[nagdu] GDF and NAGDU conventions

Thu Apr 26 20:04:47 UTC 2012

Marsha really helped me feel so much better, understanding what I was 
trying to say.
I would hate to think that I am only a number with the school.
Call 78 we have a dog for her.
Smile.

Original message:
> Marsha's experience and Dar's make me wonder if the bond is only one-way?
> Both were treated very unkindly by the schools they mention.

> There is a way to reject requests without being mean.
> So I do wonder if some of these bonds only go one-way.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On 
> Behalf Of Marsha Drenth
> Sent: Tuesday, April 24, 2012 9:08 PM
> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] GDF and NAGDU conventions

> Dar,

> Your very welcome. I think any of us who have gone to a school, and for
> whatever reason have changed schools would feel the same. I know I did when
> I went to GDB. Here was a guide dog school, who was important to me, who I
> built a bond with, because of my guide. And then they go and do us wrong.
> Its hard.

> But your right, moving on, so that you can go on to train with your
> successor guide is the best. Your going to do well with the new guide, and
> think of all the new things you will get to do with the new guide. Its those
> thoughts that should help you heal from the hurt. Think positively!

> Good Luck,
> Marsha

> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of d m gina
> Sent: Tuesday, April 24, 2012 12:01 PM
> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] GDF and NAGDU conventions

> Hi there,
> I shared what happened to ask folks how to mentally handle the fact you
> have been with set school for years,
> You have met persons that you knew for years, and suddendly you are
> gravy, you no longer are friends and that upsets me more than being
> denied another dog from set school.
> We all put our hearts in working the dogs that are trained for us,
> knowing all about the dog, and believing in set school.
> Then no matter the reason, the apple cart turns over, and you are left
> going wow.
> I want to thank you for replying to me showing me that you do care
> enough to say I am sorry this happened.
> It helps me see, you might think I am a person with feelings.
> that I do care about what happens and I know as I move forward with
> another dog in the future I will give all I have to the new school as I
> did to gdf.
> I did call school, and I felt honesty wasn't there.
> I have tried to contact friends disreguarding the fact they work there,
> just saying hi.
> Nothing, I know as we travel threw life, we meet so many persons, I
> want to feel I left some kind of impression or impackt on their lives.
> that I wasn't just a number you throw away after number has been said.
> I won't say much any more about this,
> the persons know on this list from gdf I wrote personally because I
> felt and thought we were friends.
> The dog doesn't matter to me what school it came from, what matters, is
> swell training and that the bonding is special between dog and set person.
> I love people for who they are, not from where dog came from set school.
> Thanks again for being so kind to me, and thanks again for sharing that
> you understood the hurt is bad, and i am trying hard to get over it so
> I can truly be excited for not just my new school, but the new dog that
> I will get.
> I am still waiting to have the dog trained for me, and I am sure they
> will let me know when the time is rite.
> Blessings always,

> Original message:
>> Dar,

>> I don't think anyone would argue that what has happened with you and GDF
>> isn't upsetting. As I also understand your reasoning for answers. But I am
>> not sure that this list is the place for those answers. Nor do I think
> that
>> the GDF staff will give you the answers your looking for here. This is
>> between you and the school. I would recommend calling them directly so
> that
>> they can answer your concerns. None of us have all the details, nor can
> say
>> why this or that happened. I am not trying to be mean or rude. Like I
> said,
>> I know this is upsetting, and I am sorry for that.

>> Marsha, Moderator

>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
>> Of d m gina
>> Sent: Monday, April 23, 2012 5:22 PM
>> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] GDF and NAGDU conventions

>> Are you aware that I was sent away because I was told I weighed to much?
>> that they couldn't train me with a slower dog because of the vertigo?
>> I feel the school is sending out two different messages ones for
>> students who were there that they have all of these faults, and yet
>> they want a service person to come to the school.
>> I know that there are many who weigh more than I, and I also know that
>> discrimination was truly done here.
>> When they send you away the letter is quite disgusting.
>> It isn't prefessional at all.
>> I am also told that the dogs are becoming to soft and can't work the
>> streets of New York for long periods of time.
>> Now what is this all about, when the school is on long island?
>> entertaining if you ask me.
>> I understand you didn't, but I felt that it was time a person stood up
>> for themselves on this list and shared what the beans happened and no
>> one wanted to talk to me to either straighten out the problem,
>> once they say no you are gravy and that is that.
>> I could understand if I was hitting my dog over the head or anything
>> like that where they wouldn't want to take me back, but to say it is
>> because I am over weight is unreal.
>> How do you learn to trust a school, when you feel all is fine, and you
>> are working on a one to one to get a letter that was just unreal.
>> Just my thoughts where it is hard for me to not trust much in what any
>> school does.
>> They want us to be straight but they sure took a turn or is it a corner?

>> Original message:
>>> HI Laurel,

>>> Actually we do both.

>>> We have a program called America's VetDogs which is a subsidiary
>>> organization of the Guide Dog Foundation that provides service dogs for
> US
>>> Military veterans. These dogs can also be guides if the veteran is
> legally
>>> blind and otherwise qualifies for a guide dog.

