[nagdu] Owner training

[Katrin Andberg]

On owner training, finding the dog with the right structure and aptitude can
often times be the most challenging part.  I believe the current statistic
on guide/service dogs is only about 1% of the dog population has what it
takes to successfully make it as a guide or service dog.  For me, I owner
trained my 1st dog successfully, then spent 3 years and probably close to
$8,000 on dogs that didn't work out.  Dogs that didn't work out for health
reasons or temperament reasons.  That being said I had very specific wants
in a dog for both temperament, structure and breed.  After 3 years, I
decided to cut my losses and went to a program.  I don't really like
purebred Labradors and most purebred Goldens wouldn't be a good temperament
match for me, and after washing out a couple of dogs, if I couldn't have a
flat coat, which is my breed of choice, I really wanted a lab golden cross
and that's what GDF matched me with and I love him.

 

Having done both the owner training and the program route, I will say that
while I love owner training, from a cost and risk perspective my next dog
will probably also be a program dog.  

 

Katrin