[nagdu] guide dogs

Sun Feb 21 17:25:37 UTC 2010

Hi,
At Seeing Eye, if they know you live in a rural area, they will tailor your 
training for more sidewalkless rural routes when we do our "free lance" work 
near the end of training.

Lyn and Landon
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Julie J" <julielj at windstream.net>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, February 21, 2010 4:45 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] guide dogs

> Ummm...I live in a town of something like 7,000 and my husband is a 
> farmer. My guide does fine in the rural environment.  We do a fair share 
> of sidewalkless travel, dirt roads, working past cows, horses and goats, 
> etc. There are different skills of course.  If this  is the sort of 
> environment you will be working in let the program know and they will 
> match you up with a dog that excels in that area.
>
> Rural travel is a skill like anything else.  If you live and work in New 
> York City, it probably isn't you or your dog's strong suit.   -I don't 
> know that it would really matter though, you won't be working around many 
> cows in that case.
>
> JMHO
> Julie
>
>
> ---- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Jennifer L Finley" <jenniferfinley at embarqmail.com>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Saturday, February 20, 2010 10:41 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] guide dogs
>
>
>>I have had some people tell me that a guide dog does not do good in a 
>>rural area, do you know about that?  I just want to be able to work my dog 
>>enough. I don't want it to loose it's training.
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Wayne Merritt" <wcmerritt at gmail.com>
>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Saturday, February 20, 2010 4:21 PM
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] guide dogs
>>
>>
>>>I can understand why they might tell you that, but then again, if
>>> you're really concerned, you could always ask to leave a message with
>>> whatever training supervisor is there during the time you call, and
>>> they will definitely call you back. Don't worry too much about it
>>> though since they're right. You will get all your questions answered
>>> while in training. You can always request a home visit within the
>>> first few months if you would like for them to check up on how you're
>>> doing. I think that this is already done by design anyway for new dog
>>> users. This is one thing that has changed since I got my first dog. I
>>> was fortunate enough to have an instructor come out to see me within
>>> the first 2 weeks of me returning home the last time since I had
>>> specific worries about my work environment and how my dog might adjust
>>> to that, as well as other concerns of being able to use a dog after
>>> not having used one for over 10 years.
>>>
>>> Remember though, an dhtis goes for anyone going for their first dog or
>>> considering a dog: the only dumb question is the one you don't ask. So
>>> ask away, both when you get into training and here on this list.
>>>
>>> Wayne
>>>
>>>
>>> On 2/20/10, Jennifer L Finley <jenniferfinley at embarqmail.com> wrote:
>>>> Ya I was just wondering, because some times when I call the seeing eye, 
>>>> they
>>>> do not answer my questions.  I had asked them about what you would do 
>>>> about
>>>> the cat's litter box sence I have a cat, and they told me to wait until 
>>>> my
>>>> instructor came to visit me.
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> From: "Wayne Merritt" <wcmerritt at gmail.com>
>>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Saturday, February 20, 2010 10:44 AM
>>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] guide dogs
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Such is the nature of email communication. Most times it's
>>>>> instintaneous, but there are times when emails take awhile to be
>>>>> received or get through the massiveness of the WWW. Once i sent an
>>>>> email to someone on Saturday and they didn't receive it until the
>>>>> following Tuesday, and we were using the same email provider. Go
>>>>> figure.
>>>>>
>>>>> To answer your question though Jennifer, yes, you will have to use
>>>>> your cane for the first 2 days at The Seeing Eye. This is so you can
>>>>> get a lay of the land so to speak, of how things are laid out in "the
>>>>> house" or the main building where you will be staying. Once you get
>>>>> your dog, then you can stop using your cane to get around, though you
>>>>> aren't permitted to work your dog through the building for several
>>>>> days due to the initial bonding and the stress that the dog is going
>>>>> through in adjusting to a new master, a new environment, and so forht.
>>>>> Besides, in the words of instructors, it's too much to ask the dog to
>>>>> guide in such a confined space when they've just been matched with
>>>>> you. Probably not saying that right, but I'm sure other Seeing Eye
>>>>> grads can jump in and help explain it. Though you don't have to use
>>>>> your cane after you get the dog, I knew at least one person in my last
>>>>> class that did. If my dog was the type to walk beside me when on leash
>>>>> or lag behind, then I probably would have as  well, since I don't know
>>>>> about you, but I feel vulnlerable and a little wary when walking
>>>>> without my cane in an unfamiliar place. However, since my dog tends to
>>>>> pull out in front a little, even when on leash, I ended up not using
>>>>> my cane. I thought of it though early on since I was still a little
>>>>> unsure of the surroundings and when exactly to make each turn.
>>>>> However, I soon realized that if i tried to place myself in the middle
>>>>> of the hall then the dog would pretty much keep me there. Not all dogs
>>>>> can do this leash guiding, and I don't expect of her when we're
>>>>> walking. It's just something that she started doing that i've latched
>>>>> onto. I dont' give commands to her when she is guiding by leash
>>>>> though, and if she stops to sniff something or veers off course, I
>>>>> don't correct her like I would if she were "really" guiding and in
>>>>> harness.
>>>>>
>>>>> Hth,
>>>>> Wayne
>>>>>
>>>>> On 2/20/10, Julie J <julielj at windstream.net> wrote:
>>>>>> Jennifer,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> It is probably nothing to do with your email.  I frequently 
>>>>>> experience
>>>>>> delays of a few hours before messages I send appear on the list.  I 
>>>>>> also
>>>>>> frequently get messages out of order.  For example I will read 2 or 3
>>>>>> replies to something before I get the original message.
>>>>>> I have contacted the list administrator about this issue.  He can 
>>>>>> find no
>>>>>> reason or explanation.   All the messages will appear eventually, so 
>>>>>> I
>>>>>> just
>>>>>> try to be patient.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Julie
>>>>>> NAGDU list moderator
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>>> From: "Jennifer L Finley" <jenniferfinley at embarqmail.com>
>>>>>> To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>>>> Sent: Saturday, February 20, 2010 12:24 AM
>>>>>> Subject: [nagdu] guide dogs
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Hi this is Jennifer.  Everything is fine with my email.  I don't 
>>>>>>> know
>>>>>>> what
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> was going on.  In case you did not get my last email with my 
>>>>>>> question, I
>>>>>>> was just wondering when you go to the seeing eye do you have to use 
>>>>>>> your
>>>>>>> cane for the first fiew days?  Thanks
>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> nagdu mailing list
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>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Follow me on Twitter at:
>>>>> www.twitter.com/wcmerritt
>>>>> My blog:
>>>>> http://wayneism.blogspot.com
>>>>> My websites:
>>>>> www.wayneism.com
>>>>> www.whitecaneday.org
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>
>>>>
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>>>
>>>
>>> -- 
>>> Follow me on Twitter at:
>>> www.twitter.com/wcmerritt
>>> My blog:
>>> http://wayneism.blogspot.com
>>> My websites:
>>> www.wayneism.com
>>> www.whitecaneday.org
>>>
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>>
>>
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>
>
>
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