[nagdu] Why I decided not to owner train.

[Julie J.]

Yes,  I agree with what everyone else has said.

this last time around I decided not to owner train because I wasn't willing 
or able to make the time  available that would have been necessary to train 
a dog.   It is a lot and I do mean a lot of work.   Owner training requires 
a good chunk of time each day.  I couldn't figure out where that time was 
going to come from, seeing as how I only have your basic 24 hours to work 
with and I get very grumpy with not enough sleep.   I could have quit my job 
or given up home schooling my Kiddo or given up the garden and assorted 
kitchen projects.  I wasn't willing to do any of that though.   Also when I 
thought of owner training again, I wanted to crawl in the closet and pull a 
blanket over my head and sleep for about a week.  Seriously just the memory 
of it makes me tired.

So I hired a trainer instead.  I thought about going through a program, 
thought about it a lot.  In the end, after changing my mind about 482 times, 
I went with a private trainer because it felt right.  It's what I needed to 
do for myself, my family and for the sake of the dog.

Julie




-----Original Message----- 
From: Tracy Carcione via nagdu
Sent: Sunday, September 21, 2014 9:29 AM
To: Vivianna ; NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog 
Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Why I decided not to owner train.

Hi Vivianna.
I tend to agree.  I'd rather get a dog who already knows the basics, and has
shown some aptitude for the work, that I can further mold to fit my specific
situation.
I do think, though, that one needn't have a lot of experience training dogs
before becoming an owner trainer, though I'm sure it helps.  The first owner
trainer I knew did not have dog-training experience when he started.  He did
have a background in psychology and behavior, and a logical, analytical
mind, and these skills allowed him to figure out what ought to work, and, I
expect, to analyze what wasn't working and adapt.
Tracy

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Vivianna via nagdu" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, September 21, 2014 9:19 AM
Subject: [nagdu] Why I decided not to owner train.


OK, it seems to me that some folks seem to think owner training a dog to be
a guide is the ting to do and, that’s great.  i’m all for it.  and, then, it
seems to me that some folks are under the false impression that
ownertraining a dog to be a guide is just something that anybody can pull
off successfully.
i have trained 3 of my own guides so, i speak from many years of experience.
this task is most definitely NOT for everybody.
you can’t just go and pick out a cute puppy, or a cool breed of young dog
and expect it to be guide dog material.  you need to have flawless mobility
skills, and, yes, that means using a white cane.  you need to have expert
dog handling and training skills. and, you need to have the time and
patience to go along with all of this.
i want a dog that has the basics down already, i want a dog that has good
house manners already.  i want a dog that knows what a harness is and how to
pull into it already.  i want a dog that i can take home and mold further
into the guide that i need.
what if that cute dog or puppy that you chose is not guide material?  what
will you do with the dog?  or, will you, because you now have bonded to the
dog, just force it to be a sort of half-baked guide?  do you think this will
be good for you or the dog?  do you think that taking a beloved family pet
and sort of halfway training it so you can bring it around with you is the
right thing?
now, don’t get me wrong, the folks that i have seen post on here are not
doing such a thing however, i have seen it happen.  and, not just once
either.
if a school, or, several schools, have turned down your application then,
what makes you think that you have the abilities to owner train a successful
guide?
if, you never go anywhere independently, if you don’t go for walks, if you
don’t have time, if you don’t know your city and neighborhood like the back
of your hand, if you don’t have experience training dogs, if you don’t have
the financial ability to care for a dog and take care of it’s medical bills,
then do you really want to take on such a monumental challenge as owner
training a dog that will be largely responsible for your safety?
just my thoughts on the subject.

Vivianna


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