[NAGDU] class coming up, and questions

Tue Oct 16 20:40:53 UTC 2018

Cindy, awesome idea. I'll be sure to speak to my instructor about
this, and also I'll be sure to speak to him/her about learning routes
versus focusing on working a dog. Like Tracy said earlier, it's more
about working the dog rather than getting around Morristown. I hope I
have an instructor with those same views, because even though I used
to be great at learning new places on my own, my independence was set
back when I went to the school I went to for dog number 3, because I
don't like getting lost at all; and while I was there, they were
focused on me trying to remember the route, and I wanted to focus more
on the dog and her mannerisms and getting a good feel of her and how
she worked, but instead my attention was split into two parts, and it
made for some nervousness on my part, and ever since then I have hated
trying routes i don't know, or going independently to a new city, but,
I know that I can gain this back and I just have to get my confidence
back up. I do think that it's good for instructors to keep in mind
that the students are not trying to learn the city, they just need to
know basic turns and information in order to work their dogs, so they
can focus on what's really important, learning about your new guide.
Now, with the implimentation of the OCS method, orientation, coaching,
and solo, then yes, learning a route for training purposes to simulate
learning a route at home, that's different, because learning a route
is the purpose of that training session. So I do understand it from
that aspect.
Kerri

On 10/16/18, Cindy Ray via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Let the school know you are doing that. They may work in some simulations
> that will help your dog acclammate to the convention. One year someone went
> who was a national scholarship winner, and they worked with her on some
> simulations of things that would happen at convention. I think you are on
> the right track.
> Cindy Lou Ray
> cindyray at gmail.com
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Kerri Sprecher via
> NAGDU
> Sent: Tuesday, October 16, 2018 2:37 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Kerri Sprecher <spedangel84 at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] class coming up, and questions
>
> Hi all,
> Sounds like an awesome way to spend my last of October/beginning of
> November. The thing about it is, and I know some of you might frown upon
> this but I can't opt out of it, I come home on the 8th, and then go to Fort
> Worth for the annual NFB state convention. I'm aware that most dog schools
> frown upon any kind of trips like that during the first few weeks, but I
> assumed the position of president of our chapter following the loss of one
> of our members, and the president had to step down. And, my husband, being
> the only sighted member of the group, elected to drive us all down there,
> saving tons of money on bus fare and van rentals, etc. That being said, I
> also didn't know which class I would be in, and as it came closer and
> closer
> to November, and I wasn't picked for the classes in July through September,
> I knew it would line up this way, because I had looked at the class
> schedule
> online.
> So, what I plan to do is to make sure that I give my dog plenty of extra
> breaks and park times throughout the day, lots of playtime, even some
> massage, as I learned in my first class in 2002 can really be great bonding
> time and also good for the dog's muscles too. And, I plan to heel the dog
> sometimes while either using human guide, or my cane, not always expecting
> him/her to work the whole entire time, as was suggested to me by a fellow
> friend and handler. This way, the dog isn't responsible for guiding me and
> can take a mental break while still enjoying the walk, and the sights and
> sounds around us at the same time getting in some much needed exercise. Do
> I
> seem to have all that right, about the breaks and playtime, massage, park
> times, and heeling? I'm hoping that my planning ahead will pay off in that
> the dog will not get too stressed out, being fresh out of training. I will
> be the dog's only constant and the dog will barely even know me, much less
> Texas, my family, or any of that, and this happens the day after their
> first
> plane ride, which can be nerve-racking for some dogs. And not to mention
> the
> 2/5 hour car trip from DFW airport back to my hometown, then the next day
> back to Fort Worth, then on Sunday, which is two days after that, the ride
> back. We chose a vehicle for this specific reason that has plenty of room
> in
> the footwell, and we plan to take a few rest stops between origin and
> destination for parking and water.
> So, I am very much aware of the drawbacks to taking a trip like this
> literally a day after returning home, and so much vehicular travel, but I
> think, if I do it right and use good judgment, give the dog plenty of
> downtime whenever possible and always stay with them, of course I would do
> that anyway, then I think it'll all turn out ok.
> Kerri
>
> On 10/16/18, Lauren Bishop via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> Good Afternoon Carrie,
>> I attended class at Seeing Eye for my first guide in 2016, and they
>> had the schedule that you will have this time.  You will arrive
>> sometime on Monday, and depending on when you arrive, you will have
>> lunch or dinner.  If your transportation gets delayed, they will save
>> you a plate.  The first day, they show you to your room, and you
>> unpack.  Then an instructor comes and gives you an orientation to the
>> building, and you get a Juneau walk around the building and up and
>> down the driveway.  That night, you have dinner, and they have a
>> lecture about the rules, and you get to know each other.  Also,
>> provided that the weather is good, you will have a fire drill.  The
