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

Thu Mar 22 19:36:05 UTC 2012

Hi Tracy,
I'm not sure when you attended GDB last, but I do have to say that it
seems as though things were different when you were there. The dorms
at the Oregon campus were great. I didn't want to leave because the
bed I had there was way more comfortable than my bed at home. We had
big flat screen TV's, and the rooms were very big. As for modifying
the routes, I had the option of choosing routes that would fit my
needs. I worked a lot on trains and busy areas because that's what I
do at home. For the most part, I did my own thing, and the trainers
simply watched from a certain distance. As for the ownership policy, I
believe you are able to own your dog after a year. I kind of like
having the school's support since this is my first guide dog. But, in
your situation, since it is your sixth dog, I can imagine what you
mean about wanting to have full ownership of your guide dog upon
completion of training. These are just my thoughts since I did visit
quite a few schools before making my final decision.
Best,
Juanita And Anise

On 3/22/12, Tracy Carcione <carcione at access.net> wrote:
> 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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>
>
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