[nagdu] Age of Qualifying Guide Dogs

Darla Rogers djrogers0628 at gmail.com
Thu Feb 20 05:42:11 UTC 2014


Hi Raven,

	I definitely did not feel like that; Brian, my instructor, came to
me before final selection; I had requested a very fast dog.  He explained to
me, that, even once I got my land legs back with a dog who didn't shut down
and hesitate all the time, their fastest dogs were too fast for me, and that
is how Huggable Huck came to me.
	We can really pick them up and lay them down, but he is very easy to
slow down--and does on his own with rough pavement and the like--thus, I
couldn't be happier with him.
Darla


-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Raven Tolliver
Sent: Wednesday, February 19, 2014 11:15 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Age of Qualifying Guide Dogs

That's good to hear. They are doing right by their dogs and their graduates
by hanging on till 2 years of age. Some of the schools that push the dogs
through earlier are indulging in assembly line evaluation and training, in
my opinion.

On 2/19/14, Darla Rogers <djrogers0628 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Raven,
>
> 	GDA does not put out dogs much below two year either, so far as I 
> know because they do buck the trends and do what they feel works.
> Darla & Huggable Huck
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Raven 
> Tolliver
> Sent: Wednesday, February 19, 2014 5:48 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Age of Qualifying Guide Dogs
>
> Hi,
> This kind of maturity is not a matter of how young a dog behaves, but 
> has more to do with a dog's work ethic, physical maturity and 
> endurance, and behavioral consistency. Adolescent dogs are not done 
> growing mentally and physically, and they do not demonstrate behavior 
> consistently as older dogs do. Not that certain adult dogs are not 
> difficult or stubborn, but adolescent dogs are difficult on a 
> completely different level. They do not generalize as well, and they 
> definitely go through short periods of what seems like forgetfulness.
> Personally, I attended a guide dog program that gives out dogs ranging 
> from
> 2 to 3, and not any younger. I'm glad that they go against what seems 
> to be common with many US guide dog schools.
> If I opt for a program-trained dog my next go round, I might not be so 
> picky about my dog's age. With my experience in dog training, I will 
> be far better able to handle a teenage dog. But as someone who had 
> never cared for, worked with, or owned a dog before, I felt it was 
> imperative to get an adult dog for my first guide.
> I've corresponded with the guide dog school of Sweden a couple times.
> I think it's great that they only issue adult dogs. What's also nice 
> about that program is that they are a very small school, so the 
> trainers are able to keep the dogs in their homes for the duration of 
> their training, rather than putting the dogs up in kennels. The kennel 
> environment is incredibly stressful on a dog mentally and physically, 
> and it deteriorates some of the manners dogs are taught by their
puppy-raisers.
>
>
> On 2/19/14, Sherry Gomes <sherriola at gmail.com> wrote:
>> I think the same could apply to labs. My current guide is a reissue, 
>> so she was three when we trained together. what a difference! I don't 
>> want my next guide to be 18 months old as so many are when graduating.
>> Two years old is the youngest I'd want and I'd jump to have a reissue 
>> again. Though having said that, Bianca, who was about 2 when we 
>> trained and is 13 now is still young at heart and full of spirit and 
>> a
> sort of happy puppy mentality.
>> Olga,
>> my working guide is 8 and has a very old soul. I'm sure she was 
>> always that way even when she was a baby.
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tami 
>> Jarvis
>> Sent: Wednesday, February 19, 2014 12:01 PM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Age of Qualifying Guide Dogs
>>
>> Ooh! Research! Poodles are said to mature later, both physically and 
>> mentally, and I did find that with mine. She really came into her own 
>> between 3 and 4. Then again, I've heard of a few people getting 
>> really young poodles that seem to work out well. Okay. Off to read. 
>> /smile/
>>
>> Tami
>>
>> On 02/19/2014 10:22 AM, "Leye-Shprintse Öberg" wrote:
>>> BS"D
>>>
>>> Raven,
>>>
>>> * "... I did some research and found a study on Seeing Eye dogs that
>> concluded that goldens and GSds are more successful as guide dogs if 
>> they're formal guide training is longer than the standard 4 months.
>> This is because these dogs mature around age 2, not 1.5 or 1.75 
>> years, which is when many schools seem to be pushing dogs through. 
>> Here's the link to the abstract.
>> http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1558787806000256  ..."
>>>
>>> I think this is very interesting. I know that SRF:s 
>>> Ledarhundsverksamhet
>> (Guide Dogs Sweden) took the decision that the dogs needed to be 
>> between the age of 2 and 3 years when they did the qualifying test 
>> some years ago. The dogs here generally get around seven months of 
>> training by a guide dog trainer. Anyhow, they think this has led to 
>> more stable partnerships; I've any statestics tough.
>>>
>>> Kind regards,
>>> Leye-Shprintse and Hera <3
>>>
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>
>
> --
> Raven
>
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--
Raven

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