[NAGDU] Guide Dog Programs in the States

Thu Aug 11 00:00:51 UTC 2022

Hello Sarah,

A really brave move on your behalf going to a smaller school, particularly
one that has been open such a short time. I'm glad you mentioned Gallant
Hearts as I pointed out when responding to your message, they aren't a
school that gets much of a mention anywhere. I'd like to see more smaller
schools get a mention more often.

So Sarah a couple of questions. The first being now that you've experienced
both residential and training from home, which do you think is better?. Yes
I know the arguments for both, but want to know which you prefer.

Please tell me about the harnesses Gallant Hearts uses, are they leather?
And the overall design?.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Cheers.

Brent.

-----Original Message-----
From: Sarah Calhoun [mailto:sc-tico at att.net]
Sent: Thursday, 11 August 2022 12:05 AM
To: 'Brent Franklin'; 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide
Dog Users'; 'Leye-Shprintse Oeberg'
Cc: 'Al Elia'
Subject: RE: [NAGDU] Guide Dog Programs in the States

Hi Brent,

Yes, Becky Floyd, CEO of Gallant Hearts is blind, a retired attorney and has
raised Doberman's for over 35 years.
Before starting Gallant Hearts, she received guide dogs from other schools.
Her experience and knowledge is quite amazing. She opened Gallant Hearts in
2012. I am extremely happy with my new guide, her training and the contact I
have with both Becky and the trainer, Ryan.

Best,
Sarah and GH Meghan
-----Original Message-----
From: Brent Franklin <bfranklin at woolworths.com.au>
Sent: Tuesday, August 9, 2022 5:44 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>; Leye-Shprintse Oeberg <leyeshprintse at gmail.com>
Cc: Sarah Calhoun <sc-tico at att.net>; Al Elia <al.elia at aol.com>
Subject: RE: [NAGDU] Guide Dog Programs in the States

Hello Sarah,

Congratulations on graduating with a new guide.
I like the idea of home training. I have done both residential and home
training before. Working my fourth guide, I've done 2 each way. My first 2
dogs were residential. I've found home training is over much quicker, I
didn't have the down time I'd had in residential settings.

Isn't the CEO or Chair from Gallant Hearts a blind lady?.

Good to hear someone mention Gallant hearts, as they seem a school that
doesn't get talked about much.

Cheers.

Brent.
-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Sarah Calhoun via
NAGDU
Sent: Wednesday, 10 August 2022 2:13 AM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users';
'Leye-Shprintse Oeberg'
Cc: Sarah Calhoun; 'Al Elia'
Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Guide Dog Programs in the States

Two other guide dog schools who provide only home training and do not have
residential facilities are Fidelco located in Connecticut and Gallant Hearts
Guide Dog Center located in Madison, Mississippi.

My first two guide dogs came from Leader, and my current guide is from
Gallant Hearts who I received this past April. The home training was
excellent! I thoroughly enjoyed the residential training provided by Leader,
but this time around I could not be away from home for 3 weeks.

Best,
Sarah and GH Meghan

-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Al Elia via NAGDU
Sent: Tuesday, August 9, 2022 7:08 AM
To: Leye-Shprintse Oeberg <leyeshprintse at gmail.com>
Cc: Al Elia <al.elia at aol.com>; NFBNet.org - National Association Of Guide
Dog Users <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Guide Dog Programs in the States

Dear Leye (apologies if that is not the correct form of address for your
given name),

I would suggest you look into  Freedom Guide Dogs
<https://freedomguidedogs.com>. I have had an excellent experience with my
current guide from that program. Of course, I’m partial to in-community
training programs rather than residential programs, and Freedom is one of
the only programs that does exclusively in-community training. Depending on
your level of activity in the city, as well as your familiarity with
different neighborhoods, you may find an in-community training program
worthwhile. First, I think it is fair to say that few if any other places
can provide a similar navigation experience to the guide dog and handler as
New York City, and if you live here, you may want the city to be your
training ground both for your and your new guide’s benefit. Second, if you
are already familiar with parts of the city, that familiarity will help
bolster your new dog’s confidence in the two of you as a team when you are
first beginning to work with one another. Finally, my understanding based on
my in-community training experience and my having discussed residential
training programs with graduates is that, in general, you get more focused
one-on-one training in-community.

As for positive training, in the absence of a complete understanding of what
you mean, my own training with my current Freedom Guide Dog focused on
rewards over correction, and involved non-violent corrections when
corrections were necessary. Certainly the correction techniques were milder
than those used by another in-community training program I graduated from in
the past. For what its worth, in my more than 25 years of guide-dog use, I
have never heard a horror story about Freedom, whether about a guide dog
that had  behavior issues, allegations of abuse of dogs or humans in the
training program, or any attempts to repossess  anyone’s guide dog.

With all of that said, I applaud your asking about different programs, and
encourage you to research different training programs to determine the best
fit for you.

All the best,

/Æ

Al Elia

On 4 Aug 2022, at 22:34, Leye-Shprintse Oeberg wrote:

> BS’D
>
> Hi,
>
> I’ve been an active and passive member of this list for years now. In
> December, my beloved guide dog Hera crossed the rainbow bridge at the
> age of 12, it went very quickly 6 months after her retirement. Thanks
> G-d, I was there for her till the end with the support of my mother
> and Hera’s favorite person after me. The pain is still real, I miss
> her everyday and I cannot talk about her without crying. However, I
> know that I want to have another guide dog in the future, G-d willing.
> I lived in Europe before but since 3 months ago, I have been in the
> United States and I’ll stay here because I’ve met an American man who
> I’ll marry in less than 6 weeks, G-d willing.
>
> I wonder which guide dog programs in the United States use positive
> training metods and give ownership upon graduation since those two
> questions ahe most important for me when applying to programs? How
> long is the waitingtime now after the pandemic? Will the American
> guide dog programs take into consideration that I’m  a guide dog user
> even if Hera and I were trained through the Swedish system, I do not
> want to be treated as a first time guide dog user since Hera and I got
> 9.5 years as a guide dog team? Can I apply now, I don not have my
> Green Card yet nor a work permit but I am civilly married already?
>
> Thank you for your support!
>
> לשלום,
> Leye-Shprintse Oeberg
> Brooklyn (N.Y.), United States
> +1 (929) 977-8890
> leyeshprintse at gmail.com
> www.leyeshprintse.com

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