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

Fri Mar 23 15:23:28 UTC 2012

Hi Juanita.
Yes, I got my last GDB dog in 1997.  But I wasn't complaining about GDB's
dorm.  I have an abiding love for the San Rafael campus.
Having full ownership on leaving class does not mean I don't have
excellent support.  In fact, since I live only about 40 minutes from
Morristown, an instructor drove me home from class, helped introduce Ben
to my old dog Echo, which was a non-event, and worked a bit with me on a
tricky intersection near my house.
And then I had some problems with Ben, or with intersections, for a while,
and had at least 4 follow-up visits.  I am very happy with the follow-up
support I've gotten from TSE, and I hear it's just as good for those who
live further away.
Tracy

> 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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>
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