[NAGDU] some questions about The Seeing Eye

Fri Feb 16 14:48:46 UTC 2018

Hi,

This is my first dog, so can't comment on what Seeing Eye used to be like.
However, I graduated in August of last year, and can comment on things at
that point.
You have a private room for you and your dog. Park is the cement area just
down the stairs and outside by the elevator across the hall from the
north/south lounges on the main floor. Lunch doesn't require formalwear
anymore. The trainers ask you to come dressed for work outside and for the
weather conditions for that time of year. Pack sparingly because you will
only need the essentials. They provide you with the dog and a getting
started kit for the dog (contents listed below). You have the ability to
purchase extra supplies during the first week with your new dog, which your
trainer will show and explain to your group. Extra supplies include Seeing
Eye issue leashes/collars, grooming supplies, portable food bowls, Seeing
Eye issue food bowls (the stainless steel ones used in class), etc.

Contents of the 'getting started kit': 1 furry, friendly Seeing Eye dog, A
standard issue harness with screw-on handle, a leash, collar, stainless
steel comb, slicker brush, finishing brush, Kong, Nylabone, muttmat (medium
size), tiedown (36 inches), medical records since birth, Seeing Eye ID card,
roughly 5 pounds of dog food, treats for the trip home, 3 months of
heartworm/flee+tick treatments (oral), dog tags for rabies, 'if I'm found'
tag, Home Again tags, Seeing Eye issued tags, puppy profile, a set of dog
boots, and other supplies as required for medical needs.

Each dog is microchipped with a lifetime membership to the Home Again
service (www.homeagain.com). The dogs have weekly vet visits once assigned
to someone. So, the staff may come and get your dog and take it to its vet
visit. At the end of class, you have the chance to visit the on-campus vet
before going home. You will have the chance to talk to the clinic in depth
about your dog's health concerns, if any, and get your supply of
heartworm/flee+tick treats. You will have the chance to purchase additional
supplies at a discount. In fact, the clinic sells it to graduates at cost.
If your dog requires medical treatment, the vet visits and medical treatment
is at no cost to you. The initial supplies required to continue treatment
once at home are at no cost to you. For instance, Alec had a severe hotspot
covering his entire chest and neckline. His treatment while in class was at
no cost, and the medical supplies to treat it at home were at no cost to me.
On routine matters, Seeing Eye supplies the feed bowls and food during your
stay in class. Once you arrive, the food bowls are in the bathroom on the
shelf above the toilet. The food is in a viddles vault next to the desk by
the door to the hallway. If you run out of food before you leave, just ask
to have it refilled. Seeing Eye uses Pro Plan Sport for all life stages,
26/16. For most of the stay, the basic schedule is feed and park at 5:30AM,
breakfast at 7:00Am, first runs around 7:45AM-8:30AM (depends on trainer and
current schedule), park at 10:30AM - 11:30AM (more consistent at the start
of class, then gradually becomes inconsistent due to schedule), lunch at
12:00PM (seating arrangements change each Saturday), afternoon runs between
12:45-1:30PM (based on trainer and current schedule), dog's dinner and park
at 4:30PM, dinner at 5:00PM, lectures between 6:00PM and 8PM (length varies
on lecture, but never goes past 8:00PM), and 8:00PM final park. Everything
else is free time to do as you wish. No one is allowed to leave campus
without a trainer.
Some of the trainers may have retired or left, but most of them are the
same. However, there are new IAs coming up from the kennels. Seeing Eye
believes in positive reinforcement. However, they do understand that there
might be times where corrections are needed. They don't teach food rewards,
but if you implement it when you get home, feel free.
When I was in class, a funny thing happened. It was the first week we had
our dogs. We were in our trainer's group lecture trying to put boots on our
dogs. When it came to Alec, I put his boots on the front feet first. When
trying to put them on his back feet, he ended up climbing the wall, getting
top heavy, doing a backflip, and landing in my lap head first. You can only
imagine the force of a 67LB dog falling straight over your head and into
your lap. My trainer wished we could have gotten pictures of the event.
Another time, we were out at final park for the day. He happily did his
business and then turned around and bumbrushed me, making me fall flat on my
back at park. Next thing I knew, there is a very heavy army tank of a dog
standing on me with all 4 feet, slurping me all over. My trainer and another
IA had to help me back on my feet. After that, our bond was easier to build.
The start of class was difficult and has a complex backstory. That is why
his antic at park was funny and welcoming. There are more stories that keep
adding up after we got home. I can put those out at a later time if anyone
is interested.

-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Kerri Sprecher
via NAGDU
Sent: Thursday, February 15, 2018 9:44 PM
To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
Cc: Kerri Sprecher <spedangel84 at gmail.com>
Subject: [NAGDU] some questions about The Seeing Eye

Hi list,
I have very recently, after long and hard thought and consideration, decided
that retiring my current guide dog would be the best for me, and for her as
well, due to some major behaviors and some extremely unacceptable behavior
from her school. Therefore, I have decided to go back to The Seeing Eye
where I received my first 2 dogs, but it's been 12 years since I went there,
and I know they have done some major renovations to the main building where
the students stay, and probably redone or made changes to things outside the
building too. So, I'm wondering, from all you TSE grads out there who have
gone since 2006, what's changed and what's the same? Same harnesses with the
screw-on handle? Same commands or any changes in student instruction? I know
there are changes in staff members, and I'll learn those eventually when I
go, but I'm more interested in things like whether they still have the big
cement parking area for dog relief, or is it more private now like some
schools have, and if they still do things like give you the pans of food the
first week and then you get them the rest of the time? I also noticed that
the class time has been shortened for both new students and retrains, which
is also good.
Anyway, any insight would be great, and I'd enjoy any stories about your
training there, or what you have seen improved or changed, etc.
Thanks for responding, and hopefully the application process won't take too
much time, since I put in my replacement app and already one medical form
has been sent back within a 3 day period. I'd also be interested to know if
retrains still get a home interview or if they have to still go get an eye
exam or have an opthalmologist report, or do they go on the previous record?
Looking forward to all of your responses. Thanks a lot, and have a great
weekend to all.
Kerri

Sent from my iPhone
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