[NAGDU] class coming up, and questions

cindyray at gmail.com cindyray at gmail.com
Tue Oct 16 20:45:47 UTC 2018 

I think they do need to be sure you can learn new routes, but I relaxed in
class when I realized that most places we go in class the dogs have already
been before. Sometimes, they will try to go to places you don't want to go
because they've been there. It is as if they are having their final exam. I
on the other hand, while willing to learn routes enough to go them, am
concentrating for getting a feel for this new dog. Of course you have to
understand that this very winter it will be ten years since I was there.
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 3:41 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

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."

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