[NAGDU] Let's Talk About it! GDB or GEB?

[Sherry Gomes]

Hey Danielle,

I'm a long time GDB grad and have seen the school go through many changes in
over 40 years. I did apply to GEB the last time, because I was angry and
distraught over some things a former CEO  did at GDB. I was accepted but
they wanted to put me in their special needs program which would have meant
waiting two more years. I'd already been accepted to GDB, and they'd kicked
the evil CEO to the curb, so I got my dog from them again.

In 1975, when I got my first guide dog, GDB was the only school that would
accept me due to my juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. They have consistently
given me good dogs, with a slow pace and lots of initiative. I only have one
major negative thing about them, and that is that they don't give ownership
immediately upon graduation. You have to wait a year, and then you have to
request it and your field manager has to agree. 

As for what the class is like: it's two weeks long. You arrive on Sunday and
receive your dog the next day. They have small classes, so you are working
with one trainer for the whole time and have one other student with you.
This gives the students longer routes, more chances to customize later in
training, that sort of thing. The breeds they use are labs, goldens and
crosses, lab/golden. You'd have routes in busy city environments, small
town, rural, public transportation, malls, escalators, all that kind of
thing. 

The application process is fairly straightforward, online app, in-home
interview with an instructor, medical report, eye report for first timers,
O&M report for first timers, if you've had that kind of training in the last
few years. During the interview, they'll want to see you travel
independently, cross streets, and at least one of those with a light if
possible. They will also do a Juno walk, where they instructor will show you
how to hold the harness and will guide you, letting you give a few commands
and get a bit of a feel of what it will be like. Believe me, an instructor
doesn't feel a bit like a dog pulling, but it's an idea of it.

Feel free to ask me any questions here or off list. 

Sherry
Sherry.gomes at outlook.com



-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Danielle Ledet
via NAGDU
Sent: Thursday, July 5, 2018 10:34 PM
To: chat <chat at guidedogusersinc.org>; nagdu at nfbnet.org
Cc: Danielle Ledet <singingmywayin at gmail.com>
Subject: [NAGDU] Let's Talk About it! GDB or GEB?

Hello Listers,
How is this to spark up the quiet of these lists? I guess alot of
people are at Convention. I am trying to decide to which school I
should apply. And yes at this time it has everything to do with the
vet assistance they offer. Which would you recommend and why? What is
the training experience on campus like? What are your dislikes? What
things do you leave the school with? What are the schedules like?
How are the dogs trained? So far, I have checked out GDB online and am
in the process of checking out GEB. I can tell you right off I do
appreciate that both do a home visit and both have online
applications. Yes, I am considering returnign to my alma mater but
they don't offer ongoing financial assistance and it seems that there
is always something in my way preventing me from saving extra cash. So
at this point I will opt on the side of wisdom and experience. Thanks
guys and gals for your honest responses.

-- 
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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