[nagdu] Owner trainers

Marsha Drenth marsha.drenth at gmail.com
Tue Aug 20 20:43:25 UTC 2013


Julie,
when ever you get that resource list of harness manufactors put together, I would be very interested in having that list. i wanted a PawPower harness, said I'll get one soon. then now they are gone and I can't get one. Oh well I guess that is what I get for procrastination. 

Thanks, 

Marsha drenth  
Sent with my IPhone 

On Aug 20, 2013, at 9:07 AM, "Julie J." <julielj at neb.rr.com> wrote:

> 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 
> 
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