[NAGDU] FW: [GDUI Chat] Forbes.com: Here's How To Get A Guide Dog

Fri Jul 5 17:48:43 UTC 2019

Madison, why did you send this again?

On 7/5/19, Madison Martin via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Lillian Scaife [mailto:lmscaife at charter.net]
> Sent: July-05-19 12:26 AM
> To: chat at guidedogusersinc.org
> Subject: [GDUI Chat] Forbes.com: Here's How To Get A Guide Dog
>
>
>
> Here's How To Get A Guide Dog
>
> Forbes.com July 3, 2019
>
> By Peter Slatin (GDB Graduate)
>
> https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterslatin/2019/07/03/heres-how-to-get-a-guide-dog/#15c4e44c584a
>
> “How do I get a dog like that?” asked a young man inside the lobby of a
> Midtown Manhattan office building as I headed toward the exit. He was eyeing
> my lovely German shepherd service dog, Joy, who weighed about 80 lbs. and
> was a soft sable color. I wasn’t sure what to tell him other than suggesting
> he lose his sight, but I didn’t think that was an appropriate suggestion.
> Unwilling to engage in a long explanation (or any conversation), we hit the
> street, Joy in the lead.
>
> Beyond the obvious, though, the process of acquiring a guide dog, or more
> accurately creating a team of dog and handler, is fascinating and fraught.
> The most surprising thing about it, from the perspective of the handler, is
> that it is free. There are no costs involved and no income limits on either
> end of the spectrum. That is possible because the schools that develop teams
> receive no government funding and thus rely solely on charitable giving. So
> the real hurdle for someone who wants to use a dog is to determine why they
> want one and whether it will help them – meaning whether they have the
> capability of learning to manage, maintain and most importantly pay
> attention to what their dog is indicating they should do. Because most blind
> people have some residual and/or useful vision, one key question is whether
> those individuals will be able to trust their dog guide enough to let the
> dog do the guiding rather than relying on what they think their vision is
> telling them.
>
> So assuming that, all things being equal and you have decided to hitch
> yourself to one of these amazing creatures. Now what?
>
> There are about 15-20 guide dog schools across the U.S., in every region of
> the country, but just because one is closer to you than another, that
> doesn’t mean it’s the best one for you. Do your research: Look at their
> websites, try to find graduates, ask about their resources and funding and
> where they get their dogs. What kind of networks do they have, for
> fundraising, volunteers, alumni, equipment, staffing, etc.? Choose a few
> that appeal, and apply to all of them. They will all follow up and send
> someone to interview you at home or work to make sure you function well
> enough and are competent to handle one of their dogs. They’ll get doctor’s
> records and maybe seek references. Once you are accepted, then the waiting
> begins: that’s why you want to apply to more than one school. Every school
> has a waiting list as they work to match accepted graduates with a dog from
> their kennels that is a good match for everything from your temperament and
> walking pace to your environment and daily habits. Waiting times vary from a
> few months – very rare – to up to two years – also rare. For your first dog,
> be prepared to spend from two to four weeks in residence as you train hard
> daily to learn to be a safe and confident and competent dog handler – and
> after graduation, be prepared to find yourself back home with the awesome
> responsibility of caring for a very special dog to whom you have entrusted
> your life.
>
> If you happen to fall in with a community of guide dog users, you will find
> that every school has its adherents and detractors. If you observe these
> folks and their dogs closely, you will see that some are wonderful guide dog
> handlers and some are just not – all having graduated from the same school.
> My point is that there are no guarantees. Every school tries its very best
> to do their very best for their students, and every school has winners and
> losers among these students. Virtually all of the schools breed their own
> dogs and place them with volunteers known as puppy raisers. These are people
> and families of iron will who are able to take in a ball of fluff at eight
> weeks and raise it as their own for a year or so, socializing it in
> restaurants and schools and on public transportation and on the streets and
> teaching it basic doggie commands and loving it to pieces. And then they
> hand the dog over to the school to train as a guide who will then be paired
> with a student in the next six to twelve months. Some schools keep puppy
> raisers and students far apart, but others encourage more of an open
> adoption approach.
>
> Once a class of students arrive sat a school, instructors determine which
