[nagdu] Downtime

Mon Nov 30 23:35:19 UTC 2009

Question: How much down time is there at a Federation Center where you train
for six to nine month--smile's. 
 I agree that time is wasted at guide dog school when it's just hurry up and
wait, but I'm wondering if it's just the nature of the beast.
I would be happier about the four weeks at guide dog school, though, if we
got more training time, walking time, etc. especially during the latter
time in the course when you already know the basics.

Also, Peter, let me send my condolences on your Mom's passing.
It reminds me very much of my Dad's death in 2001.
Also, my Mom and I are very close and I'll be devastated when something
happens to her so, as someone who knows and remembers you well, I send my
sympathies.

One more question:
You mentioned being  responsible  of recording or broadcasting the Kansas
affiliate convention. Is there a way to hear it, I looked at the program on
their site and recognized a few names, I'd love to hear the speeches, etc.

Warm regards,

Dan W. and the Carter Dog 

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Peter Donahue
Sent: Monday, November 30, 2009 5:05 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: [nagdu] Downtime

Good afternoon everyone,

    The one thing I hated about attending in-residence guide dog Training
was that God-awful downtime! There was too much of it for my liking. I'm
glad to hear that one school is finally doing something about it.

Peter Donahue

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeanette Beal" <bealjk at gmail.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, November 30, 2009 3:06 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] The new GDB

I got Drummer almost 2 yrs ago from GDB San Rafael and we were doing clicker
a little bit even then. I too would love to hear more about the new 2 week
training style. I'd imagine that if there were less downtime there'd be more
training thus no need for so much training (I mean really you get 2-4 hrs of
training a day on average right?). However reality leads me to believe folks
are just getting less training time in altogether.

Really these schools don't make it easy to find a favorite, what with
changing things every couple of seconds!

Jeanette

On Mon, Nov 30, 2009 at 3:07 PM, KAYE KIPP <kkipp123 at msn.com> wrote:

> Yes, the training was very different.  There's a real emphasis on food
> rewards, which I found hard to get used to, but at least with Marjorie, it
> works.  We also worked with the clicker.  It does work. I clicker-trained
> Marjorie to find a bus pole and she'll never pass that pole up without at
> least showing it to me.  And it didn't take very long.
>
> There was still plenty of waiting around, but since I've been there, the
> training has changed.  The training is only for two weeks, even for
> first-timers, at least in Boring.  I would think there wouldn't be so much
> waiting around now because the training would have to be more intense.
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tracy Carcione" <carcione at access.net>
> To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, November 30, 2009 11:57 AM
> Subject: [nagdu] The new GDB
>
>
>  Kaye, you're just the sort of person I've been wanting to talk to, 
> someone
>> who's been to GDB recently, and had GDB dogs before (as have I).
>> I've been reading a bit about GDB's new approach--less waiting around
>> during training, and using clicker training.
>> Did you find your recent class to be significantly different from 
>> previous
>> classes?  Do you use different methods to control or correct your dog 
>> than
>> you did before?  I realize it's very hard to compare dogs.  My Echo was
>> very different from my Amba, even though they were both black labs from
>> GDB, and trained with the same methods.  But a correction that would turn
>> Echo into a quivering jello would barely have gotten Amba's attention.
>> Also, I went through GDB's 2-week retrain class 4 different times, and
>> there was still plenty of waiting around, though not nearly as much as 
>> for
>> the first-timers.  On the other hand, it seemed like my dogs were just
>> getting to the testing stage of things when I was getting ready to go
>> home, and I needed someone out on follow-up in a month or two to help me
>> polish up the rough edges.
>> Anyway, I'd be real interested to hear your thoughts about your recent
>> training, and if it was really different from before.
>> Tracy
>>
>>
>>
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>
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-- 
Jeanette Beal
MS.Ed Assistive Technology
Independent Consultant
Boston, MA 02115
bealjk at gmail.com
http://twitter.com/bealjk
http://bealjk.tumblr.com/

"Talent is an invention like phlogiston after the fact of fire" - Marge
Piercy
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