[NAGDU] Experiences with Guide dog foundation

Thu Mar 14 02:24:53 UTC 2024

Actually, Shannon was never married to Sean. There were triplets, Sean, and the two other brothers. Shannon was married to one of the brothers who passed away about a year or so ago.

Jeff McMullen retired from The Seeing Eye at the end of December. Shannon was promoted to his position as class manager. She is a fantastic instructor. So glad she got that promotion. I worked with her back in the day when she was the night instructor. We did several night trips together, and she was just a blast with which to work

Vanessa and the zoo  
Sent from my iPhone

> On Mar 13, 2024, at 2:04 PM, Lyn Gwizdak via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi all,
> I am about to retire my latest dog at 9 and a half. He has become way too
> slow for me; I am no longer a real fast walker. I now walk a regular speed
> to slower with our terrible sidewalks. I fell and messed up my mouth which
> led to expensive dental work.
> 
> I went to GDF back in the 1970s and was happy with them. I went to GDA and
> got a good dog there and retired her at age 7 when she started to lose her
> traffic training when I moved to a small town.
> 
> For me, I liked Seeing Eye the best. They are not snobby at all. Just proud
> of their long history of excellence. But dogs will be dogs no matter where
> you go for training. Shannon is married to Sean Manahan as far as I know. I
> had Sean as my instructor and he was good. There are lots of new trainers
> so don't know them. I remember Roger Taylor, Lucas Franck.
> 
> I am not getting a new dog because I don't have the energy for a young dog
> and problems with rideshares. Also we have a problem with all these
> untrained or socialized pets that people bring out in public, in every kind
> of stores, on public transportation. I just don't want to deal with dog
> attacks where their owners let their dogs go after mine and then cuss me
> out when I object. Since the pandemic my lifestyle has changed.
> 
> Lyn and Aristotle
> 
>> On Wed, Mar 13, 2024, 6:18 AM Jessica Sears via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> wrote:
>> 
>> Hi, Julie,
>> 
>> I was so scared to go to TSE also. Before I met my coworker with a TSE dog,
>> I just saw a lot of handlers who I thought were kind of super strict to
>> almost being mean to the dogs. Also, lets not even talk about the blind
>> rumor mill saying they are snobby because of being the oldest one. Lol, I
>> hope you love your time there. It was everything I wanted and more though I
>> missed meeting my raisers. Both sets of raisers from GDB and GEB were just
>> such sweet people and my GDB raisers in UT and I still talk regularly. Hope
>> to see posts about your time there. Have a good day.
>> Jess
>> 
>> On Tue, Mar 12, 2024 at 2:12 PM Julie A. Orozco via NAGDU <
>> nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> wrote:
>> 
>>> I love this discussion of schools.
>>> 
>>> I am actually switching schools this time around from Guiding Eyes to
>>> Seeing Eye. It's scary, this school switching thing. I'm actually
>>> pretty terrified. But I, likewise, did not feel heard by one of the
>>> Guiding Eyes trainers, though my experience with GEB was extremely
>>> positive, and I got two great matches out of them. I wanted to switch
>>> to a school where I could own my dog upon graduation. Although I
>>> looked into GDF, when I was actively applying to schools, they were
>>> doing classes only every month, and it seemed like their class wait
>>> time was pretty long.
>>> 
>>> I am going to class at TSE next month and cannot be more excited and
>>> freaked out all at the same time. All that to say, switching schools
>>> is understandable. Lots of handlers have done it for one reason or
>>> another. GDF is a great school, and I've heard about lots of positive
>>> experiences there. I do believe they require a video for admission, so
>>> if that's not something you can do, I would consider bringing that up
>>> to the school.
>>> 
>>> I hope this helps,
>>> 
>>> Julie
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On 3/12/24, Jessica Sears via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>> Hello,
>>>> 
>>>> So, I am going to second this story with my own. I got my first amazing
>>> dog
>>>> from GDB. We worked for a solid 8 years and even both moved from a
>> small
>>>> town to a major city and still made it somehow ha. He sniffed
>> everything
>>>> but I could work with it. For my second I actually went to GEB and it
>>>> really was just not great at all. I never will school bash but I will
>>> never
>>>> returned because I just felt not listened too. I told them the dog
>> would
>>>> not be a good fit, I explained he had to much energy for me, and when
>> he
>>>> basically destroyed my room in about 5 mins while I went to get a snack
>>> and
>>>> did not zip the cage, they said I wasn't giving him enough time. I said
>>> ok
>>>> the school knew better right? Well I had him for 9 months of hell and
>> he
>>>> chewed through everything from ethernet cables to a bunch of bananas
>> in a
>>>> bag. Now I am not messy ok but my home was lived in and the bananas
>> were
>>> on
>>>> the top of the microwave that sat on a counter That dog had a stomach
>> of
>>>> rock and how he never got sick I will never know. The deal breaker for
>> me
>>>> was that I straight up felt the school lied to me because when I spent
>>>> thanksgiving with his raiser who was such a sweet woman, her and her
>>> whole
>>>> fam said they were stunned he made it through his IFT test. I guess the
>>>> first time he failed and they let him come back after they worked with
>>> him
>>>> some. They said his house manners were horrible and they did report it
>> to
>>>> the school multiple times. That just got under my skin. I think these
>>>> schools do us such a amazing service but I do think they owe us
>>>> transparency also. As a side note, when I almost got hit by a car and
>>> told
>>>> the school to please come and get this terror, they called me the next
>>> day
>>>> and said that he was career changed immediately. He now lives in up
>> state
>>>> NY with an amazing family on 5 acres of land and runs free. I love that
>>>> because he was a really good dog just not trainable. I guess I will say
>>> GEB
>>>> did go out and work with him there also a few times over the years for
>>>> chewing through fencing ha which was nice of them but he has finally
>>>> showing ideas of becoming a bit better of a boy. Got my current in 2019
>>>> from TSE and will after she retired be done because all of these ride
>>> share
>>>> denial issues and just being at a different life place working from
>>> home. I
>>>> do second that all schools can let us down and so can we as handlers. I
>>> so
>>>> hope you find your fit. GDB did food reward which I don't like and TSE
>>> had
>>>> hands down the best traffic training I've ever had. Every place can
>> give
>>>> you a great experience. Good luck.
>>>> Jess
>>>> 
>>>> On Mon, Mar 11, 2024 at 10:51 PM 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.
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>> NAGDU mailing list
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>>>>> NAGDU:
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>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>> NAGDU:
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>>>>>>> om
>>>>>> 
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>>>>>> 
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>>>>> 
>>>>> 
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>>> 
>>> 
>>> --
>>> Julie A. Orozco
>>> MM Vocal Performance, 2015; American University Washington College of
>>> Law, JD Candidate 2023
>>> 
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