>>> Since we have taken on the service dog program, we have learned a great
>> deal
>>> about training dogs for tasks other than guiding so that if someone does
>>> need additional tasks from a guide, we can consider that in their
>> training.
>>> Not all dogs can handle multiple tasks and there are only so many tasks a
>>> dog can be taught to do for someone, guiding being probably the most
>>> demanding in many ways.

>>> Jenine Stanley
>>> jeninems at wowway.com
>>> http://www.twitter.com/jeninems

>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
> Behalf
>>> Of Laurel
>>> Sent: Sunday, April 22, 2012 9:37 PM
>>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] GDF and NAGDU conventions

>>> Hi Jeanine, sorry if I mispelled your name,

>>> I have a question. You said that GDF graduates about 100 guide dogs, but
>>> that they also graduate some other service dog type teams? What does that
>>> mean? Do you all help people get dogs that do other things as well as
>> guide
>>> like guide dogs that work with people in wheel chairs? Or do you issue
>> dogs
>>> that aren't guides but perform other tasks like wheel chair, hearing,
> etc.
>> I
>>> know some schools work with people who need guides and wheel chair
> guides,
>>> or the deaf blind etc, but I have never learned much about GDF's work in
>>> this area so I am curious.
>>> Thanks,
>>> Laurel and Stockard

>>> On 4/22/12, Jenine Stanley <jeninems at wowway.com> wrote:
>>>> Julie,

>>>> Let me give you a little more info on the exhibiting factors that lead
>>>> to GDF decisions anyway regarding conventions.

>>>> We have not had a booth at the ACB convention for many years. The
>>>> primary reason is that their exhibit hall hours are much longer over a
>>>> longer span of time than at NFB and we simply do not have the staff to
>>>> man a booth and take part in the activities of the guide dog
>>>> affiliate, GDUI, which demand volunteers from te schools to help with
>>> various events.

>>>> I'm the GDUI Program Chair this year so I can say things about them.
>>>> <grin>

>>>> We do, however, hope to have a booth at the NFB convention even though
>>>> the cost is more, primarily because we like how the exhibit hall is
>>>> organized and run and that this is an audience we have been neglecting
>> for
>>> some time.
>>>> As you see from my earlier note, that's paid off in the number of
>>>> people referred to us through NFB and NAGDU.

>>>> I personally like the dedicated exhibit hall times at NFB as it gives
>>>> me time to attend the NAGDU functions without having to worry about a
>>>> booth and as I'm the one responsible for said booth, that matters a
>>>> lot. <grin>

>>>> The ACB exhibit hall is very crowded all week, which is fine but
>>>> again, we find that we reach more people by walking around, talking to
>>>> people, helping them with various things around the hotel, etc.

>>>> We also have found fewer graduates attending ACB conventions,
>>>> especially when held in western states. Some day this balance may
>>>> swing again, but I really think that having different strategies for
>>>> each type of convention, even the state ones, is important. As long as
>>>> people know how and where to find us, That's what really matters.

>>>> Jenine Stanley
>>>> jeninems at wowway.com
>>>> http://www.twitter.com/jeninems

>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>>>> Behalf Of Julie J.
>>>> Sent: Sunday, April 22, 2012 6:10 PM
>>>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] GDF and NAGDU conventions

>>>> I have been to both NFB and ACB national conventions.  At the NFB
>>>> conventions I have been to there are generally a handful of the guide
>>>> dog program reps there.  It is usually the larger schools, unless the
>>>> convention is geographically very close to a smaller program's main
>>>> offices.  When I was at the ACB national convention last year, I think
>>>> there was a booth in the exhibit hall for just about every program
>>>> available.  There were definitely many more than at the NFB conventions.

>>>> So I asked myself why this might be?  On the surface it might look
>>>> like there is more agreement with ACB so that's why more of the
>>>> programs attend that convention.  But I don't think so.  I think a
>>>> larger percentage of blind people at the ACB conventions are
>>>> interested in working with a guide dog.  If you only have so many
>>>> advertising dollars, it makes sense to use them where you are going to
>> get
>>> the most out of them.

>>>> I've talked with a lot of program representatives over the years.  I
>>>> can honestly say that what we talked about wasn't much different based
>>>> on whether I was at one of the NFB conventions or the ACB convention I
>>>> attended.   The guide dog program employees talk about dogs, dog
>>>> training and what they have to offer.  After all the guide dog programs
>>>> are businesses.   They are providing trained dogs to blind people, not
>>>> entering into philosophical debates.

>>>> Sure I do think that there are employees within the various guide dog
>>>> programs that are NFB or ACB members and promote their personal
>>>> beliefs purposefully or incidentally through their employment, but I
>>>> do not think that any of the guide dog programs as a whole favors one
>>>> organization over another.

>>>> JMHO
>>>> Julie

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>> --
>> --Dar
>> skype: dmgina23
>>   FB: dmgina
>> www.twitter.com/dmgina
>> every saint has a past
>> every sinner has a future

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> --
> --Dar
> skype: dmgina23
>   FB: dmgina
> www.twitter.com/dmgina
> every saint has a past
> every sinner has a future

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-- 
--Dar
skype: dmgina23
  FB: dmgina
www.twitter.com/dmgina
every saint has a past
every sinner has a future