[NAGDU] "Well-trained"

[Charlene Ota]

This is interesting because I remember a trainer telling me once that they
deliberately don't make eye contact with the dogs because the dogs need to
be trained not to respond to eye contact because we are blind.

-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Susan Jones via NAGDU
Sent: Friday, June 25, 2021 12:19 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: sblanjones11 at sbcglobal.net
Subject: Re: [NAGDU] "Well-trained"

Tracy,

I agree with you about training a dog to work with a totally blind person.
I think since most blind people have some sight, the instructors don't think
about training a dog for a person who cannot make eye contact with them, and
are working with a bit less information.

Susan
sblanjones11 at sbcglobal.net


-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Tracy Carcione via NAGDU
Sent: Friday, June 25, 2021 12:04 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Tracy Carcione <carcione at access.net>
Subject: [NAGDU] "Well-trained"

I think "well-trained" is affected by expectations.  

To me, "well-trained" means a dog can work with a totally blind person,
without sighted assistance, in a wide variety of situations and in areas the
handler is not familiar with.  If it can do that, it is trained well enough
to work with anyone.

I get the impression sometimes that some trainers expect that the handler
can see a bit, or will have sighted help available, or will not be going to
unfamiliar areas without a sighted person along.  Any or all of these things
may be true for some people, but by no means for all.  They certainly aren't
true for me.

One is an expectation that blind people lead limited, circumscribed lives,
and the other is that we go out and do what we want to do, when we want to
do it. JMO.

Tracy

 

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