[nagdu] Owner trainers

[Julie J.]

Bridget and all,

I'll try to answer all your questions.  If I miss something let me know.

When I finished training Monty, 4 years ago now, I knew I didn't have it in 
me to owner train again, at least not the next dog.   It is an absolutely 
incredible amount of work.  It's not particularly difficult, but the 
commitment of time and labor is immense.  It's very rewarding though.

When I thought about going to a program for my next dog, I wasn't feeling 
the warm fuzzy excitement that seems to be the norm.  It felt more like the 
dentist...something I had to do if I wanted the rewards.  I think I 
considered every program out there.  I even contacted one or two.  I looked 
at all their rules, their contracts, their expectations, the time away, the 
available breeds and I just wasn't feeling the love.  I knew what I wanted 
and it wasn't available all at one program.

In the end I went with a private trainer.   It was the best option for me at 
this time in my life.  Five years ago, owner training was the best fit.  In 
20 years when Miss Jetta is ready for a life of luxury on the couch, maybe 
I'll owner train again or go to a program or go back to a cane or go the 
private trainer route.  I don't know.  What I'm trying to say, is that we 
all choose what is best for ourselves and that no choice is inherently 
better than another. It totally depends on the person and their situation.

There is no certification, registration or licensure currently available for 
service dogs.  The federal government has clearly stated that no ID, 
registration or certification can be legally asked for by businesses.  The 
ID's that the various schools give out are strictly a product of that 
particular school.  Legally they are meaningless.  If I printed out an ID 
card on my computer and laminated it, it would be exactly the same as yours 
in it's legitimacy.

With Monty I started out with a goal of 100 hours of harness training.  This 
was actual time in harness working on skills, not time in a car waiting to 
get someplace or time resting under a table or something.  Most of the 
programs provide something like 30 to 60 hours.  I also kept records of our 
activities, hours and progress notes, just in case I would ever need to 
prove his training in court.  A pretty remote possibility, but I'm of the 
opinion better safe than sorry.   I considered him  fully trained when he 
could work reliably in a variety of routine places that I commonly went.  I 
tend to lean on the side of extreme caution so he was probably ready long 
before I was ready.  Anyway when I started taking him to work with me was 
the official transition between in training and trained.  After a month at 
work with no major problems, we had his graduation party.  Here graduations 
are on the back patio and include, family, maybe a couple of close friends, 
burgers and beer.  The dogs get to run around in the fenced yard and be 
dogs.   I'm not too much into speeches, so we skip that part. *smile*

Gear...there is still a wide variety of guide and service dog gear retailers 
on the internet.  One of these days I'll compile a list of links and any 
personal experience with the equipment if I 've ordered from them.  I kinda 
have gone a bit nuts in the gear department.  I've had harnesses from five 
companies, I think.  Mostly though I make my own.  I've tried the other 
available harnesses and they are never exactly what I wanted or it doesn't 
fit quite right or something.  I end up taking stuff apart, adding and 
removing, until it's more my work than the original anyway.  The harness I'm 
using now is one I made.

In all the years I've been working my owner trained guides, I've only ever 
been asked for ID once.  that time it had nothing to do with Monty being 
owner trained.  A previous guest at the hotel had told the clerk that all 
service dogs should have ID's and should show them.  So the clerk believed 
him.  I provided her with the information she needed.  Later that afternoon 
another person in my group arrived with his guide and wasn't asked for ID.

I do get asked if Monty is a service dog somewhat frequently, especially at 
Wal-Mart.  It's legally allowed so I have no problem with them asking.  I 
answer honestly and we move along.  There is no way to distinguish an owner 
trained dog from a program trained dog without asking the handler.  I'm 
quite open with the fact that I've owner trained and I live in a very small 
town.  I expect that most people who care about such things could ask around 
and get whatever information they wanted about me and my dogs.  It has never 
been a problem.

Again, it's the behavior.  When I go in a store Monty is well behaved and 
he's obviously functioning as a guide dog.  People get it and don't bother 
me about it.  Just yesterday afternoon, I was walking home from work.  As I 
passed a house, I heard a little kid ask his parent, "is that lady blind?" 
The way that Monty and I work together is close enough to what he's seen on 
TV about guide dogs that it matched up in his mind and he made the 
connection.

A few years ago at a convention with my previous guide, Belle, I was asked 
by a program trainer if my dog was from some other particular program.  I've 
forgotten which one.  The program trainers can't tell an owner trained dog 
from a program dog either.   And that's how it should be.

Julie