[nagdu] bigger dogs wasSchool Applications

Larry D. Keeler lkeeler at comcast.net
Thu Sep 8 19:46:55 UTC 2011 

No teacup poodle for you!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tami Kinney" <tamara.8024 at comcast.net>
To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, September 08, 2011 3:25 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] bigger dogs wasSchool Applications


> Then there are those super tiny versions you can see -- or meet -- these
> days. Very good for small spaces, and also very cute. Depending on the
> size of the person, many of them seem not as comparatively small as they
> really are. I did once get to observe a tiny lab with a woman about my
> size -- 5 ft. 5 inches, so boringly average -- and wondered about the
> ins and outs of using a guide dog that doesn't come up to your knees...
> I'd had my first traffic check from Mitzi not that long before, so I had
> realized on the spot the advantages of having a dog that can knock you
> back a couple of steps with a body block without knocking your feet out
> from under you. Else I woulda ended up under the car! So, above knee
> high is a must! Also, I have the klutz factor happening. A dog small
> enough to be only shin high would have its own issues by being tripped
> over all the time. /lol/ Mitzi, if I'm having an iffy day with the
> balance and orientation, can just maneuver me without my falling over
> her in the process. Maybe a more graceful guide dog user wouldn't have
> to worry about that? Well, she also can body block at stairs and
> landings and the like; I do know at least one person who was badly hurt
> because her dog wasn't tall enough to do that successfully. So, knee
> high for me! Knee to mid-thigh, really.Now that my vision has drained
> away enough that I can't be sure of seeing another guide dog even in
> really bright sunlight, I'm nervous about the notion of hanging out with
> users of very small guide dogs in case I trip over them. /lol/ I don't
> worry that much, but I am the type of person who could manage to do
> that, and it would just too embarrassing to be borne!
>
> Hm... When the breeder told me Mitzi was likely to reach about 50 pounds
> and 22 to 24 inches, I was worried such a small delicate creature
> wouldn't be able to stand up to the physical demands of guide dog
> work... Ha! We've come to an arrangement regarding the strength of her
> pull, but when she wants to , she could drag ten blind people all over
> town a poodle speed without slowing down a bit. /loll/ Her pull seems to
> be different from what others describe, but that could be just that I
> don't have anything else to compare to. One of the days, I'm going to
> have to arrange for a test walk with a demo dog just to find
> out. /smile/
>
> Tami
>
> On Thu, 2011-09-08 at 13:04 -0400, Buddy Brannan wrote:
>> Sam, I think your dog is right about the right size. My first dog, Karl, 
>> was about the same, 65 pounds or so, long, and about 24.5 inches tall. He 
>> curled up into small spaces very nicely. Ironically, he was much better 
>> at it than was Chet, who is a lab and about five pounds lighter. Leno's 
>> smaller yet at 55 pounds, but Leno is a longer dog, seemingly, than Chet. 
>> Chet's a stocky dog with a small head, and Leno's a longer skinny lab 
>> with a big head. Leno's gotten quite good at curling up in the front of a 
>> car, which he absolutely did not want to do for the first while I had 
>> him. Now he has no problem with it.
>>
>> As to dog size, I really like having a smaller dog. They're easy to tuck 
>> under things. Not to say I'd turn my nose up at a bigger one, but you'd 
>> be surprised at these smaller dogs if you've never had one. Speaking to 
>> the generic you, not the specific you as in Sam. :-) Leno, for instance, 
>> is very strong and has a nice, defined pull. By "defined", I mean 
>> "anything from solid pull to yank your arm out of its socket pull". 
>> Though the "yank your arm out of its socket" variety is very, very rare.
>> --
>> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
>> Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY
>>
>>
>>
>> On Sep 8, 2011, at 12:05 PM, Sam Hogle wrote:
>>
>> > I know what you mean Tami. At 67 pounds, people tell me Mason is on the 
>> > small side for a male golden. However, as much as he likes to spread 
>> > out, I don't see how I could handle traveling with anything bigger. 
>> > Also, I held the leash of my friend's guide, an 83 pound black lab, 
>> > once when his hands were full, and could not see how a person could 
>> > have good control of a dog that tall. I guess it's because I'm short or 
>> > something. Anyway, I think my small golden is just fine. We just have 
>> > to get this shedding in the summer under control, I do envy poodle 
>> > owners on that one. lol
>> > On 9/8/2011 11:45 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.
>> >>>>>>>
>> >>>>>>>
>> >>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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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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>> >
>> >
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