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

Fri Jul 5 19:16:57 UTC 2019

Friends,
While this message is informative, I would suggest the following:
Why are you sending the message
?
What point do you want to make? Who is your audience?
While forwarded messages and articles have a place, fsending them because they have to do with dogs doesn’t make sense. Think about what you are contributing. Thank you
Cindy Lou Ray, Moderator
cindyray at gmail.com

Cindy Lou Ray
Sent from my iPhone

> On Jul 5, 2019, at 12:48 PM, Danielle Ledet via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> 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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> 
> 
> -- 
> 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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