[nagdu] Sad news regarding Sophie

[Raven Tolliver]

Hi Sheila,
The Golden Guy was 2 when I got him, so he's just over 3 and a half now.
I was advised by a friend to get an adult dog since I had never
handled or cared for a dog before.
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
--
Raven

On 1/22/14, sheila <sleigland at bresnan.net> wrote:
> 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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>>
>
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-- 
Raven