[nagdu] About private trainers

Tami Kinney tamara.8024 at comcast.net
Tue Nov 8 14:31:48 UTC 2011



Hey, Doug! That is awesome! Spending your golden years doing what you 
love sounds perfect to me. /lol/ You really do keep it all in the 
family. So are you genetically predisposed to be dog trainers?

I'll keep in mind that you help with the picking of the right dog for 
training. I should have another 4 or 5 years before looking for a 
prospect to train to take over Mitzi's job, but I am already sweating that!

The traffic training assistance for owner-trainers would certainly rank 
as my number one area to use sighted assistance. Mitzi got it, which is 
great, because she ended up saving our lives while I was still wondering 
how to make sure she would grasp that facet of her work before we got 
run over. She did. She also grasped overhead clearance from our long 
leash work and just applied it when she started guiding in harness.So it 
took me a while to figure that out because I didn't know about all the 
overhead stuff she was taking me around. I was just wondering how the 
heck to teach her to travel in a straight line. /lol/ So then I walked 
the route in a straight line with my cane and would you believe it? I 
banged my head on all sorts of things by not going around them. /lol/ 
Mitzi appeared to be pretty smug about that, although after the second 
bump or so at full walking speed, I may have been just imagining that, 
since I was feeling a bit light-headed and dizzy for some reason. At 
least my dog has some brains, since I seem bent on softening up what few 
I have left.

I know I had some influence in Mitzi's grasp of the really tricky stuff 
like traffic and overheads, because from the very first long leash walk 
with me using my cane, I started laying in foundation stones of the work 
I hoped to train her for. Even if she didn't work out as a guide, I 
figured, I would still be taking her out and about for walks and 
exercise, so building in those safety aspects from the get go would keep 
us both safer there. I don't have a clue whether a different dog would 
learn to generalize and distinguish as she does, though, so I still find 
myself wondering eveyr now and then how in the heck people train dogs to 
take a blind person around an overhead obstacle or to keep them from 
getting run over crossing the street. Beats me! /lol/

Anyway, congratulations on getting settled and starting on your business 
of training for love.

Tami
On 11/07/2011 12:39 PM, doug weil wrote:
> Hello All,
>
> I guess since Marion gave me a nice lead in, I will put myself out there for assistance. I've been on the move lately and am just about settled in the Malibu Ca. area. I am sort of semi retired but still have the passion and love for training guide dogs and consumers. My knees have held through the years and I'm fortunate  to have good health. The owner-trainer aspect has always fascinated me and I admire those of you who have chosen that path. I talked with Marion at length one day about offering a help line/support base for the owner trainers. I have over 35 years experience in dog training. I did start at GDB and trained there for about 8 years and was licensed in 1980. I have trained several hundred consumers with guide dogs in my career. I was also a Sheriff's Deputy K-9 handler for 15 years working dual purpose dogs on the street. My expertise has always been problem solving and I still love the challenge to come up with solutions to fix training
>   issues.
>
> My wife (Caroline) is also a Ca. Licensed Guide Dog Instructor and is probably one of the best trainers I know. Between the two of us, we can bounce ideas off each other and usually come up with several options or solutions to solve training issues. If I can brag a bit, our daughter is in her second year apprenticeship at GDB. I guess the apple didn't fall far from the tree. She's been training dogs most of her life and competed with several dogs in agility, conformation and obedience. We have been told that we have bred the first generation Guide Dog Instructor. Caroline and I owned and operated our own dog training business that we started in 1983. We retired in 2008 but couldn't seem to let it go and this past year Caroline re-opened the doors to continue training guide dogs and service dogs privately. This is our passion and we have dedicated the rest of our lives to helping consumers to either get a guide dog or train their own dog or to search for
>   the right type of dog for them. We also have trained balance support dogs and PTSD dogs for returning Veterans from Iraq. See our website and facebook at: http://www.thedogworks.org
>
> We are not a non-profit although we don't make much or any money. We pay everything out of pocket and ask the consumer to cover our expenses. We don't want to get into fund raising as it is a full time job in itself. We ask the Consumer to find a sponsor or fund raise on their own. We don't set a price, we don't feel it's fair to deny someone a dog because of money. We ask the consumer to at least try to cover expenses and if there's extra, it gives us some up front money to start another dog. Expenses for training a guide dog and in-home training for the consumer usually run about 5 to 10 thousand dollars. As for owner-trainers, phone advice is are free. It may be difficult to dissect your training problems over the phone, but I can certainly give you some ideas that might help and the price is right. Two areas I believe owner-trainers may need professional or sighted assistance are obstacle clearances and  traffic training. These are the greatest
>   safety issues and I feel strongly that they cannot be compromised.  I am fairly available time-wise and can travel to your location but ask that you cover all expenses; travel/lodging/meals. Another option would be a video consultation if you can have someone video you working your dog and showing the issue/problem that you are having.  Pay me what you think is fair for my time/training or whatever you can afford. Again, we don't think it's fair to deny someone who needs assistance or a privately trained dog for special needs who cannot afford it.
>
> I could continue to write another few pages, but instead I'll leave you my personal cell number. I'm living in the mountains and have very poor cell service, so leave a voice mail and I'll eventually get it and call you back. To summarize, I'll gladly talk with you and give you some advice/options. For those who have program dogs and do not own their dog outright, I ask you contact your school where you received your dog; I respect all schools and will not interfere with their clients/consumers.  We can help find a particular dog for you or assist you in training your own dog or privately train a dog for you if you have special needs and don't fit into any established programs. I hope to be of service to you. You mail email me off list at: doug at thedogworks.org
>
> Safe travels everyone and hug the dogs!
>
> Doug Weil
>
> Cell#  715 937-2051
>
>
>
>
>
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>
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>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Marion Gwizdala<blind411 at verizon.net>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users"<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, November 7, 2011 5:26 AM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] About private trainers
>
> Dear All,
>     there is a private guide dog trainer on this list. His name is Doug Weil. He worked at GDB for quite some time. He has helped me with a couple of training issues and is willing to work with anyone who needs his help. Since he is on this list, I will let him give you more information about his services and fees, if he wishes to do so.
>
> fraternally yours,
> Marion
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mardi Hadfield"<wolfsinger.lakota at gmail.com>
> To:<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Sunday, November 06, 2011 8:08 PM
> Subject: [nagdu] About private trainers
>
>
>> Hi every one, Mardi here. Just catching up on the list.I have used a
>> private trainer with all my dogs. I told them what I needed my dogs to do
>> and it worked out
>   for me. This last time around, I did more of the training
>> my self. I definitely feel that I could train the next one with out the
>> trainer's help. I would really like to get a program dog next time but not
>> being able to travel away from home, needing a wheelchair guide and
>> preferring certain breeds, I will probably end up training my own again. As
>> far as private trainers that do guide dog training, Pro-Train of California
>> will train one for you. You can provide the dog or take one that they have
>> bred. Of course it will cost big bucks. The link is  Dog Trainer, San
>> Diego: Pro Train Service
>> Dogs<http://www.protraindog.com/Service-Dogs-San-Diego.html>
>> Have a great day,  Mardi and Shaman
>> -- http://wolfsinger-lakota.blogspot.com/
>>
>   http://wolfsinger2-thegoldendragon.blogspot.com
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