[Nfbf-l] Selecting a Guide Dog School

[Patricia A. Lipovsky]

    Hi Rj,

There are a lot of things to consider when choosing a guide dog school.
Talking to people who have gotten guide dogs from different schools is a
good start.  Of course, they will all have their own personal opinions of
why they chose the school they did.  The other thing you might consider
doing is calling the schools you think you might want to attend, and ask
questions.  Although they all are pretty much in line with the same basic
training, they may vary in other things such as additional things they might
teach the dogs , etc..

I personally prefer the Seeing eye.  It was the first school,
that trained dogs to lead the blind.  They trained their first Seeing Eye
dog, Buddy, in 1929, and are still going strong.  They are a top notch
school, with an excellent training program that includes everything from
walking down quiet streets, with or without
side walks, to going into New York City and riding the trains and subways if
you desire.  It is very important during a dog's training, to expose them to
as many things as possible, as The more exposure they receive to different
things in the environment, the more confident and relaxed the dog should be
when working.

Another aspect of their training program, which I think is very important,
is to teach people the importance of discipline, and how to think like a
dog, in other words, seeing things from a dogs point of view, which helps you, the
handler,  better understand how your dog thinks,  and why your dog may do certain things.

These are just a few things that come to mind at the moment pertaining to
this school.  I'm currently working with my fifth dog, with four out of the
five coming from the Seeing Eye.  and they've all worked out very well.

As you can see, my vote goes to the Seeing Eye, but as I mentioned earlier,
this is my own personal choice.  Do your homework, and talk to at least two
or three different schools, asking questions, and then make your decision
based on what you are looking for, and what best suits your own needs.  The more
questions you ask, the better equipped you will be to make an informed
decision.

Good luck.


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