[NAGDU] Training Regimens at the Schools and Requirements for Working A Dog

[Lyn Gwizdak]

Hi Dianne,

I have used guide dogs on and off since 1973. Sounds to me that you have
lots of work for your dog even though you aren't using public transit.
Using public transit isn't a pre-requisite to being accepted into guide dog
schools. You need to have decent mobility skills and have done independent
travel. Which you have. If your crossing streets problem is veering while
using a cane, that is common. What you need is practice to build your
confidence. Lack of confidence can cause the dog to also lack confidence.

With a hearing loss, it is understandable to be nervous crossing streets.
The cars are getting more and more quiet. Is there a blindness agency in
your area? If so, you might like to see if you can get assistance with
techniques in crossing streets while hearing impaired. I have some hearing
loss and I am very careful. I live on an intersection with a 4 lane street
going one way and a six lane one going the other way which includes a
center median that has bushes and trees. There is audible signals. I do
that intersection with my dog or cane when I leave my dog home. I do have a
little sight in one eye but very tiny field of view.

The training regimen is similar from school to school. You generally have 2
guide trainings each day out in the community. You relieve the dog 4 times
a day. You have lecture classes many evenings after dinner where topics
range from guide theory to vet care. You may have had some of that info in
your home training.

A really nice thing about being in class at a school is the interaction
with your fellow classmates that range from first timers to many years of
experience. When you apply to a school, you'll want to detail your working
environment and living situation. This helps the school to give you the
best dog for your needs. Another nice thing is that you don't have to be
dealing with anything other than learning all you can and bonding with your
dog. I see it much like a working vacation. Many students have worked some
remotely and have their laptops with them. Also be sure to ask questions no
matter how dumb you might think it is. Same with any concerns you might
have about anything about your working the dog or even the match. I mean if
you and the dog  seems right or not. The schools don't want to send anyone
home if the team isn't really safe. Also, once home, if a problem arises,
help is just a phone call away.

When you are at the school, you are trained in a small group of 2 to 4
students. There is a team of instructors on each class so you don't have to
have 1 instructor that you and they don't jive. The Seeing Eye uses their
own instructors for in-home training and for home visits if you have a
problem that can't be resolved by phone.

Sorry this has gotten long! Hope this helps, Dianne.

Lyn and Aristotle

On Sat, May 27, 2023, 8:45 AM Diane Graves via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
wrote:

> Greetings All,
>
>
>
> I apologize in advance for the long winded post, but the recent Q&A
> regarding choosing the right schools and the requirements set forth by the
> schools has caused me to reflect on my own situation. I wanted to get some
> thoughts from some of you more experienced handlers.
>
>
>
> I'm wondering if some of you could share what the actual training regimens
> are at the schools, and how the training is conducted. I think I have
> mentioned on here several times that I requested and was granted home
> training by GDF. My late husband's health was very fragile at that time,
> and
> I didn't want to leave for an extended period.
>
>
>
> In retrospect, I am now wondering  if the home training option wasn't a
> huge
> mistake for obtaining my first dog. The trainer was very intimidating and
> condescending. We just didn't "hit it off" very well and thus, I was afraid
> to ask a lot of questions that I might otherwise have asked. Let me hasten
> to say that this trainer was a contractor, who did home training. As I
> understand it, he was not an employee of GDF.
>
>
>
> The above, coupled with the fact that I was in my 50s when I decided to try
> working with a dog, contributes to the fact that I am not as accomplished
> as
> some of you. I don't know whether there will be a 2nd dog in my future or
> not, but if there is, I would definitely want to be trained at one of the
> schools. Ironically though, I'm not sure if I would be approved.
>
>
>
> I am not currently using public transit, because I own a vehicle and
> currently have a driver. I am also very leary of crossing streets because
> of
> my severe hearing loss. That is not to say that my girl doesn't work. We do
> a lot of walking around the government center where I work. That said, we
> are not regularly crossing busy streets and walking 3 to 4 miles per day.
> When I am in an area with which I am very familiar, such as the government
> center complex, I do believe I move more quickly with a dog, and the cane
> just seems so clumsy to me as opposed to the dog. In unfamiliar areas
> though
> the movement is not as fluid. I am not as confident, and neither is she. I
> think her lack of confidence in those situations is largely my fault, as I
> am not sure how to direct her whe Iam unfamiliar myself.
>
>
>
> Then you have the battles with Uber and Lyft, when needing to use those
> services. When my driver is unavailable for a medical appointment or
> something of that nature, I have to use these services and find myself
> wondering, do I take Izzo with me and risk getting stranded because of
> drivers who refuse to follow the law, or do I take the chance?
>
>
>
> Would be interested in any thoughts and/or input as to what to expect
> if/when attending  one of the onsite training classes. Hopefully my Izzo
> and
> I have a lot more years together. Whether there is another dog in my future
> or not, I am very grateful that I was granted this one. She has been a real
> blessing; there for me when I truly felt that no one else was.
>
>
>
> Any feedback welcome.
>
>
>
> Diane jGraves
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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