[nagdu] bigger dogs was School Applications

Meghan Whalen mewhalen at gmail.com
Thu Sep 8 18:02:11 UTC 2011


Dayton is quite the master of compression.  He is 72 lb of still-growing 
German Shepherd, and he is on his way to 28 inches at the shoulder.  I 
think he will probably top out around 85 lb, but I'm not sure.  I have 
had him since he was 12 weeks old, and when he was small, I taught him 
that if I said, "Put yourself away", it meant he had to crunch down all 
little.  He can still fit into a rectangular laundry basket just to show 
off if I ask him.  His first flight was on one of those little airplanes 
with 1 seat on one side and two on the other.  Everyone was convinced he 
wouldn't fit under the seat in front of me, but he did a fantastic job 
of disproving that theory.  I think that since I taught him the "put 
yourself away" thing when he was little purely for the cute factor, he 
now understands that little spaces are meant to be fit into.  Sometimes 
I find him taking up less space than my little 47 lb Kirby did.

Meghan
On 9/8/2011 11:57 AM, Julie J. wrote:
> Both of my dogs are lab mixes.  Belle is a mystery, maybe Greyhound, 
> but I really don't know.  Monty is lab and Boxer mix.
>
> Julie
>
>> That must be a poodle thing!  Holly and for that matter Pez can curl 
>> up extremely small!
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Julie J." <julielj at neb.rr.com>
>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Thursday, September 08, 2011 11:55 AM
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] bigger dogs was School Applications
>>
>>
>>> Tami,
>>>
>>> It's interesting that Monty is much easier to fit into small spaces 
>>> than Belle ever was.  Belle is 24 or 25 inches at the shoulder and 
>>> about 75 pounds.  Monty is like 27 inches tall and 85 pounds.  
>>> However he curls up. Belle is not an adept curler.
>>>
>>> I don't think I could work with one of the tiny guides that are so 
>>> popular these days.  Well tiny to me.  To everyone else they are 
>>> normal sized! *smile*  I really enjoy my big and tall dog.
>>>
>>> Julie
>>>
>>>
>>> On 9/8/2011 10:45 AM, Tami Kinney wrote:
>>>> Yup. So I do like hearing from Pilot grads to learn more about their
>>>> interactions with that program and the dogs they get. In the guide dog
>>>> world at large, they seem to have a mixed reputation these days. In
>>>> another 4 or 5 years? Who knows! Also, since I don't have a medical
>>>> reason for a poodle, I may not even then be able to get one through a
>>>> program, depending on supply and demand. I'm also watching Guide 
>>>> Dog of
>>>> the Desert out here, since I guess you can get a poodle from them just
>>>> because you want one, if you're willing for the extra wait. The people
>>>> with a medical need for one will, naturally, take precedent. Still, 
>>>> it's
>>>> an interesting new avenue to consider... I honestly do want to
>>>> owner-train again, but one needs to have a lot of factors in place 
>>>> to do
>>>> that... So I like watching options evolve. Of course, another 
>>>> reason I'm
>>>> interested in Pilot is because they do produce some dobie guides. They
>>>> are my strong second choice, except at grooming time when I'm 
>>>> mournfully
>>>> emptying my wallet to pay the groomer. /smile/ Then of course, I am
>>>> reunited with my freshly shaved and cleaned and very happy poodle and
>>>> can't imagine why I would want anything but her! /smile/
>>>>
>>>> I did finally meet a young giant schnauzer, watching him follow Mitzi
>>>> around -- after she poodle slapped him into submission. He was ten
>>>> months, still not neutered, so I guess she wanted to be sure he
>>>> understood the rules. He adored her for that, which totally cracked me
>>>> and everybody else up. The owner was well informed about the breed, 
>>>> so I
>>>> got a lot of good information. Then I noted that the pup was leaning
>>>> against me at a little above mid-thigh and still had another growth
>>>> spurt or two in him before he was done with skeletal growth and 
>>>> started
>>>> to fill out.,.. Oh, that's why everybody was going on about the 
>>>> size of
>>>> his feet. Yikes! Well, some poodle guides get pretty big, as do some
>>>> doodle guides... I love big, big dogs, frankly, but... Where do you 
>>>> put
>>>> all that when you're trying to ride the bus? There's a new doodle 
>>>> guide
>>>> user here with a big fella, so I need to break down and ask her. I 
>>>> can't
>>>> figure out what to do with my 55-pounder that's really satisfactory.
>>>> She's all legs. So when the bus or train is crowded, even in the 
>>>> Honored
>>>> Citizen (ha
>>>> !) section, I spend my ride time feeling troubled about all the poodle
>>>> leg I have to keep up with to keep them safe, while I"m pretty sure 
>>>> the
>>>> poodle with all the legs wishes I would just let her relax a bit and
>>>> just stop fussing.  /lol/ Unfortunately, when she settles down safely
>>>> and starts to relax, there go the legs! And then the nose and ... I
>>>> should have got it figured out by now, I really should have, but now
>>>> when I see a good example of any breed that might be considered as a
>>>> guide dog, my fist thought is how to fit it on the bus! /lol/
>>>>
>>>> And I do enjoy watching the labbies at work. Especially the yellow 
>>>> ones,
>>>> since they're about the only dogs I can pick up manners and behaviors
>>>> and movements of, as well as the golden eyes because of the
>>>> contrast. /smile/ It's really easy to see why they are so numerous, 
>>>> and
>>>> why the goldens are and the mix of the two. They always seem to be 
>>>> just
>>>> so ... easy. Comparatively. /smile/ A yellow lab user who was quite
>>>> taken with Mitzi, jokingly offered to trade dogs not too long ago. I
>>>> found myself thinking that one over. The lab was younger than Mitzi 
>>>> and
>>>> about a zillion times less busy. Sweet personality, still some 
