[nagdu] Sad news regarding Sophie

[sheila]

hi Raven how old is your golden now and how old was he when you got him? 
I love my golden but, it took him a while to grow up.
On 1/22/2014 5:17 PM, Raven Tolliver wrote:
> Alyssa,
> First, I'm sorry that Sophie had to go back to LDB. I hope that you
> will soon find another dog that suits you better.
> Why did you decide to go to Leader Dog?
> That's a rhetorical question. But you should ask yourself and list the
> reasons why you picked that school.
> If it was just for geographical location, then ask yourself what you want
> in a guide dog program.
> home-training, length of formal guide dog training, training methods,
> length of class time, breed preference, average age of dogs issued,
> financial assistance with veterinary costs, ownership, graduation
> ceremony, relationship with puppy-raisers
> There are more factors, those are just some of the most commonly discussed.
> Personally, I picked GEB for several reasons. I wanted an adult golden
> retriever, financial assistance with veterinary costs, a graduation
> ceremony, to meet my puppy's raisers, ,and a dog that received its
> training on the busy and bustling streets of New York because I live
> an an urban area. As far as I know, no other program meets those
> criteria.
> Of course, I didn't set out with my criteria in mind. I combed through
> schools websites and wrote down things that I liked. I researched
> working dog breeds and the best age to formally work a guide dog. I
> researched aspects of guide dog programs in other countries to find
> out what I liked about those, then tried to find schools in the US
> with similar aspects.
> Training methods did not matter to me at the time because I knew
> nothing about dog training. But if I were applying for another dog
> today, I would definitely rule out a school for using punishment-based
> training or less positive training methods. I just so happened to
> attend a school that does not allow puppy-raisers to use correction
> collars outside of their facility, and that incorporates treat
> training and clicker training.
> Find out what's most important to you. Then ask, what program has
> these qualities? If you don't know, look around and note the things
> you do like.
> It's much easier to ask about individual schools than it is to ask
> everyone what they recommend. Everyone will recommend something
> different, and you need a way to sort through those recommendations.
> Make a checklist. Maybe after attending Leader Dog, you have some
> knowledge of what you don't want in a school, so write those things
> down, too.
> Hth.
> --
> Raven
>
> On 1/22/14, Star Gazer <pickrellrebecca at gmail.com> wrote:
>> I'm sorry to hear this.
>> You need to let the higher ups at Leader Dog know what happened. Sophie
>> sounds like she never should have been issued. You're doing the right
>> thing.
>>
>> You shouldlet any other schools you apply to know what happened.
>> Again, I'm sorry.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Alyssa
>> Sent: Wednesday, January 22, 2014 11:43 AM
>> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> Subject: [nagdu] Sad news regarding Sophie
>>
>> Hello list. I have unfortunate news regarding Sophie girl. Within 2 days,
>> she caused injuries to me. One involved food at the bottom of some stairs
>> while in harness. The other involved her getting excited about seeing
>> another dog during her park time. The force she used caused me to break a
>> bone in my hand. Today Sophie is going back to Leader Dog and I most likely
>> have to get a different dog. I'm trying to decide whether to stick with the
>> same school since some of their training methods don't seem to work well.
>> In
>> the event I must select a different school, does anyone have suggestions?
>> I'll give you some info on my travel needs so you have them to go by. I'm
>> an
>> 18 year old college student who walks a decent amount every day for
>> classes.
>> I prefer a smaller dog as it can fit more easily under desks and will not
>> have as strong of a pull. Any feedback is appreciated.
>> Thanks
>> Alyssa
>>
>> Sent  from my iPhone
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>