[nagdu] Introducing my team.

[Cindy ray]

Hi, Wayne, 
Welcome to the list. You feel a little defensive. Many here on this list are training their own dogs. I used to wonder about the validity of it, but I have learned to respect and honor people who do it. No one here thinks otherwise, I think, and there are good discussions about the training of dogs. I love the idea of training my own dog; I wouldn't ever do it because I don't think I have the persistent patience. I think it is grand that you have trained four guides successfully. 
I am one of the moderators of the list, Cindy, and I live in Iowa, though I am currently visiting in Houston. I just retired my dog and probably won't get another because I don't think we go out enough. I want to keep the dog I just retired as I haven't done it before. I have three dogs now, so I would rather not add in another. I think my husband would probably choose a different course of life. So I am taking a break. Of course that could be a fun time to try training, but I think I haven't the energy. 
I admire all of you who do this.
Cindy Lou Ray
cindayray at gmail.com


Cindy Lou Ray
Sent from my iPhone

> On Nov 12, 2015, at 7:16 AM, Wayne And Harley via nagdu <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> Hello, I am a new list member so I thought it behooved  ( bepawed? *grin* ) me to introduce myself.My name is Wayne Scace. I grew up on my family's dairy farm herding our cows with a collie and a succession of Blue Heelers. I have been a Guide Dog Owner for fifteen years and an Owner Trainer for five of those fifteen. My first three Guides came from a school.  My cureent Guide Dog Harley, is a five year old, male American White Shepherd X Labrador cross. He is my first Owner Trained Guide Dog. I have also Owner Trained two other pups that turned out to be perfect matches for two friends of mine. Those two pups are going strong Guiding my friends. All three have been on "Active Duty" for a bit over four years now.Let's get this next bit out in the open right away.....I have nothing, but respect for all Guide Dog Schools and have zero axes to grind about them. That is NOT the reason that I chose to Owner Train. Choosing to Owner Train is a purely personal decision, akin to choosing whether to use a White Cane, or a Guide Dog to get around. Each of us must decide what's best for us ourselves. I chose to use a Guide Dog and after a decade working with School Trained Guides I decided to take the opportunity and Owner Train. I am in no way, shape, or form saying that every Guide Dog Owner must Owner Train. Just as I do NOT say every blind must uee a Guide Dog. It is the choice of each individual, and I respect those choices, as I ask you to respect mine. By the way:Owner Training predates Guide Dog Schools by several millennia as the Guide Dog School concept is less than a century old, only dating back to post World War One Germany.Have a great week.
> 
> 
> Yours, Very Sincerely And Respectfully,
> 
> Wayne M. Scace 
> _______________________________________________
> 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/cindyray%40gmail.com