[nagdu] Guide dog pros/sappiness WAS introduction and guide dog school recommendation

Fri Feb 21 17:05:22 UTC 2014

John,

Daniel was very eloquent in his description of life with a guide dog.  Jenny finished her training just a month before Alberta's harsh winter hit - a total of 3 feet of snow in as many weeks.  We ran home in a blizzard, have avoided being hit by a bus, and have played and snuggled through one of the most stressful winters of my life.  We walk almost a mile to the bus both going to and coming from work, take the train to work-out sessions, go to the park 1-2 times a week, and just do everyday things like pick up breakfast, go shopping, and live life.  I will admit that we don't spend as much time walking around outside with cold weather, but my girl LOVES her sweaters and Wal-Mart has PAWZ (which I am buying tonight).  Your dog will bond with you, love you, frustrate you, save your life, make you laugh, make you cry... it's an experience I personally don't regret (even on those days where I get so frustrated that I question her training).

Depending on your cane travel skills/style, just be aware of how you receive your cane feedback.  It changes drastically from cane to dog, and whether the transition is easy, moderate, or difficult depends on how reliant you are on the tactile feedback from your cane.  I personally thought it would be harder than it really was, but that's my personal experience as well.

Please feel free to write me off-list if you would like, also.

Daryl
----- Original Message -----
From: Daniel Sweeney <daniel.sweeney1 at comcast.net>
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users' <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Fri, 21 Feb 2014 09:56:45 -0700 (MST)
Subject: Re: [nagdu] introduction and guide dog school recommendation

Hi John,

It sounds like going to school and church are doing everyday things to me.
Throw in a trip to the store or a coffee shop, add a walk around the park or
around the neighborhood and why would you not need a guide dog unless you
value your quiet time. That is the thing to keep in mind. Having a dog will
require a lot of attention other than just getting out and walking. You need
to get up and feed him or her, relieve him or her at least 4 to 5 times a
day come rain or shine. You need to brush the coat, brush the teeth, clean
the ears, keep an eye on the nails and above all take the time to play a
little when you are not working with him or her. 
In my case it is a full time job  having my girl and I do not work. I
volunteer once a week. I go to the grocery store, Target, coffee shop and
always walk to the Starbuck's and walk around the park. I occasionally take
classes, although only on a part-time basis.
I find myself thinking I need to get the girl out for a walk because I don't
think I have done enough, but it also gets me out for my exercise, which I
need being on disability.
I find myself feeling guilty if I take quiet time for myself which is
stupid, but it happens.
Having a dog will change your life.
All it takes to have a dog is being able to get him or her out at least a
mile or two a day, and that isn't much, and you will find yourself wanting
to do more.
What you WILL gain is a loving companion who will adore you and look to you
for everything. This animal will be your left hand 24 hours a day 365 days a
year and after a few months you will wonder how you ever lived without him
or her.
The decision is more than whether you want or need a guide dog, it is if you
are ready for a life changing experience, one that will open up all kinds of
possibilities for you.
If you are able to travel well with a cane you can travel well with a dog.
I would be happy to talk to you about pro's and con's more off list if you
would like, just email me.
Sincerely,
Daniel and Cass
Lakewood, Colorado

> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
> starmy22 at gmail.com
> Sent: Friday, February 21, 2014 4:17 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] introduction and guide doog school recommendation
> 
> Hi,
> the only issue with me getting a guidedog is that: I'm not very active.
> the only things I do at this point are attend college and go to various
> church activities.
> That's pretty much it.
> The community I live in is small and there's not a lot to do.
> I hope to hear from you soon.
> Sincerely,
> John Sanders
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Nicole Torcolini
> Sent: Thursday, February 20, 2014 9:01 PM
> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] introduction and guide doog school recommendation
> 
> What the guide dog schools want to know is that you can get around safely
> and that you are not just going to sit around and do nothing all day. Most
> schools do in an home interview or have you send in a video. They have
> requirements for the routes, such as it has to include stop light
> intersections and stop sign intersections.
> At GDB, the routes are not too long. If you needed to, you could probably
> write it down or something. Once you start going alone, there are usually
> trainers posted along the route; they are mostly there to try to distract
> your dog to give you practice with getting your dog to focus, but they
will
> also help you if you need it.
> As long as you do well most of the time, they will pitch in and help when
> needed. I usually did rather well with listening to the traffic; however,
> one day it was so hot that Lexia was dancing in place while we were
waiting
> to cross the street, so one of the trainers just told me when it was safe
to
> cross.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of
> starmy22 at gmail.com
> Sent: Tuesday, February 18, 2014 3:07 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> 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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