[nagdu] Follow-up

[Tracy Carcione]

Hi Margo.
Well, whatever.  I know some people really hate mandatory follow-up, but it 
never bothered me when I had a GDB dog.  I looked at it as an opportunity to 
get a check-up, and gossip about the happenings at GDB.  And, as I recall, 
GDB changed the mandatory follow-up to once a year for the first couple 
years, and then again when the dog got fairly old.  And I never had the 
impression it would be a big problem, if I happened to be too busy to meet 
with the trainer.
Tracy

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Margo and Arrow" <margo.downey at verizon.net>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, April 18, 2013 1:59 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Follow-up


> But, Tracy, it should be up to you to get that follow-up and not the
> school's mandatory follow-ups.
>
> Margo and Arrow
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tracy Carcione
> Sent: Thursday, April 18, 2013 1:09 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: [nagdu] Follow-up
>
> The discussion about staff cutbacks got me thinking about follow-up
> services.  Some people said that in-person follow-up is really only needed
> for serious problems, and maybe some of us have gotten lazy and called out
> the field rep for something we could figure out ourselves.  I'm not sure I
> agree with these opinions.
> I like follow-up, at least in the beginning of a new partnership. I always
> wonder if more prompt and effective follow-up would have saved my shepherd
> from having a nervous breakdown.  Perhaps I was asking more than he could
> give, but perhaps there were things I could have done differently.  I do
> know that a follow-up visit near the beginning of my relationship with 
> Echo
> made a huge difference.  She was having a left tendency, and I asked if
> someone could come have a look.  Not a serious problem, but it was really
> bugging me.  A trainer came out and saw in 5 minutes that I wasn't holding
> the harness exactly over Echo's back, and it was confusing her.  He fixed 
> my
> position; I practiced for an hour or so, and the problem was solved 
> forever.
>
> I stopped being bugged with Echo, and our relationship got a lot happier 
> and
> easier.
> When I got Ben, I also had some follow-up at first.  It resolved some
> things, and not others, but I was glad to have a bit of help.  I haven't
> wanted any for years.  I may have someone come have a look, when I start 
> to
> think Ben is saying he'd like to retire, just to be sure I'm not missing
> something.  Or I may not.
> Anyway, I think follow-up at the beginning, even for problems that don't
> seem serious, can be really helpful.
> Tracy
>
>
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