[nagdu] Considering A Dog

Sun Sep 23 18:16:16 UTC 2012

Welcome, Kody!
I wwent to TSE and they have lots of German shepherds, Labs, and Lab 
crosses - mainly with the Golden retriever.

What kind of Labs did you have as pets?  This breed varies alot in size, 
color, and energy level.  I have a Lab/Golden cross named Landon and he's 
almost seven years old.  I grew up outside NYC and do not miss the cold!  I 
live in sunny San Diego and have been here for almost 25 years.  Landon and 
I do pet assisteed therapy for our local Humane Society.

Because you live in NYC, there are many graduates from Fidelco, Seeing Eye, 
Guiding Eyes, and Guide Dog Foundation in the area.  I'd talk to those 
schools and see if they'll put you in touch with graduates of those schools 
to help you decide on whaich one is best for your needs.

Many of the schools don't use many Boxers because they are a one-coated 
breed.  They have no fluffy undercoat like Labs and shepherds.  Boxers also 
have the same short life span as a giant breed such as a Great Dane - don't 
know why this is.  They will require a sweater or coat in winter wheras the 
Labs and shepherds do not require a sweater because they grow enough of a 
coat to keep them warm in the cold.  Boxers and Dobies do not.

Good luck in your search for the right school for you.

Lyn and Landon
"Education creates tolerance towards diversity."
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Cindy Ray" <cindyray at gmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2012 5:41 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Considering A Dog

> TSE sometimes has boxers. They tend to have to buy them because they 
> aren't bred there, so they  mostly have them if someone with allergies is 
> coming in. I've known a person or two who had them from TSE.
>
> I'm not sure why you really want to stay away from the Lab, but the 
> crosses are nice.
>
> Cindy
>
> On Sep 20, 2012, at 7:31 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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>
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