[nagdu] Quite a Predicament

Sat Nov 2 02:25:19 UTC 2013

Nicole,

I will be returning to the campus at which I have been studying for two
years. This area is very familiar to me.

Tai

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Nicole Torcolini
Sent: Friday, November 01, 2013 8:49 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Quite a Predicament

Tai,

	I see two different issues here.

	First, as far as getting a dog from another school at this point, I
am sorry to say that it probably is not going to happen, and, if it does,
because it is such a short time period, there is more chance of you getting
matched with the wrong dog. Sometimes, the evaluation period takes a long
time because they want to make sure that you get the right dog.

	Second, JMHO, for everyone, I don't necessarily  think that it is a
good idea to get a guide dog and then almost immediately go somewhere new
that you do not know. Even if you are not a first time user, it takes a
while for you and your dog to trust and understand, and this process is best
done in an area with which at least one of you is somewhat if not quite
familiar.

	These are just my opinions, so go ahead and throw them to the dogs
if you want (joke).

Nicole and Lexia

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of minh ha
Sent: Friday, November 01, 2013 10:39 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Quite a Predicament

Hi Tai,
I can't answer your questions about Seeing Eye, but you should definitely
get in touch with the school to see what they have to say.
However, I do know that Guide Dogs for the Blind does in-home training for
those that cannot make it to campus. When I was going through the process of
applying for a guide from GDB, it took a while for them to send a
representative out to the east coast to evaluate me. I think it took about
three to four months before they could send someone out.
However, after the home visit, the process went much more quickly as I was
working on a tight schedule of when I could go for training. GDB was great
on working with me throughout this entire process. What I'm saying is even
though there's not that much time for GDB to work with, it wouldn't hurt for
you to call them and explain your situation. I hope this works out for you;
I understand the difficulties of scheduling when you are a student with
other commitments.

Minh

On 11/1/13, Tai Blas <taiablas at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello all. I have quite a predicament and am looking for input from 
> the list. I had trained with my first Seeing Eye dog Chica in 1998. I 
> retired her in 2002 for various reasons related to her work and 
> propensity to relieve indoors despite extensive work with Seeing Eye 
> instructors on these issues. I am now looking to train with a new 
> guide. I was scheduled to train in Seeing Eye's December class.
> However, I recently received news that they do not have a good match 
> for me. I mistakenly relied on being in that class, and I know that is 
> my fault, not Seeing Eye's fault.
>
> I need to train with a guide prior to January 6 when I start law 
> school again. Due to law school commitments, I will be unable to train 
> for a guide within the next fourteen months after December. This 
> creates quite a scheduling problem. My understanding is that Seeing 
> Eye matches students with only the strings of dogs that the trainers 
> assigned to that class have trained. Is there any possibility that 
> other trainers at Seeing Eye could have a dog that is a match for me, 
> or are matching decisions based on the entire pool of dogs?
>
> In the event that Seeing Eye cannot locate a dog for me, might they 
> have reciprocity with another school that might have an appropriate 
> match for me?
> If Seeing Eye cannot accommodate my schedule, might there be any way 
> at this late date of getting into another school? If so, how should I 
> go about this?
> My predicament will not permit me to follow the standard application 
> processes which take several months. Might schools deviate from their 
> protocols/policies to accommodate me, or is this a long shot? Earlier 
> in the year, I had initiated an application with Guide Dogs for the 
> Blind which is still active. However, GDB would need to complete a 
> home visit and that process can take up to eight weeks, meaning that I 
> could not train in December.  Late in 2012, I had initiated an 
> application with Guiding Eyes, but I am fairly certain that 
> application has lapsed and that applying for a new guide with them 
> would not be feasible prior to December. I would prefer to train at 
> schools in New Jersey, New York, or California. I am not partial to 
> any breed, but obviously am looking for the best possible match. Any 
> input on or off the list would be greatly appreciated.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Tai
>
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--
"All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty
recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity:
but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their
dreams with open eyes, to make them possible." T. E. Lawrence

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