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

Cindy Ray cindyray at gmail.com
Tue Aug 21 19:36:01 UTC 2018


Tara, I don't see anything controversial about what you've said. Many of us have had similar experiences. Let's face it. There is a lot of work and emotion involved, but it is a change in routine, and at some level you are receiving the pampering you need sometimes. That's not about blindness; that's about survival sometimes. And it is about excitement for getting the new puppy.
Cindy Lou Ray
cindyray at gmail.com


-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Tara Briggs via NAGDU
Sent: Tuesday, August 21, 2018 2:08 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?

 OK, I might stir up some controversy but here goes. I will be going to the sea night on September 24. I am doing home and away training. So I will be at the Seeing Eye for two weeks and then the instructor will come back with me to my house and train little bit further with me for about three or four days. I am over the moon about it! I am so excited! It will be six months since I retired my previous guide and I cannot wait to meet new puppy! And here’s the controversial part, I can’t wait for my vacation  at the seeing eye! I have two kids that are ages two and four. My husband has congenital muscular dystrophy, so caring for him is very similar to caring for someone who is a quadriplegic. I am so excited about someone else cooking all my meals! I can’t wait to go on long wonderful walks with new puppy! And since it is the end of September,  the weather should    be lovely and warm!I cannot wait to eat food that I didn’t prepare and I cannot wait to have to feed only me! I am looking forward to the fact that I will not have to turn to my neighbor and ask her  the  totally pointless question of why she   enjoyed eating this meal  yesterday and now she hates it today. I do understand that there is definitely some work involved in going to the schools and getting your new dog. And definitely there are a lot of emotions that go along with it especially when it is a successor dog. Or at least they were for me. But I have to say, I am looking forward to my two week vacation at the Seeing Eye. And I will be coming home with the best souvenir of all! The new puppy that will be my eyes and will be very loved by  we and my family! 
Tara
 Sent from my iPhone

> On Aug 21, 2018, at 12:23 PM, Star Gazer via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
>                    How does being held over work with regard to the 
> rest of your life? If you have a job and/or a family, wouldn't it be 
> more disruptive to not be back on time v. to just be gone for a longer 
> time?
> When I was using dogs, and it's been over a decade now, I was 
> surprised at how little people understood about what getting a new dog 
> entailed. They seemed to think of it as a vacation and it was near 
> impossible to explain otherwise. This was before social media so I 
> couldn't even provide the appearance of a vacation. All they saw was 
> me with a cute dog going on walks in good weather and then coming back where I had food prepared for me.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Becky Frankeberger 
> via NAGDU
> Sent: Tuesday, August 21, 2018 11:02 AM
> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Becky Frankeberger <b.butterfly at comcast.net>
> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Faster training times. Is this a growing trend?
> 
> Two week classes didn't bother me at all in early 2000  when I got my 
> second guide dog at Pilot. Yes Pilot. They have been doing two week 
> classes with retrains forever. They hold you over if you are not ready 
> to go home with your partner, last I knew anyway. The first timer in 
> my husband class at GDB was in her sixties. You can request an 
> instructor work with you in your home area right off the bat with GDB, or most any school.
> 
> Becky
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Tracy Carcione via 
> NAGDU
> Sent: Tuesday, August 21, 2018 7:11 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] Faster training times. Is this a growing trend?
> 
> Hi Danielle.
> I think everyone obsesses over something before going to class, and 
> maybe footwork is your obsession.  I have found, when I actually get 
> to class, whatever I was obsessing about turns out to be no big deal.
> 
> Like Becky's husband, my brother isn't big into food rewards, so he 
> learned the technique at GDB, then pretty much dropped it when he got home.
> 
> It's good to research and find out all you can, but I think a person 
> also has to listen to what their heart is saying about some place.  
> So, if I found that 2 schools looked fairly equal in quality, I'd go 
> with the one my heart was telling me was right.  Facts matter, of 
> course, but I think it also helps a lot to have confidence in the 
> school you choose, and to feel comfortable there.
> Tracy
> 
>> Yes that is what I am talking about. The emphasis is more on the lef 
>> foot whereas my previous training emphasized the right foot. ALso, 
>> you don't just stop you have to give the halt command otherwise the 
>> dog views this as a negative as in something is wrong. Then, there 
>> are the heavy emphases on food rewarding. There are also differences 
>> where making turns and during sidewalkless work. GDF also has a 
>> 2-week program for anyone interested. My gut is just tellling me it's 
>> alot to unlearn in such a short period of time.
>> 
>>> On 8/20/18, Nancy VanderBrink via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>> So I will be going to GDB for my next dog and I'm curious to see how 
>>> well this goes for me.  I've noticed that their handling style is 
>>> different such as having to do a lot with your left foot and I'm 
>>> just a right foot person and of course working on some bad habits.
>>> I've previously been to a four-week training experience and 
>>> one-on-one training when we had to  retire my first guide quite young.
>>> I'm honestly looking forward to it and the shorter timeframe works 
>>> better for my working life.
>>> Just my two cents.
>>> Nancy
>>> 
>>> Please forgive the typos as this message was most likely generated 
>>> using voice dictation Nancy Irwin Sent from my iPhone
>>> 
>>> On Aug 20, 2018, at 1:08 PM, Tracy Carcione via NAGDU 
>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> wrote:
>>> 
>>> 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 
>>>> donâ?Tt 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 donâ?Tt know this for sure. 
>>>>> Anyway, am I accurate in saying this is a growing trend among 
>>>>> Guide dog training schools? If so, what are anyoneâ?Ts thoughts or experiences?
>>>>> Thanks!
>>>>> Tara
>>>>> 
>>>>> Sent from my iPhone
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>> 
>> 
>> --
>> How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, 
>> compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and 
>> tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you 
>> will have been all of these.
>> George Washington Carver
>> Email: singingmywayin at gmail.com
>> 
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