[nagdu] preparing for my first guide dog

Julie McGinnity kaybaycar at gmail.com
Mon Jun 23 01:12:32 UTC 2014


Hi Rachel,

Congratulations on your class date!  I just got back from Guiding Eyes
with my second guide dog, a mail yellow lab named... Bill.  The
hardest thing to get used to is surely the slobber on my computer!
JK, but seriously, when I first got a guide dog in 2008, I struggled
with using consistent commands, learning some of the body language of
the dog, and picking up after the dog.  Ok, the last one I got used to
pretty quickly, but I was certainly afraid of it!

It takes a while to learn your dog's movement in the harness.  You may
make mistakes, and that's ok.  Be patient with yourself and your dog.
If you follow instructions and do what you can, there is no way you
will mess up the dog.  Class can be emotional...  As our class was
this month, but that's ok.  Getting a dog is a new experience and like
taking a new journey.

To be honest, I would say that not having pet dogs is an advantage,
since you won't be in the habit of throwing your dogs food from the
table, allowing them to pick anything and everything up off the
ground, and whatever other things pet owners tend to do with their
dogs.  You will truly learn from the school and from other guide dog
users as well as your own observations over time.

See you in Orlando!

On 6/22/14, Daryl Marie via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>  Rachel,
> I am working with my first guide, Jenny, from BC/Alberta Guide Dogs.  we've
> been a  team for just under a year (we trained in September).  I hadn't had
> a pet dog in 10-15 years, so had a bit of a transition.
>
> Things about dogs that helped: a dog is a dog is a dog.  They will bark,
> they will need to pee, they have their own way of telling you there's
> something they need. It is not overly complicated, so over-thinking is going
> to result in a power-struggle with your dog. I've lived it, and it's not
> fun!
> Dogs pick up on your energy, so if they sense you are nervous they may take
> advantage of it.
> Dogs like consistency.  Be clear in what you expect of your dog, and they
> will continue to grow in obedience.
>
> I am sure I have much more to say, but Raven, Rox'e', and others who have
> worked 5+ guide dogs have much more experience than I.
>
> Daryl
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Rachel Becker via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
> Sent: Sun, 22 Jun 2014 18:13:31 -0600 (MDT)
> Subject: [nagdu] preparing for my first guide dog
>
> Hi. My name is Rachel Becker. I joined the list awhile ago when I first
> applied for a guide dog but I'm generally quiet. I'm currently staying with
> my parents in MD but I am a student at Princeton Theological Seminary in
> New
> Jersey. I will be going into class at Guiding Eyes for my first guide dog
> on
> July 27. *34 days*! As you can imagine, I'm pretty nervous. Any advice on
> how to make the transition as smooth as possible for me and my new guide.
> I've never even had a pet dog so this is all new to me. I will be going
> back
> to NJ after class and will have about three weeks before school starts so
> I'm grateful for that. What was the most difficult or surprising thing
> about
> making the transition to working with and taking care of a guide dog?
>
> See you in Orlando!
>
> Rachel
>
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-- 
Julie McG
National Association of Guide dog Users board member,  National
Federation of the Blind performing arts division secretary,
Missouri Association of Guide dog Users President,
and Guiding Eyes for the Blind graduate 2008
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that
everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal
life."
John 3:16




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