>> second day, you wake up at 6, have breakfast at 7 and have two Juneau
> walks in town, a meeting with the president, and a wine and cheese social.
>> Wednesday, you get breakfast fifteen minutes earlier than scheduled,
>> have a lecture, and get your dogs.  After that their is bonding time and
> lunch.
>> That afternoon, you do your first walk.
>> Thursday-Sunday are spent on the Maple Street Route, with Sunday being
>> the solo. Also, there is no visiting hours in the first weekend.
>> That Monday-Wednesday are spent on the South Street Route, and the
>> solo for that route is Wednesday morning.  After that you have
>> freelance.  The lectures are all given during class, and some take
>> place after dinner and some take place in the middle of the day.  The
>> New York City trip is also still happening.
>> I hope you have a good time in class.
>> Sincerely,
>> Lauren Bishop
>>
>>> On Oct 16, 2018, at 2:42 PM, Cindy Ray via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> OOOO! What a wonderful time to go to Morristown. I haven't been since
>>> the schedule was shortened, but I would guess you do less trips on
>>> the Maple Street route. I don't know when you were there last, but
>>> when I went, free lance started earlier with the high school route
>>> eliminated. I found the three weeks a little too long myself, and I'm
>>> grateful for the change. Of course I'm not going back any time soon.
>>> LOL. It would be weird going on Monday rather than Saturday, but it
>>> gives the entire staff the weekend off.
>>> That's a nice thing for sure. I would love to hear more about how the
>>> training has changed.
>>> Cindy Lou Ray
>>> cindyray at gmail.com <mailto:cindyray at gmail.com>
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org
>>> <mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org>>
>>> On Behalf Of Kerri Sprecher via NAGDU
>>> Sent: Tuesday, October 16, 2018 1:29 PM
>>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org <mailto:nagdu at nfbnet.org>>
>>> Cc: Kerri Sprecher <spedangel84 at gmail.com
>>> <mailto:spedangel84 at gmail.com>>
>>> Subject: [NAGDU] class coming up, and questions
>>>
>>> Hello to all,
>>> I'm so excited to be going to Morristown, NJ on Monday the 22nd. I
>>> heard something about a welcome meeting or dinner when I got my
>>> flight arrangements set up with the travel agency. That part was new
>>> to me and I liked that.
>>> So, my thing is this: in order to pack all the training that used to
>>> go into a 3 and a half week class for a retrain and 4 weeks for a new
>>> student, into a shorter class time, 2.5 weeks for retrains in my
>>> case, can someone shed some light on how in the world they manage to
>>> pull that off? I bet it's a whirlwind of activity; I'm definitely
>>> expecting the 5:30 AM feed and park, meal times to be the same, one
>>> AM and one PM trip, and feed and park again, some lectures and one
>>> last park time, but, do they have you doing longer trips with more
>>> work per trip than before? I would imagine that in order to get
>>> someone prepared for life with a guide dog, you'd have to pack more
>>> skill sets into a trip in order to get it all in there before going
>>> home time.
>>> I spoke with a good friend of mine who goes to GDB for her dogs, and
>>> she said hers is similar in that they do clicker training, targeting,
>>> chaining, and the like, but when they shortened their class time
>>> also, they changed the ratio of student/instructor to 2/1 instead of
>>> 4/1, because they put in longer trip times with more training in each
>>> trip than in previous classes before.
>>> I'm guessing that Monday and Tuesday are dedicated to paperwork,
>>> orientation, lectures, and Juneau walks to make sure the match is
>>> right, and then Wednesday, the day everyone looks forward to, Dog
>>> Day, lunch, and your first ever trip together. And, I am also
>>> guessing that in the first few days of getting the new dog, it'll be
>>> the simple familiar quiet routes, then more in-depth and more complex
>>> ones. I just was shocked when I first learned they had shortened
>>> class, because even with a 3 week class, it felt like we were always
>>> running and going, with a little down time sprinkled in, but mostly
>>> busy, and now, to think that it's even shorter makes me wonder just
>>> how much more work they'll have for me to do at once. Glad I'm a
>>> seasoned handler by now, or I might feel overwhelmed; heck I might
>>> feel that way anyway.
>>> Smile.
>>> So, what do you think, for those of you grads out there, about the
>>> new
>>> 2.5 week class, and how has it affected or changed the way they do
>>> trips and the amount of work for each trip?
>>> Thanks all, and I am ecstatic!
>>> Kerri
>>>
>>> --
>>> Kerri Sprecher,  President
>>> Big Country Chapter NFBTX
>>> spedangel84 at gmail.com
>>> 325-280-6272
>>> Chapter Google Voice: 325-704-8787
>>> Chapter E-mail:
>>> bigcountry at nfbtx.org
>>> Check us out on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AbileneAreaBlind
>>> "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."
>>>
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>
>
> --
> Kerri Sprecher,  President
> Big Country Chapter NFBTX
> spedangel84 at gmail.com
> 325-280-6272
> Chapter Google Voice: 325-305-2965
> Chapter E-mail:
> bigcountry at nfbtx.org
> Check us out on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AbileneAreaBlind
> "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."
>
> _______________________________________________
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-- 
Kerri Sprecher,  President
Big Country Chapter NFBTX
spedangel84 at gmail.com
325-280-6272
Chapter Google Voice: 325-305-2965
Chapter E-mail:
bigcountry at nfbtx.org
Check us out on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AbileneAreaBlind
"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."