[nagdu] Sad news regarding Sophie

[sheila]

thanks for the information. I saw a difference in tres from the end of 
march to the end of september.
On 1/22/2014 9:12 PM, Raven Tolliver wrote:
> 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
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> nagdu mailing list
>>>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>> nagdu:
>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/pickrellrebecca%40gmail.c
>>>> om
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> nagdu mailing list
>>>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>>> nagdu:
>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/ravend729%40gmail.com
>>>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nagdu mailing list
>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> nagdu:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/ravend729%40gmail.com
>>
>