> available, fully trained guide dog is the best match for each classmate.
> Class sizes at the different schools range from six to twelve and sometimes
> more, and hopefully the faculty has a good understanding ahead of the class
> commencing of which dogs will perform best with which student (and vice
> versa). It’s not always perfect the first time around, and sometimes dogs
> get switched out mid-course. Some dogs that were great guides during
> training turn out to have some challenges once they start working with a
> student. Once a dog was placed with me at my home in New York, and though
> the dog was an excellent guide, he decided that relieving himself on
> pavement was not something he wanted to do. He held his bladder and bowels
> for days until he could not stand it anymore, and let go with a cataclysm of
> excretions. The dog was later paired with someone with a yard where he was
> able to relieve at will during off hours.
>
> When, as is usually the case, the match is a good one, a bond rapidly forms
> between dog and handler. With safety of both parties as the primary goal,
> instructors work to make sure each student not only trusts the dog to serve
> as guide but also that the dog trusts and is attentive to the handler’s
> wishes.
>
> Eventually, it’s time to go home. That’s when the rubber really hits the
> road: no instructor is around to observe your dog’s guiding errors or
> correct your handling mistakes – which are the more likely. Setting a
> feeding and relieving schedule, reacting to distractions, learning to set
> boundaries between your dog and the public, and friends, and even yourself
> are all up to you. Maintaining good dog hygiene, checking in with a
> veterinarian and just plain being sensible about what is working and what
> isn’t are in your court. And just as not all pairs make it out of guide dog
> school, not all guide dogs remain with their handlers after the first few
> months. Situations change, and a dog that could perform under the watchful
> eye of an instructor and a student who could maintain self-discipline in a
> school setting can each lose focus and drift into poor guiding habits.
> There’s no shame in admitting that things aren’t working out and deciding to
> return you dog to school; it’s actually the smartest, fairest and safest
> decision you can make. But unless you find yourself pining for that white
> cane, try again. With the accumulated experience you’ve gained, working your
> next dog will feel more natural out of the gate, and your chances of success
> will rise too.
>
> Moving from a white cane to a guide dog is a trade-off. A white cane will
> give its user more information about surrounding environmental and street
> conditions. But a dog? A dog will just get you there.
>
> Going For It:
>
> If you want to become a handler – or a donor, volunteer or puppy raiser – or
> adopt a retired guide dog – here is a list by state of guide dog schools
> courtesy of the National Federation of the Blind (www.nfb.org
> <http://www.nfb.org> ).
>
> Guide Dog Schools by State
>
> California
>
> Guide Dogs for the Blind, Incorporated
>
> www.guidedogs.com <http://www.guidedogs.com>
>
> Guide Dogs of America
>
> www.guidedogsofamerica.org <http://www.guidedogsofamerica.org>
>
> Guide Dogs of the Desert
>
> www.guidedogsofthedesert.org <http://www.guidedogsofthedesert.org>
>
> Connecticut
>
> Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation, Inc.
>
> www.fidelco.org <http://www.fidelco.org>
>
> Florida
>
> Southeastern Guide Dogs, Incorporated
>
> www.guidedogs.org <http://www.guidedogs.org>
>
> Hawaii
>
> Guide Dogs of Hawaii
>
> www.guidedogsofhawaii.org <http://www.guidedogsofhawaii.org>
>
> Michigan
>
> Leader Dogs for the Blind
>
> www.leaderdog.org <http://www.leaderdog.org>
>
> Nebraska
>
> Noah’s Dogs of Nebraska
>
> www.noahsdogs.wordpress.com <http://www.noahsdogs.wordpress.com>
>
> New Jersey
>
> The Seeing Eye, Incorporated
>
> www.seeingeye.org <http://www.seeingeye.org>
>
> New York
>
> Freedom Guide Dogs for the Blind
>
> www.freedomguidedogs.org <http://www.freedomguidedogs.org>
>
> Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, Incorporated
>
> www.guidedog.org <http://www.guidedog.org>
>
> Guiding Eyes for the Blind, Incorporated
>
> www.guidingeyes.org <http://www.guidingeyes.org>
>
> Ohio
>
> Pilot Dogs, Incorporated
>
> www.pilotdogs.org <http://www.pilotdogs.org>
>
> Oregon
>
> Guide Dogs for the Blind, Incorporated
>
> www.guidedogs.com <http://www.guidedogs.com>
>
> Texas
>
> Guide Dogs of Texas, Incorporated
>
> www.guidedogsoftexas.org <http://www.guidedogsoftexas.org>
>
> Wisconsin
>
> Custom Canines Service Dog Academy
>
> www.customcanines.org <http://www.customcanines.org>
>
> OccuPaws Guide Dog Association
>
> www.occupaws.org <http://www.occupaws.org>
>
>
>
>
>
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