[NAGDU] Experiences with Guide dog foundation

Tue Mar 12 13:13:01 UTC 2024

I am currently working my second dog from GDF. I have had overall
positive experiences and likely will apply to GDF again. I chose this
program because ownership, more positive training methods, and a 2:1
student to instructor ratio are important considerations for me.

As you can see from this thread, essentially everyone thinks their
school is the best. What is really important though is to consider
what you personally are looking for in a program and then comparing
this to what each program can offer.

I am happy to answer any specific questions you have about GDF.

Danielle

On 3/12/24, Margo Downey via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Well, with these dogs, we're dealing with living beings. I guess you could
> say that with the schools, one is dealing with humans who may not always
> listen.
>
> I'm glad you got a good dog for you from GEB.
>
> Margo and Tami
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Sherry Gomes via
> NAGDU
> Sent: Tuesday, March 12, 2024 12:50 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Cc: Sherry Gomes
> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Experiences with Guide dog foundation
>
> 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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