[nagdu] Guide dog Schools

[Tami Kinney]

Wayne,

Shhh!!! You're not supposed to tell. /evil grin/ It's true, though, that
any number of sins by many of our dogs can be traced directly back to,
well, us. Not all, but... In my case, I very often find myself
vigorously defending some perceived faux pas or mistake by my guide by
pointing out the seven different things I did wrong that she was just
trying to set me straight on. /lol/ She's perfectly capable of getting
into trouble all on her own, but in her work she's really very
safety-conscious and accurate. If I trip over something or bump into an
obstacle, nearly every time it's because I wasn't paying attention to
her. What can I say? /smile/

Tami

On Tue, 2011-07-12 at 13:28 -0500, Wayne Merritt wrote:
> At The Seeing Eye, they recommend slowly introducing the dog to being
> left alone, such as leaving for a few minutes, then for an hour, then
> for several hours, and so forth. They definitely don't recommend to
> walk out and leave them in a strange house the first time you leave
> the dog alone. As you say though, each dog/team is different. The
> first time I left my current guide at my parent's house, I had
> forgotten about this gradual leaving the dog home thing. I went to
> dinner with a friend and was gone for several hours. The next day, I
> asked my folks how my doggy did, and was told that the dog had some
> anxiety about being left at home. They did say that when they put her
> leash on her that she was better, but when I heard about her anxiety,
> I also made a mental note not to leave her alone for several hours the
> first time she was in a new place. That was operator error on my part
> and not her fault. Funny, that last statement brings to mind a phrase
> I had heard some time ago from a service dog trainer which can be
> applied to our guides. It went something like, "If something happens
> an the dog misbehaves, more than likely it's your fault."
> 
> Wayne
> 
> On 7/12/11, PICKRELL, REBECCA M (TASC) <REBECCA.PICKRELL at tasc.com> wrote:
> > I don't know the duration schools say for leaving a dog shortly after coming
> > home, but I left my dog for an evening to go to an Indigo Girls concert. The
> > dog was fine.
> > I say this because you don't want to sell yourself short of fun stuff to do,
> > and because our dogs will be fine. I was gone for a night.
> > Also, it was one of those things where me not going would have been more
> > upsetting then staying home with my dog.
> > Also, if you do have to travel, your dog will adjust. That's what they do.
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> > Of Julie McGinnity
> > Sent: Monday, July 11, 2011 3:21 PM
> > To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> > Subject: Re: [nagdu] Guide dog Schools
> >
> > Hi Brianna.
> >
> > I went for my first dog when I was still in high school, so I was
> > thinking about the same things you seem to be now.  I went to
> > GEB(Guiding Eyes for the blind).  I had a great experience.  I worked
> > well with the trainers, even though I was young and worried about
> > everything.  Even if you would like a shorter program, I just would
> > like to remind you that all schools recommend that you don't travel
> > with your dog or leave your dog alone to take a trip for the first few
> > months.  Also, a lot of your first Summer with that dog will be full
> > of that dog.  You and your dog will be forming a bond, which is quite
> > magical, but it does take time and energy.
> >
> > If you have any questions about Guide dogs, dog schools, or Guiding
> > Eyes, feel free to email me off list.
> >
> > Now I have to get my own little dog out from under a bed!  :)
> >
> > On 7/11/11, Cindy Ray <cindyray at gmail.com> wrote:
> >> Which school of those do you think you would like?
> >>
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> 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/kaybaycar%40gmail.com
> >>
> >
> >
> > --
> > Julie McG
> >  Lindbergh High School class of 2009, participating member in Opera
> > Theater's Artist in Training Program, and proud graduate of Guiding
> > Eyes for the Blind
> >
> > "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that
> > everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal
> > life."
> > John 3:16
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > 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%40tasc.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/wcmerritt%40gmail.com
> >
> 
>