[NAGDU] Experiences with Guide dog foundation

Tue Mar 12 05:00:45 UTC 2024

Good point. Sometimes, no matter what we say, and no matter how long we have had a relationship with a given school, they sometimes don't listen to us. Don't ask me why. We may never figure out why. Nevertheless, that does sometimes happen. And one of my classes, a lady who had worked with multiple shepherds with success had told the school that she did not want another shepherd. No dislike of the breed. She just did not feel like that at her age she could handle a dog with many of the traits that shepherds are known for (being hardheaded, strong natured, etc., etc.). But what was she matched with? You guessed it! A shepherd.  Around about the time that the retrains were preparing to head home, she finally said that she had had enough. The dog didn't like to be groomed, and there may have been some other behavioral issues with which I was not aware. Fortunately, the graduate was in a position that she could stay for the rest of the class(in other words, go home with the first timer), and possibly she could have stayed a little bit beyond that into a little bit of the next class. They did pull the dog with which she was originally matched and matched her with either a lab or a lab golden cross. Can't remember which, but I do know that the dog was black and looked more lab like than anything.  I strongly suspect that the match worked out, and she was probably a much happier camper. So there are even times when matches don't work out when the schools which we love dearly don't listen to us. It can happen. 
Vanessa and the zoo  
Sent from my iPhone

> On Mar 12, 2024, at 12:51 AM, Sherry Gomes via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Normally, I'd agree with everyone who says that sometimes matches don't work out and it's nobody's fault, not dog, handler or school. But my last dog from GDB well, I've always wondered. I signed petitions and wrote letters the year their CEO fired over half the admissions and graduate services staff. I definitely wasn't quiet about it. So, I was accepted for retraining. I have other disabilities, so I have to have an easy to manage, slow pace, not easily distracted dog. Because I was working from home, I was concerned they might not accept me, so I wrote a long letter to their team that reviews applications, discussing it and routes I had. I also wrote a strong list of things that I did or did not want in a dog. Number one thing I did not want was a dog with strong dog distraction issues. Hard pulling, lunging, things like that could cause me to fall, maybe even break or damage one of my artificial joints, and if I fell, I could not get up without help. Those at the school knew all about me. I got my first dog there in 1975 and this was 2014. So, they gave me a golden retriever, and she had the worst dog distraction issues I'd ever seen. She was not safe for me. She was young, and I hoped she'd grow out of it. two weeks in class isn't much time for dealing with issues like that after all. But for the next five years, this dog was not safe for someone like me. She lunged, she even got away from me a few times. I got to the point where I never wanted to go out with her alone, and my best friend would come and walk with me, to help keep me safe and to get the dog if she got away. After five years, I'd had enough. I didn't get a guide dog to become even less independent! I applied for retraining and was denied, basically because they said I didn't try hard enough. Lol. I had multiple visits from field staff during those five years. After GDB denied me, which felt like being thrown out of a family for me after all those years, I applied to guiding eyes and GDF. Field managers from the area I lived at the time did home interviews and of course walks with the dog and Juno walks. And both, without my prompting, immediately said, that dog isn't safe; that dog is dangerous for you. Both those schools accepted me and I went on both their waiting lists. I gave the golden back to her raisers who lived near me and whom I knew well. This was in 2019, and then the pandemic hit. Guiding eyes was the first school that came through with a dog for me in 2021, so I went with them. and I have a wonderful guide dog. She reminds me every day that this is what a guide dog should be like, good calm worker, sweet loving well behaved companion at home. Starting with around 2000, it seemed any dogs I had were either great workers and bad at home or good at home and not great workers. I forgot they could be both. But, I'll never ever be bonded to any school like I was GDB. My dog will be 9 in august, and at the advice of my field person, I put in the retrain app last year. However, when Shani, my guide dog, needs to retire, if guiding eyes doesn't come through, I'll apply to GDF happily. I did not write all this to bash GDB. My best friend has had three wonderful dogs from them, and I had a number of great dogs from them before the last one. Just saying, that I often wonder, now I can think about it all without feeling sick to my stomach or wanting to cry, if I was set up with that last dog, because I had been so vocal about my displeasure about what they did to their staff. But realistically, mismatches happen now and then. Everything might seem fine in training and then things go sour at home. You just never know. Dogs and humans, living breathing beings with their own strengths, flaws, fears and challenges. I wish you luck if you apply to GDF. I've heard a lot of good things about them and try to keep my ears open in regard to that school.
> 
> Sherry
> Sherry.gomes at outlook.com
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Leslie Hamric via NAGDU
> Sent: Monday, March 11, 2024 9:05 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Leslie Hamric <lhamric930 at comcast.net>
> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Experiences with Guide dog foundation
> 
> Hi Margo and all. When I went to get omega, I never had a dog switch until I got her. I started out with a male black lab named Luke. He was pretty stressed out from the first morning onwards. He would just not settle and he was constantly licking his paws. This led to his pace being on predictable and then on the last day I had him he would just spin around and harnessed and didn't want to work. So looking back, I probably would've had to send him back even if I did graduate with him. So  I was glad when I got omega and she's just the perfect match for me at this time in my life. Like others have said, mismatches can happen at a bigger school or smaller school. Th The instructors do their best to mash us up with the dogs they think will work for us, but no one knows what that's going to be like until person and dog start working together. I'd like to think of the matches an educated guess.
> Leslie Hamric
> Cello and Braille Music Teacher
> 
>> On Mar 11, 2024, at 10:46 PM, Margo Downey via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> Well, I don't have experience with GDF. I am wondering why you believe a smaller school would be better.
>> 
>> About matches not working out. I had to switch dogs after two weeks in class. Those things just happen. It's unfortunate and no one is to blame. The dog I received during the dog switch was just who I needed and I think she felt I was who she needed.
>> 
>> The best to you in your research.
>> 
>> Margo and Tami
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Cindy Ray
>> via NAGDU
>> Sent: Monday, March 11, 2024 7:48 PM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> Cc: Cindy Ray
>> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Experiences with Guide dog foundation
>> 
>> I haven’t had experience with that school, but I wonder what makes you think a smaller school would be better. None of them is really large. I also agree with what Joy says here. Things happen; matches don’t work out. I had three not work out. It isn’t an exact science at all.
>> Cindyray at gmail.com
>> 
>> Cindy Lou
>> Sent from my iPad
>> 
>>>> On Mar 11, 2024, at 6:15 PM, Joy via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Sorry, I don't have any experience with that school. As you are
>>> researching, I admonish you to remember that there is normally no
>>> blame when a match doesn't work. It isn't you, the dog or the school.
>>> It's unfortunate and it hurts but it isn't generally anyone's
>>> failure. I've been there once and I feel badly that Major didn't work
>>> out but he is back with his puppy raisers and I believe doing well. I
>>> will encourage you to look at all aspects of your experience and learn from it.
>>> 
>>> Best of luck and a hand extended in support and friendship.
>>> 
>>> Joy
>>> 
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Sam Doman via
>>> NAGDU
>>> Sent: Monday, March 11, 2024 3:33 PM
>>> To: NAGDU at nfbnet.org
>>> Cc: Sam Doman <skdoman2001 at gmail.com>
>>> Subject: [NAGDU] Experiences with Guide dog foundation
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Hi all,
>>> I recently had to return my first guide back to leader after 6 months
>>> of the match not working. I have been looking into some smaller
>>> schools as a possibility and I wondered what kind of experiences
>>> people have had with GOODF in NewYork. I obviously understand that
>>> the school is not the only factor to consider, I just want to research all my options.
>>> Thanks for any help that you can provide.
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>> 
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