[nagdu] Question about the Ins and Outs of the Seeing Eye

[Tracy Carcione]

Hi Cala.
I've had 5 dogs from GDB, and then I switched to TSE, and am working my
first dog from them.  I live in north Jersey and work in Manhattan.
I like TSE very much.  Trivial stuff first:  the dorm is very comfortable,
and the food is good, even for vegetarians like me.  I've stayed in much
worse hotels.
I liked training in the area where I live and work.  Instead of running
around San Rafael and San Francisco, looking for places similar to my
area, I was actually there.  Our first New York City trip, we went to my
office and walked back across town.  Traffic, crowds, New York insanity,
oh yeah!  Ben loved it, and I was at last persuaded that he's the dog I
need.

Morristown is a pretty busy place, too.

I really liked going in shifts, and waiting back at the school when it
wasn't my turn.  No endless hanging around a waiting room, or sitting in a
van for ages.  Well, some of that, but not a lot.

At GDB, freelance means one goes off on one's own, telling the instructor
the proposed route.  It's nice to get away from the trainer, but it can be
a bit random.  "Where shall I go today, within the limits GDB has set?" 
At TSE, freelance means discussing with the instructor any special
concerns, and then working on them.  I chose offset intersections,
squirrel distractions, and an extra trip to the City.
And I did get away from the trainer a bit, at least in theory, when my
partner and I did our "solo"--working a route we'd learned, with the
instructor staying away from us unless we got really stuck. I liked this
approach to freelance.

A friend of mine says that GDB dogs are pretty homogenous--they're pretty
interchangeable.  I'm not sure about that, but TSE does have a wide
variety of dogs, not just in size and breed, but also in personality.  I
guess it makes matching a bit trickier, if this whole hypothesis is true,
but then one could end up with the dog best suited to one's needs.  I
don't know; I've had better matches than Ben, but he does suit my needs
very well.

I liked that, if some problem came up, people could stay in class longer
and iron it out.
I liked not having a graduation circus.
I like TSE's ownership policy.  I own my dog, and that's that.  I like the
emphasis TSE puts on treating clients as adults, with adult rights and
responsibilities.  For instance, there was no problem if some people
wanted to share a couple beers or whatever, once the day's work was over. 
We were just expected to act like adults and not let things get out of
hand.  It's just an example of an attitude that carries through the whole
organization.
I would like to be able to contact my puppyraiser, if that person is
willing, so I'm not crazy about their ultra-confidentiality policy, but I
can live with it, and talk to them about modifying it.

I think that what one learns in class varies quite a bit, depending on who
the instructor is.  Some are great, others just ordinary.  I think that's
pretty common, though GDB makes a real effort to get a consistent product.
 I know you're not interested in GDB; it's just what I know.
HTH.
Tracy

> Hello all,
>
> I'm considering getting a guide dog in the not so distant future, and
> I live on the east coast. I'm considering GDF and The Seeing Eye as
> possible schools to attend. I know much about GDF, both from the list
> and from a friend I have who has received a dog from them, but I know
> nothing really about TSE except that I was accepted as a teenager, but
> chose not to get a dog at that time.
>
> I'm not really sure how to tactfully phrase this question, but I want
> to know the ins and outs of TSE. I want to know what's good about it,
> what's bad about it? What things did people like and dislike about the
> training program? I'm not trying to cast negativity on the school, but
> I always like hearing the good and bad reviews of something before I
> go forward. I feel like I'm getting the real picture if I know both
> sides of the coin.
>
> I know this can be a very sensative topic, so if anyone would like to
> reply to me off list, please feel free to. I want to make sure I find
> the best school and training program fit for me.
>
> Cala
>
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