[nagdu] introduction and guide doog school recommendation

[Tracy Carcione]

Hi John.
Guide Dogs of America is near L.A., and Guide Dogs for the Blind is near San 
Francisco.  Both could be excellent choices.
I think most schools require some references.  So far as I know, it doesn't 
have to be from a mobility specialist.
I think they mainly want to know that you're not a psychopath, or a sleaze 
that would sell the dog, or a guy who really never goes out--that kind of 
thing.
Tracy

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <starmy22 at gmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, February 18, 2014 6:06 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] introduction and guide doog school recommendation


> Hi,
> Oh ok.
> I have a question: I'm going to be moving out to california.
> Are the guide dog training schools out there more spacific as to what 
> criteria they are looking for?
> I  understand one of them says that you have to have a mobility instructer 
> or some one send in a referral.
> Are there any guide dog training schools out in that particular area that 
> don't have requirement?
> I hope to hear fromyou soon.
> Sincerely,
> John Sanders
>
>
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: Raven Tolliver
> Sent: Monday, February 17, 2014 1:28 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] introduction and guide doog school recommendation
>
> Hi John,
> Every school is perfect for someone. You will get any number of loyals
> or graduates recommending the school where they got all, most of, or
> their most recent dog. People will recommend the Seeing Eye, Guiding
> Eyes, GDB, Pilot, Leader, GDF, GDA, and so on. While all of those
> schools have their advantages and upsides, I can think of pitfalls for
> all of those programs.
> The bottom line: you need to decide on the school that sounds or seems
> perfect to you. How do you do that? Consider what factors are
> important to you. But wait, this is your first guide dog, so maybe you
> don't know what those factors are yet. That's fine. Here are some
> factors for you to consider and research.
> location of program, ownership policy, dog training methods used,
> length of formal guide training, average age of dogs issued, dog
> breeds offered, length of student training, in-home training offered,
> special needs training program offered, graduation ceremony,
> puppy-raiser contact, veterinary assistance fund offered
> That is not an exhaustive list by any means. I'm certain others will
> contribute. But those are some of the more important factors when
> considering a guide dog school.
> I personally chose Guiding Eyes because I needed the financial
> assistance with veterinary costs at the time, and I felt it important
> to receive a dog that was trained in New York. Also, I wanted an adult
> dog, specifically a golden retriever. GEB was perfectly able to
> satisfy my requirements.
> The same things might not matter to you. You might not care which
> breed you get, or how young your first guide dog is. You might want
> ownership upon graduation. Or, you might need in-home training for
> your circumstance. It's up to you to research what each school offers,
> and as you find things you like, write them down and try to find a
> school that has those things. That's how I went about it.
> Visit school's websites and click around. Call admissions and ask
> questions. Put emails out on this list about specific schools once you
> become interested in a few. It's far easier to answer questions about
> specific schools than it is to make a suggestion to a person we know
> absolutely nothing about.
> I hope this helps. Good luck on your search.
> --
> Raven
>
> On 2/17/14, starmy22 at gmail.com <starmy22 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hi,
>> My name is John.
>> I'm 28 years of age.
>> I'm considering getting a guide dog.
>> I have a quesiton: what are some  good guide dog schools that you could
>> recommend for some one who is getting there first guide dog?
>> I hope to hear from you.
>> Sincerely,
>> John Sanders
>> _______________________________________________
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>
>
> -- 
> Raven
>
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