>>>> 'tude out
>>>> of harness, playful. Certainly a good guide still learning not to 
>>>> be too
>>>> strong for the handler, but obviously by now pretty easy and they work
>>>> together in an interesting way as a team that appears to work really
>>>> well. But compared to my adored and adorable poodle guide, just 
>>>> totally
>>>> laid back. Would I like a taste of the quiet life, I wondered? Nah...
>>>> When I'm ready for the quiet life, then I look forward to having 
>>>> such a
>>>> lab or that mellow -- in my view -- lab type. But for now, I'll stick
>>>> with the wild and crazy poodle life. /smile/
>>>>
>>>> Besides, the poodle would drive my friend crazy in no time. Teehee.
>>>>
>>>> Tami
>>>>
>>>> On Wed, 2011-09-07 at 18:38 -0400, Larry D. Keeler wrote:
>>>>> Of course, if you want a poodle Pilot is the place sence they 
>>>>> actually breed
>>>>> them there instead of waiting for donations.  However, I think 
>>>>> that the
>>>>> doodles are donated.
>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>> From: "Tami Kinney"<tamara.8024 at comcast.net>
>>>>> To:<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>>> Sent: Wednesday, September 07, 2011 5:28 PM
>>>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] School Applications
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> Gary,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Turns out there are a bunch of people with dogs from Guide Dogs 
>>>>>> of the
>>>>>> Desert here in Oregon. Not all are poodles or doodles, but they 
>>>>>> do seem
>>>>>> to have some good poodle lines these days. Still a long wait for a
>>>>>> poodle, but the handlers with GDD dogs all seem really happy with 
>>>>>> their
>>>>>> experience. And with the trainer that seems to work with many 
>>>>>> grads in
>>>>>> this area. So it's fun getting to learn more about that program, 
>>>>>> which
>>>>>> is pretty small still. Except for GDB, it seems like I have 
>>>>>> learned a
>>>>>> whole lot about the programs east of the Mississippi, because that's
>>>>>> where so many of the guide dog users I know are from. Huh.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Anyway, I don't know what the wait for GDD is with other breeds, but
>>>>>> they still say to plan for about a year for a poodle. Apparently,
>>>>>> though, you don't *have* to have a medical need for one; however, 
>>>>>> you
>>>>>> will have to wait longer, This from the poodle and doodle users 
>>>>>> around
>>>>>> here. Anyway, that's the scoop.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Tami
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Wed, 2011-09-07 at 12:38 -0700, GARY STEEVES wrote:
>>>>>>> Hi Meranda applied at 3 schools. I was looking for a poodle so was
>>>>>>> limited in which schools could help. I got my paperwork into all 
>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>> schools in August or september and got Bogart in the following 
>>>>>>> may. I
>>>>>>> also had heard back from guide dogs of the desert and would have 
>>>>>>> been
>>>>>>> accepted into a fall class with them which would have been about 
>>>>>>> a year
>>>>>>> waiting. When applying for a poodle I had prepared myself for 
>>>>>>> such long
>>>>>>> waits so was happy with how quick it was.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> My suggestion is to look at which schools meet the majority of 
>>>>>>> the needs
>>>>>>> you have and what you find important and apply to them. It is 
>>>>>>> always
>>>>>>> good, if possible, to talk to grads from different programs to 
>>>>>>> get their
>>>>>>> feelings on the school as long as you remember that  everyone is
>>>>>>> different so their impressions will vary as well.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Gary
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>>>> From: Julie McGinnity<kaybaycar at gmail.com>
>>>>>>> Date: Monday, September 5, 2011 2:57 pm
>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] School Applications
>>>>>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog 
>>>>>>> Users"
>>>>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Hi Miranda.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> When I was applying to schools, I applied to more than
>>>>>>>> one.  I took
>>>>>>>> the one that accepted me the quickest.  I am a student and
>>>>>>>> was at the
>>>>>>>> time I went to get a guide dog, so I needed somewhere that 
>>>>>>>> could place
>>>>>>>> me in the Summer.  It all depends.  I got an interview
>>>>>>>> in a month and
>>>>>>>> a half or so, and then I went to  class 2 months after
>>>>>>>> that.  I think
>>>>>>>> it usually takes longer though.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I did call to check on my application, so I know it's not
>>>>>>>> abnormal to
>>>>>>>> call and check on things.  It is also easy if you can email
>>>>>>>> someone in
>>>>>>>> admissions to ask them the status of your home interview--if it 
>>>>>>>> has
>>>>>>>> been planned yet...  I don't there would be anything wrong
>>>>>>>> with this.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Good luck!
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On 9/5/11, Cindy Ray<cindyray at gmail.com>  wrote:
>>>>>>>>> Well, all I can say is if they don't, call again. First of
>>>>>>>> all, I suspect
>>>>>>>>> that sometimes these things go slower because of vacations and
>>>>>>>> the like.
>>>>>>>>> Sometimes they send trainers and the trainers are also
>>>>>>>> training dogs and the
>>>>>>>>> like. I think it would nbe helpful if they would let us know
>>>>>>>> some kind of
>>>>>>>>> time line.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>>> nagdu mailing list
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>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> -- 
>>>>>>>> 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
>>>>>>>>
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