[NAGDU] Apprentice Instructor

Fri Aug 11 01:35:22 UTC 2017

Julie. I have to say I agree with you. Christie is my favourite trainer 
from a school! And the reason is that when she sees a problem, she tries 
what's worked in the past. if that doesn't work, she will take the 
suggestions of the students into account. Apparently she has adapted 
some of the ways I was training Cricket to do other things, and is now 
using those techniques in her guide training.

Nick Abrahamson is a close friend of mine. he has trained his dog, Ruby, 
to do lots of tasks for him. He also trained his partners dog in 
mobility assistance. Now, the other really cool thing is that Nick and 
his partner can switch dogs! Strider can do Ruby's job and the other way 
around.

Nick has also been teaching me how to train Cricket to do other things too.

Nick had to owner train, because he couldn't find a school who would 
work with him being both Blind and Deaf. He is deaf, but he can 
vocalize, which throws a lot of people off. But, he still needs an ASL 
interpreter. I guess a lot of schools kind of went aaa at that.

"He can speak, why does he need an interpreter?" Speaking is not the 
same as hearing you morons!

Anyway, got on a tangent there. My p9oint is if Nick went to almost any 
school in this country, and showed them what ruby can do and how he 
trained her, he would be offered a trainer position in a heartbeat.

Only thing holding him back? The schools are not taking him seriously.

And now, on leaders job description for apprentice trainer, there is 
something that specifically describes exactly how much vision you have 
to have in order to be considered for the job... So, if someone has 
little to no periferal vision, they could be cut from the program on 
that basis alone...

My point, can we say discrimination anyone?

I am very disappointed in Leader for that description for employment change!

The reason I held leader to such a high standard when I thought about 
training guide dogs for others is that, when no other school would take 
a glance in my direction, leader gave me a chance. I definitely expected 
that philosophy to carry over to employment, but sadly, it hasn't... Yet!

We just have to make them see/believe that we can do it! that truly, 
blindness is not what holds us back!

And now that I feel like I've written a speech here, I'll leave you guys 
with this.
I've trained my dog to do things that Leader would not approve one of 
their dogs doing in a million years! But, she saved my life and got me 
help when I needed it because of what I taught her how to do.
My thought, take a behavior, and shape it with positive reinforcement, 
and turn it in to something you can use! Cricket can "Speak" on command 
as well as respond to a hand gesture for that same command. She has body 
checked someone out of the way so I can get up on the curb. She walks 
faster across intersections than most trainers like, and blows the up 
curbs because I just want to get my back end out of a street. Once we're 
up the curb, she stops, but I don't want to be in the street while I 
praise her! No thank you!
But all of those things are specific to me. I know personally, a 
trainer, who would be appalled at how my dog works, but she works for 
me, and she keeps me safe; gives me all the information I need (and 
sometimes more than I need) and we are a great team!
No! I actually don't want my dog to be "textbook perfect." I want her to 
be able to judge situations and be able to problem solve some things 
herself.
Example, I have some hearing damage, so if I can't hear the traffic, 
Cricket knows how to judge when it is safe to cross. this has been 
tested and re-tested several times. All I have to do with her is say 
"Tell me when it's safe!" and she does.
But it's things like that! Lots of trainers wouldn't trust anything like 
that, but my dog knows it and can do it with 100% accuracy

Anyway, the bottom line is, no, I do not have a training license, but 
the basic principles of the psychological laws of reinforcement are not 
hard to use. You just have to be willing to take the time to make it work.

