[nagdu] Training dogs?

[Julie J.]

Sherry, are you thinking of Shanna?  I think there was also someone else, a 
gentleman, who worked in the training department exclusively.  I've totally 
forgotten his name though.

Julie
Courage to Dare: A Blind Woman's Quest to Train her Own Guide Dog is now 
available! Get the book here:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QXZSMOC
-----Original Message----- 
From: Sherry Gomes via nagdu
Sent: Friday, November 06, 2015 4:58 AM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Cc: Sherry Gomes
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Training dogs?

She's not on this list now and not working at GDB anymore. While she was 
there, she did not do the initial training of dogs but worked with the team 
she was assigned to in various tasks and then also worked/trained with dogs 
in the string after the sighted instructors had partly trained them, and 
always with a sighted instructor or supervisor with her. She also went out 
with classes, did dorm duty and various other things. She really hoped the 
job would eventually turn into working in the training department as an 
apprentice trainer. It was her dream to work there, but things changed, 
people were laid off or fired with a new CEO and the drive to have more 
alumni on staff and particularly in the training department seemed to 
disappear from GDB. This person eventually became frustrated and left, 
moving to another state and doing something else now. There were also a few 
blind people working in the kennel department, but I don't think they are 
there anymore either.

Sherry

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tracy Carcione 
via nagdu
Sent: Thursday, November 5, 2015 10:47 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Tracy Carcione <carcione at access.net>
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Training dogs?

GDB did have a blind person in some kind of training capacity, and that
person was or is on this list.  For some reason, the position did not work
as people had hoped.  If that person is still on the list, I'd be
interested in any particulars she might care to share.
Tracy


> Raven writes:
>> Honestly, anyone could apply to be an instructor apprentice at a guide
>> dog school and probably make it depending on presentation and such.
>
> How I dearly wish this were true. Sadly, this has not, to date, been the
> case; someone can please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. However, to
> my knowledge, no guide dog school has welcomed blind applicants for
> apprentice instructor positions. The prevailing wisdom, not very wise in
> my opinion, is that there are too many aspects of the training that we
> just wouldn't be able to do; traffic springs to mind, and it's the one
> most often cited whenever the topic comes up. Here is one deal breaker.
> The few times I've looked at such positions, I've always seen something
> similar to this as an essential job requirement. From the Guide Dogs For
> the Blind job posting:
>
> • Valid Class B license (with passenger transportation endorsement) and
> Medical Certificate required (California). If not, must obtain a Class B
> driver license within 90 days of start date, along with insurable driving
> record at normal rates or Oregon equivalent.
>
> Yep, we'd all be dismissed on that grounds alone, if no other.
>
> We all know that blind people can certainly train guide dogs. Several of
> us have done so for ourselves, and at least one person I know of has done
> so for others, so of course it's possible. But I can already tell you that
> the schools will probably be slow to entertain the possibility, if they
> ever do at all. One more thing I can already hear, because I've heard it
> already: the outcry from our own. Do you know how many blind people I've
> met who have told me (in self-evident contradictory statements), "I
> believe in the capabilities of blind people, but I'd never trust one as an
> O&M instructor, or to train my guide dog. There are just some things that
> require vision, and it's not realistic to think that this is a job we can
> do." So besides overcoming the attitudes of the schools intros regard, we
> have to overcome the attitudes of our own people. But to do the latter, we
> have to do the former first.
>
> Again, I'd dearly love to be wrong about this. I sincerely wish I was in a
> position to apply for such a job, but I can't, mostly because moving just
> isn't possible. Still, it's something I'd love to do.
>
> --
> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
> Phone: 814-860-3194
> Mobile: 814-431-0962
> Email: buddy at brannan.name
>
>
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