[nagdu] Considering A Dog

Thu Sep 20 17:47:34 UTC 2012

Hi Kody and all,
As far as I know, Leader Dogs and Guiding Eyes for the Blind both have
German Shepherds too. I think that the wait may be a little longer there
than at Seeing Eye. Don't quote me on this, as I am a graduate of Guide Dogs
for the Blind. But, I looked up this info for a person in Ohio a few months
ago.
Hope this helps.
Best of luck to you Kody. Email me off list if I can be of any more help.
Deanna and Pascal

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Kody Keplinger
Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2012 1:35 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Considering A Dog

Thanks guys.  I will probably be emailing some of you Pilot people off list
with a couple of questions.

I just got off the phone with Fidelco, and I really liked the woman I talked
to in admissions.  I know there is still controversy around the ownership
issue, which worries me, but over all I'm leaning towards that program
because it seems like the best match for me. However, I am looking into to
other programs.

Do any of you have experience with Leader Dogs? I don't feel like I've heard
much about their program or the breeds they raise.

On Thu, Sep 20, 2012 at 1:00 PM, rhonda cruz
<rhondaprincess at gmail.com>wrote:

>  hello kodi,
>  my name rhonda.
>  i have my first Pilot dog. May is a 5 year old german sheppard.
>  I really like pilot's training stile.
>  It is a great program.
>  they don't have a home visit,
>  and there class size is small.
>
>
> On Sep 20, 2012, at 5:31 AM, Julie J. wrote:
>
> > Kody,
> >
> > Welcome!  I'm a big fan of the Boxer too.  Unfortunately your 
> > options
> are very limited if you want one from a guide program.  Pilot in 
> Columbus trains some and Gallant Hearts in Mississippi does a few.  
> Your wait at Gallant Hearts is going to be pretty long because they 
> are a small school that has just started up and they don't have very 
> many Boxers.  Neither of these schools is located in a large city that 
> has subways and that sort of thing.
> >
> > You'll have a lot more options for German Shepherds.   Also if the
> school doesn't teach to find empty seats, it's a fairly easy thing to 
> teach yourself.
> >
> > Best of luck and welcome!
> > Julie
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On 9/20/2012 12:00 AM, Kody Keplinger wrote:
> >> Hi all!
> >>
> >> I found this list yesterday and have been browsing the archives for
> info.
> >>  After some serious thought, I have decided to look into getting a 
> >> guide dog.  I do have some concerns that I know others have brought 
> >> up in the past (I do have remaining vision, and I know it may 
> >> impair my trust of
> the
> >> dog at first, but I believe I can overcome this, especially since 
> >> my retained vision is only useful outdoors during the day.)  After 
> >> asking around about different schools and commands, I know I want 
> >> to apply to schools that teach "find" commands (ex. "find a chair" 
> >> or "find the
> >> stairs") as these are very difficult things for me in unfamiliar 
> >> indoor settings.  I also want a school that trains dogs for 
> >> trains/subways
> since I
> >> live in NYC and that's an important part of my daily life.
> >>
> >> I have a pretty strong breed preference to either a German Shepherd 
> >> or a Boxer. I LOVE labs, but they've been family pets my whole 
> >> life, and my
> gut
> >> is telling me that, for my first guide dog, and one I'll work with 
> >> as a partner, I want to step away from labs if at all possible. My 
> >> first
> choice
> >> of school was Fidelco, but I read today some of the controversy 
> >> from
> last
> >> year. I like their program because a.) they focus on german 
> >> shepherds
> and
> >> b.) I like the idea of starting, from day one, in my neighborhood. 
> >> I
> know
> >> some programs take you to NYC as sort of a final "challenge" - but 
> >> as
> NYC
> >> is my home, I'd rather it not be my big challenge, I'd rather it be 
> >> my regular, if that makes sense at all.  Is the controversy over 
> >> Fidelco
> and
> >> ownership still brewing? Has anyone worked with them lately?
> >>
> >> Looking at other schools, can any of you give me some info on which 
> >> ones teach the "find" commands as well as provide german shepherds 
> >> and/or
> boxers
> >> (and that allow you to specify a preference)? Also, any info on the 
> >> wait times for these programs (from turning in the application, to
> acceptance,
> >> to attending the school) would be incredibly helpful/appreciated. 
> >> (I
> found
> >> the old surveys on GDUI, but they were from 2008 and I wasn't sure 
> >> how up-to-date they were.)
> >>
> >> Thanks for any info you can give, guys! I'm so glad I found this
> listserv
> >> already. The archives have already given me so much direction.
> >>
> >> Best,
> >> Kody
> >> _______________________________________________
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> >>
> >>
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--
*Kody Keplinger*
http://kodykeplinger.com

author of:
*THE DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) - an ALA Top Ten Quick Pick for
Reluctant Young Readers.* *AVAILABLE NOW!*
*
*
*SHUT OUT - available September 5th!*
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