[nagdu] Poodles WAS Re: Princess Update

Tue Dec 18 22:12:31 UTC 2012

Tami,

Your girl isn't the only poodle on the list! My Motley is a standard poodle
too! 

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tami Jarvis
Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2012 5:05 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: [nagdu] Poodles WAS Re: Princess Update

John and Larry,

Yup! I am super happy with my poodle! She is, as someone has already 
mentioned, high maintenance, both in grooming and energy and 
temperament. But she is also an absolute delight to have around, and the 
nonshedding around the house is a plus. On the job, she is safety 
conscious, clever, still jittery at times like a prancing Arabian horse. 
/lol/

I looked into the breed because of my ex-husband's allergies. Then I 
divorced the allergies and got a poodle anyway. /smile/ So I can't speak 
from experience about handling the poodle as someone who needs that 
breed for allergies of my own.

Main considerations, as I can see them, in getting a poodle guide 
include the cost of grooming (ouch!) and the super high energy and high 
alert temperament. How much you will pay for grooming depends on where 
you live, as will how often you need to take your poodle to the groomer. 
People seem to settle in at once every 4 to 8 weeks, although a few 
daring souls go 12 weeks between grooming. I go longer in winter; but 
after about 8 weeks, that luxuriant black wool of hers gets out of hand! 
/lol/

It seems that as the training programs have become more experienced with 
the wild woolly ones, they've learned to adapt to the temperament and 
teach their grads how to do so. So one adaptation I learned to use that 
I now hear program grads with poodles talking about is allowing the 
poodle to find an out of the way place where it can watch what is going 
on on the bus or in the restaurant, etc. I tried training my girl to be 
in a nice, neat, still ball at first, and that did not work! She would 
get too jumpy. Then I discovered that if she could face the bus door or 
the main part of the restaurant where things were happening, then she 
would be just fine. So that's what we do, and we have learned ways to 
keep her out of the way of being stepped on. /smile/

That's about all I can think of that's useful for now.

Welcome to the list, and keep us posted about what you find out and 
decide to do!

