[NAGDU] Faster training times. Is this a growing trend?

[Tracy Carcione]

This is my theory, and I'll stick to it until I see good evidence to
change it:
For first-timers, it's about learning how to work with a dog, and bonding
with a particular dog, and it takes time and practice to learn a new
skill.  It's like learning to dance; you may have a great teacher, but it
still takes lots of repition to do it smoothly and to set new habbits.
For retrains, class is about learning to work with a new dog, and
hopefully reshaping some bad habbits.  Otherwise, they could just drop off
the dog and work with you over the phone, and wouldn't that be nice.  But
it takes a while to learn to dance with a new partner, too, especially an
inexperienced partner.  And, in my experience, it takes a while for the
dog to get comfortable and come out of its shell.  For the first week or
so, it usually has on its company manners, but then it starts showing more
of its whole self, and often seeing how much it can get away with.  Or it
starts to see that this is for real, and can get a bit stressed and start
working differently.
The upshot is, it takes time to do some things, and there's a limit to how
much can be cut off that time.
Tracy

> I love the two week classes, and now that I am employed, I could not see
> doing anything longer.  Leader's Florida class is even shorter at only 10
> days, and that worked well for me for a bunch of reasons one of which it
> was short and two I know Naples like the back of my hand.
> Jordan
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Tara Briggs via NAGDU
> Sent: Friday, August 17, 2018 2:19 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Tara Briggs <thflute at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Faster training times. Is this a growing trend?
>
>  Hey Tracy! Sorry about the dictation mistake. I listen back but I don’t
> always catch them. I accidentally sent my friend a text message with the
> mother of all swearwords in the middle of it. For some crazy reason I
> completely missed it. We had a good laugh about it. Anyway, if there are
> any GDB graduates on this list, what do you think about the shorter
> training times? How short are they? I would love to hear your thoughts.
> Tara
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On Aug 17, 2018, at 12:30 PM, Tracy Carcione via NAGDU
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>
>> Hi Tara.
>> I've done the schedule you're doing at TSE twice, and it's been fine.  A
>> couple of my classmates had dog switches, so had to stay extra with the
>> first-timers, but that's a great thing about the way TSE runs
>> classes--retrains get out early, unless there's a problem.
>> I do think first-timers need more time to get accustomed to working a
>> dog, as well as getting into good habits of work and care.  I think GDB
>> is offering everyone very short classes, and I'm not sure that's a good
>> thing.  But then it's been a long time since I was a first-timer, and
>> maybe it's not as hard as I remember.
>> I think, overall, it's a good thing.  Most of us have active lives, and
>> it can be hard to get away.
>>
>> I'm very amused that your message said "guy ducks" for Guide Dogs!
>> Dictation, I guess.
>> Tracy
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tara Briggs
>> via NAGDU
>> Sent: Friday, August 17, 2018 2:15 PM
>> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> Cc: Tara Briggs
>> Subject: [NAGDU] Faster training times. Is this a growing trend?
>>
>> Hi all! I recently got the wonderful news that I will be going to get my
>> new puppy on September 24. I will be going to the seeing eye. Back in
>> 2009, I arrived on the Saturday and we got our dogs on Monday afternoon.
>> This time, I will be arriving on Monday and we will get our dogs on
>> Wednesday morning. This arrival on a Monday means that our training at
>> the Seeing Eye has been shortened by two days. I gather that other kind
>> of schools have done a similar shortening of training. I think that guy
>> ducks the blind has shortened their training by quite a bit although I
>> don’t know this for sure. Anyway, am I accurate in saying this is a
>> growing trend among Guide dog training schools? If so, what are
>> anyone’s thoughts or experiences? Thanks!
>> Tara
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
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