[nagdu] {Spam?} First week of training

[Lisa]

Buddy, of course I meant Buddy when I wrote Larry for some reason. Sorry!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Buddy Brannan" <buddy at brannan.name>
To: "Lisa" <dreamymarmot93 at yahoo.de>; "NAGDU Mailing List, the National 
Association of Guide Dog Users" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, September 13, 2014 4:47 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] {Spam?} First week of training


Wow, he sounds kind of unpleasant. The trainer, I mean. Glad it’s working in 
spite of that, though.

I’m interested in the harness. Can you describe it?

—
Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
Phone: 814-860-3194
Mobile: 814-431-0962
Email: buddy at brannan.name



> On Sep 13, 2014, at 10:38 AM, Lisa via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
> Hello everyone!
>
> Well, the first week of my guide dog training is over and I thought I'd 
> tell you a bit about it. It's a rather long e-mail. But maybe you're 
> interested anyway.
>
> The beginning was incredibly rough and stressful. My boyfriend and I had 
> spent the whole Monday waiting excitedly for the arrival of the trainer 
> and Taylor. When they came in the evening, the trainer entered the 
> apartment with Taylor on leash and told him to lie down immediately. I was 
> not allowed to say hello to him in any way. At this point I thought well, 
> he must have his reasons so I waited.
> Then, after we talked a little while, he gave me the leash and said we 
> should go for a short walk so Taylor could relieve himself. We went 
> outside and Taylor pulled so hard on the leash, which was not surprising 
> for me because at this time, we still didn't have any contact with each 
> other. I expected the trainer to advise me on how I should react best and 
> stuff but all he did was criticize me for everything I did without giving 
> me any suggestions of alternatives. It was terrible. I was so hurt and 
> stressed out after this. Then the trainer set up the crate and told me I 
> wasn't allowed to take Taylor out of it. He left for the night and I was 
> so disappointed. I really thought I couldn't make it through these three 
> weeks of training with this horrible guy.
> The next day, he took Taylor on leash and kind of chased me through town 
> for three hours. He said he wanted to see how prepared I was for the 
> graduation at the end of the training. I had to go with my cane and he 
> just followed me and criticized me for numerous things.
> At the end of this day, Tuesday that is, I finally started a serious 
> conversation with him. I told him I wouldn't understand why I wasn't 
> allowed to touch my future dog and all the other things. I was so 
> exhausted and disappointed. He made a few attempts on explaining his 
> behaviour but nothing was really new to me. Like "the new environment is 
> stressful for the dog" and "I have to know how prepared you are for the 
> graduation". And I kept thinking: "Well, guy, I thought we would work for 
> three weeks so I'd be prepared for the graduation afterwards." But I 
> didn't give in and told him I'd need more structured announcements from 
> him. Like when we start training in the morning and in the afternoon and 
> what we are going to do -- so far he had just shown up at our place and 
> started whatever he wanted to.
> I was desperate.
> But Wednesday morning, everything changed. Well, not everything. Not his 
> way of talking to me, which I still think is with a lack of respect and 
> courtesy. But he started telling me how long our training session would be 
> each morning and afternoon and what we were going to do. And finally, I 
> was allowed to take Taylor on leash with me through the apartment. So I 
> finally got in touch with the dog and everything looked alot brighter 
> then. Okay, this is a good moment to tell you about Taylor.
> He is so full of joy and lust for living. He behaves like a puppy in the 
> apartment -- stole stuffed animals, knocked over the milk pot and started 
> licking the milk from the table.... But during the short period of time 
> that he is with us, he has learned so many things already. In the 
> living-room he is very relaxed and sleeping most of the time by now. The 
> other rooms? Well, we are working things out. ;-)
> And the day before yesterday, I worked him for the first time. So, I 
> walked with a guide for the very first time in my life. And surprisingly, 
> it worked brilliantly. I was so sure that it would take ages for me to 
> trust the dog and get used to the feeling of walking without a cane in my 
> hand. But it went so well! I keep thinking there has to come a big change 
> next week or so, where I suddenly feel insecure because I just can't 
> believe it.
> And since Taylor and I are working together during the training sessions, 
> the trainer is much better to endure. Even though I'm kind of scared of 
> the next week and the week after that, because we will have to be at the 
> central station and take busses all the time then. And he is just so not 
> the kind of person that encourages and validates you, unfortunately.
> But Taylor is so great. In harness, he works with all that joy I mentioned 
> before. You just notice with any step how  much he likes to work. And I 
> think we bonded very well so far. I say "I think" because the trainer 
> never tells me things that are positive. So I have to think of what's 
> positive myself instead.
> OK, that's my update so far.
> best wishes from Germany
> Lisa
>
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