Tami

On 12/18/2012 01:21 PM, Larry D. Keeler wrote:
> you are right Hannah!  My experience with Holly was and still is great!
> So to HJohn, I don't think Pilot was any different than any other school
> I've heard about.  Sometime4s even though the schools try, for some
> reason a match doesn't work well.  I was told once when I signed up for
> the library in Australia out of Perth that labradoodles don't make good
> guides!  Well, I sure have a different experience and I think Tami with
> her poodle is pretty happy!  When the mmatch is good it works out great!
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Hannah Chadwick"
> <sparklylicious at gmail.com>
> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2012 1:30 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Princess Update
>
>
>> Hello John,
>> Congratulations on your application process, and I hope you hear from
>> them
>> soon. I had a pretty good experience while training with Princess. We did
>> run in to a few incidents which I was told to give it time and things
>> will
>> fall in place. I don't really know what went wrong or where it started
>> since
>> she is my first guide and I did not know what to expect.
>> I think each person's experience will vary, and every match will be
>> different. Although Princess's personality definitely matches with
>> mine, her
>> speed did lack. She did make progress with my persistence, but her
>> attention
>> span seemed to have gotten shorter. She is a standard poodle and is
>> definitely a people dog.
>> While going through this process of retiring her, I have also been
>> working
>> on my application for Guide Dogs for the Blind in San Rafael. So as of
>> now,
>> I am not planning on returning to Pilot Dogs. please feel free to
>> email me
>> off list if you have further questions.
>> All the best, Hannah
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of John Russo
>> Sent: Monday, December 17, 2012 11:04 PM
>> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Princess Update
>>
>> Greetings Hannah,
>> I'm new to the list.  I read your message with some concern, because
>> I've never owned a guide dog, teach at a college and applied for
>> training at
>> Pilot Dogs.  I'm curious, what breed is Princess?  Do you feel Pilot
>> trained
>> her well, or was the training lacking in some way?  Would you return to
>> Pilot Dogs for training in the future?  I'd hate to have a bad first
>> experience.  Please reply.   John
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Hannah
>> Chadwick
>> Sent: Monday, December 17, 2012 10:55 PM
>> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
>> Subject: [nagdu] Princess Update
>>
>> Hello all,
>> Happy holidays, and I hope each one of you is doing well.
>> As I mentioned a few weeks back, I planned on sending Princess back to
>> Pilot
>> Dogs because she is not doing so well on my college campus due to all the
>> distractions.
>> These past few weeks have been quite difficult because I've been going
>> back
>> and forth with myself on whether I should keep her or give her back.
>> However, her crate came over the weekend and now everything is set.
>> She is
>> flying via cargo on Thursday night back to Columbus, Ohio. I hope she
>> will
>> get more training and perhaps she will do better in another environment.
>> I know the next few days will be very difficult, especially after she
>> leaves
>> because although she was not a very good guide, she was always there
>> and her
>> presents definitely helped me through stressful times.
>> This year has been one of the most difficult because I lost my father
>> just a
>> few months back, and now I will lose Princess. I just hope I will be
>> ok, and
>> I know that the only thing to help is time.
>> I want to take the time to thank each and every one of you for all your
>> support. You have helped me through all my past difficulties with
>> Princess,
>> and you were very patient with me when I first got her and had no idea
>> what
>> I was doing since I've never had a dog of my own before. I have
>> learned so
>> much from the list and from each one of you.
>> I know that I will continue to learn from all of you, and when I get
>> my next
>> guide, I will have a lot of things to share. Happy holidays to all,
>> and may
>> the next year bring you joy, and contentment.
>> All the best, Hannah
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tami Jarvis
>> Sent: Monday, December 17, 2012 1:59 PM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> Subject: [nagdu] Princess WAS Re: second time is the charm
>>
>> Ah, Hannah. I am so sorry you had to make this decision. I wish both
>> you and
>> Princess the best in the future.
>>
>> You'll know when and whether you are ready for another dog.
>>
>> Tami
>>
>> On 12/17/2012 01:51 PM, Hannah Chadwick wrote:
>>> Hello Daniel,
>>> Congratulations on your new dog. I'm glad to hear everything went well
>>> at training. Your message has truly been delightful to read as I am
>>> sending my dog back this week and pondering on weather I should get
>>> another dog in the near future.
>>> Happy holidays to all!
>>> Best, Hannah
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Daniel
>>> Sent: Monday, December 17, 2012 1:39 PM
>>> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
>>> Subject: [nagdu] second time is the charm
>>>
>>> Hello all,
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I am a graduate of the final class of 2012 at Guide Dogs for the Blind
>>> in Portland, Oregon.
>>>
>>> I have received my second guide, Cass, a 53lb., 23" high, yellow
>>> Labrador whose second birthday is coming up on December 23rd.
>>>
>>> All I can say is the second time is the charm. She is everything my
>>> previous guide was not. She is confident, well-paced, and so well
>>> trained that it makes me want to cry.
>>>
>>> We never even came close to an obstacle in training, whether day or
>>> night.
>>> She is perfectly attentive to me.
>>>
>>> We got home yesterday, and had our first outing this morning for a
>>> little mile walk. She made every curb, driveway, missed every bush and
>> mailbox.
>>>
>>> I have just received the best Christmas present I could have ever
>>> dreamed of.
>>>
>>> More later as we progress from off the leash in the house to partial
>>> freedom, and all the usual breaking in. Oh, what a beautiful day!
>>>
>>> Thanks to all of you who encouraged me not to judge all guides on my
>>> first bad experience with Scout. Although he was truly loved, I am
>>> sure he is happy as the Disney dog and family friend he always wanted
>>> to
>> be.
>>>
>>> Wishing all of you the best this holiday season!
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Daniel and his new love, Cass
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Daniel Sweeney
>>>
>>> Lakewood, CO
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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