[NAGDU] Guide Dog Schools

[cindyray at gmail.com]

Rachel makes good points. It is OK to learn what people would recommend, but we come with our biases. So you need to do the research.
The fee at The Seeing Eye is pay it in as small amounts as you need to, or at least it always was. For me, the immediate ownership, especially since they have the vet facility, the opportunity to go for the dog's last check before taking him home, and the instruction is really very good. Their home visits are quite productive usually, and I appreciated the follow up training I have had.
Cindy Lou Ray
cindyray at gmail.com


-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Rachel straneva via NAGDU
Sent: Thursday, October 3, 2019 9:34 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Rachel straneva <ralab at roadrunner.com>; Emily Brown <emilyboudwin at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Guide Dog Schools

Hi,
Well this is a really personal decision that I recommend you do research on all of the guard dog programs available. Just because a school is close or you know people who have gone there doesn’t mean that that particular program is right for you. Everybody’s needs/wants are different. Not only should you ask the same questions to each potential program you’re interested in but I personally made a pro con list with my needs/wants. You need to decide which things are important to you like breed complete ownership right away the length of the training that will help. Those are some examples of things that you need to decide what’s important to you. That financial help is another thing that you need to decide whether you want or need or if that’s not a major priority for you. Personally for me The Seeing Eye in Morristown New Jersey was the right program for me. It had a longer class 3 1/2 weeks for first-time handlers 2 1/2 weeks for retrains excellent training as that hasn’t really changed much from when they began 90 years ago in 1929. The fact that they do a traffic check only a couple of days into training one of the only schools that do that very early I believe it is the only school that does it that early. I didn’t have a breed preference. Complete ownership was important to me so the small fee $$150 for your first dog $50 for each successor was reasonable since that hasn’t changed in 90 years. They do require that you have excellent cane /Travel skills that they will evaluate when they come to do a home interview in person. Veterinary financial help wasn’t as much of a priority to me as complete ownership right away so it doesn’t bother me that I have to financially be 100% responsible for that myself. I also love their graduate follow-up services I’ve always had help either over the phone or a trainer come out to work with me depending on what I might need help with later on in our partnership. Those are some of the reasons why that particular program is what I have chosen I personally wouldn’t go anywhere else since they fit my needs/wants perfectly. As I said I did my own research though. 

Sent from my iPhone

> On 3 Oct 2019, at 10:08 pm, Emily Brown via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> What guide dog school would you recommend and why?
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