A squeaky Abby and a sleepy Cricket

On 8/10/2017 8:09 AM, Wayne & Harley via NAGDU wrote:
> *Hello Julie, Rox, and Meghan if you're on this list too.
> I have to admit that when I originally approached Leader Dogs about 
> apprenticing, that I hadn't completely flushed out the "Kool-Aid" from 
> my system. *grin*
> It looks like I hadn't thought far enough outside of the "box".
> Thank you for this excellent food for thought.
>
> Wayne And Harley D
>
> *On 8/7/2017 8:16 AM, Julie Johnson via NAGDU wrote:
>> I have worked with two other people who were new to guide dogs.   Rox 
>> has also. Wayne has trained dogs for others.  Meghan trained my 
>> Jetta, then brought her here and helped me with getting started. I'm 
>> sure there are other blind people  that could be added to this list. 
>> In addition there are loads of owner trainers and blind people 
>> teaching cane travel. It's obvious that all the skills and techniques 
>> exist.  All we need is to put them all together in one place.
>>
>> Training a guide dog is not rocket science.  It requires some 
>> knowledge, a ton of hard work and a decent amount of perseverance, 
>> but it is not exceptionally mentally complicated. There is too often 
>> this mystique around guide dog training. It's not any more magical 
>> than airplanes.  As long as we keep thinking its some kind of 
>> unexplained magic, we are never going to make any progress on 
>> entering the field of guide dog training.
>>
>> I used to think brain surgery was kind of magical.  Then I met a 
>> couple of brain surgeons.  They are just regular people with a lot of 
>> education.  Also they do not know everything, which was actually 
>> comforting to me.  It confirmed to me it's science, not magic.
>>
>> Likewise, I've met and talked to a fair number of guide dog trainers 
>> over the years.  They are all just people.  They are knowledgeable, 
>> passionate about their work, and interested in learning new things.  
>> However they do not have any magical powers.  Sometimes they are 
>> wrong or they change their minds about best practices in training.    
>> They do not have all the answers for everything.  Again, it's 
>> reassuring to me that guide dog trainers approach problem situations 
>> the same way that I do. Address the most likely or obvious thing 
>> first and systematically try new solutions until you find something 
>> that works.
>>
>> If you missed the NAGDU trainer talk segment, go and listen to the 
>> recording.  Excellent, excellent stuff.  The question from the 
>> audience about what to do for a dog who relieves on route was 
>> especially interesting to me.  The trainer suggestions were exactly 
>> what I've heard here and elsewhere from other handlers. We have the 
>> ability to problem solve and come up with solutions the same as 
>> professional trainers.
>>
>> Again a blind person is not going to be able to pop into the job of a 
>> guide dog instructor exactly as it is now and be successful. There 
>> will definitely need to be some accommodations and alternative 
>> techniques used. It's likely that readers and drivers will be 
>> needed.  Some sort of two way headsets could be used to keep in 
>> constant communication.  A bell or other sound device could be 
>> temporarily added to the dogs harness to make it easier for the blind 
>> instructor to be aware of the dogs location. These are all just 
>> details though.  It's no different than any other job a blind person 
>> might do.
>>
>> When starting every job I've ever had, including running my own 
>> business, I've not had all the answers when I started.  I've had to 
>> label things in Braille, hire drivers, figure out how to focus a 
>> projector, monitor children in a group, teach someone how to operate 
>> a kitchen appliance I'd never used before, navigate large buildings 
>> in other cities, use a hot cutter and so so many other things.  I 
>> think a new blindness challenge comes up pretty much daily.  Today's 
>> is taking pictures.   It's likely I'll take a lot of them before I 
>> get a system figured out and that's okay.
>>
>> There are really only two obstacles to having blind people as guide 
>> dog instructors...first to the best of my knowledge and beliefs, none 
>> of the current programs are truly dedicated to making this happen.  
>> It will take some time to figure out what works and what doesn't.  
>> The blind person is going to have to have the opportunity to try, 
>> mess up and try again until the right set of alternative approaches 
>> are worked out.  That is the nature of trying new things.  It rarely, 
>> if ever, all comes together perfectly on the first try.
>>
>> The second issue is blind people.  The sad truth is that there are a 
>> lot of blind people who believe that cane travel instructors have to 
>> be sighted to be safe, effective or legitimate.  Its clear that this 
>> same belief holds true at even the thought of a blind person as a 
>> guide dog instructor.  How can we expect any guide dog school to hire 
>> a blind instructor if the blind students are going to refuse to be 
>> trained by that person?   It is our beliefs that hold us back.
>>
>> Fear is an interesting and powerful thing.   It is the one thing that 
>> can rule everything else.  Looking back I think the most important 
>> thing I got out of my sleepshade blindness training was the ability 
>> to feel fear and to do the thing anyway.  I've had discussions with 
>> sighted people who were very honest and sincere when they said to me 
>> that if they went blind they would be too afraid to do the things I 
>> do.  I can understand that.  If you don't understand the mechanics 
>> behind how blind people do things it probably does look scary, but 
>> once I explain they start to think about how it might be done, 
>> leaving the fear response behind.  That is what I hope for all blind 
>> people, that we can begin to think rationally about how a thing might 
>> be done instead of giving into the knee jerk response of fear.
>>
>> Julie
>> On The Go with Guide-and-Service-Dogs.com
>> http://www.guide-and-service-dogs.com
>> also find my products in the Blind Mice Mega Mall
>> <https://www.blindmicemegamall.com/bmm/shop/Directory_Departments?storeid=1916046> 
>>
>> -----Original Message----- From: Buddy Brannan via NAGDU
>> Sent: Sunday, August 06, 2017 4:23 PM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> Cc: Buddy Brannan
>> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Apprentice Instructor
>>
>> I call bullsh*t. They said the same thing about blind cane travel 
>> instructors, and we have loads of those now. Not to mention a number 
>> of owner trainers, and at least one blind person who has trained and 
>> placed guides for others.
>>
>> -- 
>> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
>> Mobile (preferred): (814) 431-0962
>> Phone: (814) 860-3194
>> Email: buddy at brannan.name
>>
>>
>>
>>> On Aug 6, 2017, at 3:59 PM, S L Johnson via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> 
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hello:
>>>
>>> I do think the schools should consider hiring blind people as training
>>> assistants.  However, a blind person could not be a full 
>>> instructor.  The
>>> instructors have to be able to see what is happening with the 
>>> students and
>>> dogs.  It would be a question of safety.
>>>
>>> Sandra
>>> -----Original Message----- From: Buddy Brannan via NAGDU
>>> Sent: Sunday, August 06, 2017 3:32 PM
>>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>> Cc: Buddy Brannan
>>> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Apprentice Instructor
>>>
>>> GDB had a pilot program that they set up to fail once. Otherwise, 
>>> none of
>>> the schools would even think about hiring a blind apprentice...they 
>>> might
>>> then have to think about graduating one to a full instructor,
>>> and...well...we just can't have that.
>>>
>>> -- 
>>> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
>>> Mobile (preferred): (814) 431-0962
>>> Phone: (814) 860-3194
>>> Email: buddy at brannan.name
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> On Aug 6, 2017, at 1:27 PM, Haylie Gallacher via NAGDU 
>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Anyone know if any of the guide dog schools have ever hired a a blind
>>>> apprentice instructor?  If so, which ones?  I am thinking about 
>>>> being a
>>>> guide dog instructor is why I am asking.
>>>>
>>>> Thanks,
>>>>
>>>> Haylieof
>>>>
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>>>
>>>
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-- 
Abigail M. Bolling
Wright State University-2018: Rehabilitation Services
Phone: (513) 512-3456
Email: bolling.8 at wright.edu
Abilities United: Secretary
Ohio Association of Guide Dog Users, a chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio: Secretary
"keep a smile on your face and a song in your heart, and just let the music play." (Julie Anderson-Diamond)
"Dance like no one is watching, love like you'll never be hurt, sing like no one is listening, and live like it's Heaven on earth." (William Purkey)
The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back.