[nagdu] The matching process

Tue Sep 24 17:57:23 UTC 2013

Good points, Julie and Tracy.  I think that might have happened to me--it
was down to a couple of dogs--and it was pointed out to me, I didn't walk as
fast as they thought I meant by fast, and so far, I couldn't be happier with
Huck.
	He has initiative to help me find places--or my way out--if I give
wrong directions; he will stand his ground if he thinks he's right; he
remembers well; his pull isn't too hard for me, and the biggest plus, he
makes it very clear to me, that his main mission in life is to please me.
Darla & Huck

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tracy Carcione
Sent: Tuesday, September 24, 2013 12:45 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] The matching process

Julie, you are too right!  It makes me hesitant to ask for a confident dog,
in case I get a monster, or an easy-to-handle dog, in case I get a total
marshmallow.  Maybe it's best to just let the trainer know as much as I can
about my lifestyle--where I work, what I like to do, and what I expect of my
dog, like the ability to handle crowds and traffic, or to lie quietly while
I sit at my desk for hours.
I believe strongly that it's important to try to communicate these things,
tricky as it can be, and to speak up if a match doesn't seem to be working.
I always feel happiest when I have plenty of information on which to base a
decision, so I assume the trainer would also rather have lots of info,
rather than making his or her best guess based on a chat and a couple Juno
walks.
Tracy

> Recently, when I was picking Jetta from the litter, I had discussed 
> what sort of dog I was looking for with the breeder.  she made two 
> suggestions, neither were Jetta.  I was struggling with whether or not 
> to go with a puppy she was suggesting or to go with my own hunch.  So 
> I asked her why she picked those particular puppies.  She explained 
> and it made sense, they did have the traits I was looking for.  
> However they had them in greater quantities than I was prepared for.  
> In the end it came down to an issue of communication.  I said I wanted 
> a bold, confident dog and she suggested puppies based on what bold and 
> confident meant to her.  Sure I want a confident dog, but I also don't 
> want a constant battle of wills, but I didn't make that as clear as I 
> could have.
>
> I think the same goes for every other trait, what exactly is a high 
> energy dog?  Is my definition of high energy the same as everyone 
> else's?  How much pull exactly constitutes a hard pull?What do you 
> mean when you ask for an easy to handle dog?  There are so many 
> variables and perceptions  of those variables.  You could express the 
> same exact criteria to two different trainers and they could very well 
> suggest two different dogs because their perception of what you want 
> is going to be different based on their different experiences.
>
> There are certainly things that can be measured mathematically, pace 
> and pull come to mind.  It would be easy enough to match person and 
> dog on these factors, but how do you measure initiative or confidence?
>
> Julie
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Star Gazer
> Sent: Tuesday, September 24, 2013 11:18 AM
> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] The matching process
>
> I was thinking more along the lines of the schools not telling 
> customers how they came to the decision of matching a person with a 
> dog.
> If we're going to work successfully with a dog, then we should have 
> some visibility as to how and why that dog was selected, along with 
> the option to say no, or to discuss with the school why the match may 
> not work.
> When I was using dogs, I always knew I could push back, but I also had 
> the very strong sense that if I did, and I left without a dog, then I 
> had failed.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tracy 
> Carcione
> Sent: Tuesday, September 24, 2013 11:30 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] The matching process
>
> What I meant by "mystery" is that it seems traditional for the 
> identity of the dog to be a surprise, kinda like not knowing the sex 
> of a baby until it's born.  It's amusing, trying to guess before the 
> fact, but it doesn't really make much sense.  Why should it be a big
secret?
>
> I forgot to say before that sometimes picking one's own dog from some 
> possibilities doesn't always work, either.  At least, one of my 
> classmates fell in love with a very playful golden, and was matched 
> with him, but his extreme playfullness wore her out, along with other 
> unanticipated characteristics.  She was smart enough to see it wasn't 
> going to work, and get a re-match in class.
> Tracy
>
>> I don't know why the schools can't say "We use a b and c criteria 
>> because that is what has worked in the past". They could also say 
>> "And sometimes we guess along with these criteria".
>> I am not sure why the mystery aspect is even a factor.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tracy 
>> Carcione
>> Sent: Tuesday, September 24, 2013 10:34 AM
>> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> Subject: [nagdu] The matching process
>>
>> The last 2 times I was at GDB, my trainer called me before I came to 
>> talk about the dogs they had in mind for me.  They told me some of 
>> the characteristics of each, and asked if I had a preference.  I 
>> really liked that.  I had some idea of what I was going to get, and 
>> could get used to the idea.  Last time a friend went to TSE, they 
>> actually let her try out the 2 prospective dogs, and discussed the 
>> traits of each at length.  In the end, she chose the one she wanted, 
>> and was ready for the challenges it presented.
>> I like that, too.
>> Somehow, it seems traditional to keep the match a mystery until it 
>> happens, but it doesn't really have to be that way, and perhaps it 
>> shouldn't be, especially if the student and school have a 
>> long-standing relationship, so that the school has a pretty good idea 
>> of what the student needs.
>> Tracy
>>
>>
>>
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