 2011-02-05, at 10:00 PM, Bryan Brown wrote:
>
>> Alex,
>>
>>   Hi, welcome to the list. I'm a graduate of FIDELCO and I am thrilled 
>> with my boy Tarik, my first and only other dog was a little female black 
>> lab, she was excellent, trained by the seeing eye. I'm self employed so 
>> going out of town for a month wasn't an option for me when it was time to 
>> get a new guide. I researched programs and found FIDELCO, and it was a 
>> perfect fit for me. I've been really happy with the support that I get 
>> from FIDELCO. I opted to own and it's been a good five years. He hasn't 
>> slowed down much but I like to get where I'm going, and I haven't slowed 
>> down much myself, so it works out good.
>>
>> I truly enjoy German Shepherds as a breed and I don't see myself using 
>> any other program than FIDELCO. There training philosophy and the fact 
>> that I can call out there and say "Hi, it's Bryan from Wisconsin" and 
>> they know who I am makes me feel at home with the staff.
>>
>> I think you will be happy, the training is one on one and very 
>> personalized. You are in your home town and the trainer is exposed to 
>> your real life. I believe that makes a huge difference. I personally see 
>> in community training as the future of guide dog training.
>>
>> I think there are at least 3  or maybe more FIDELCO grads on the list, so 
>> we're a rare breed, but we're around. Again welcome and good luck in 
>> training!
>>
>>   Bryan and FIDELCO dog Tarik
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dixie" <blueherons at sbcglobal.net>
>> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Saturday, February 05, 2011 8:03 PM
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] new guide dog.
>>
>>
>>> Fidelco only trains German Shepherds.  And, we are allowed to choose if 
>>> we
>>> would like to own or for Fidelco to maintain ownership of our dogs.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> If we choose to own our dogs, as I have done, after 6 months as a 
>>> working
>>> team the ownership of the dog reverts to the handler.
>>>
>>>
>>> Dixie and Fidelco's Cobalt
>>>
>>> ~  @-> ~ <-@  ~
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
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>
>
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