[nagdu] Considering A Dog

[rhonda cruz]

 hello kodi,
 my name rhonda.
 i have my first Pilot dog. May is a 5 year old german sheppard.
 I really like pilot's training stile.
 It is a great program.
 they don't have a home visit,
 and there class size is small.


On Sep 20, 2012, at 5:31 AM, Julie J. wrote:

> Kody,
> 
> Welcome!  I'm a big fan of the Boxer too.  Unfortunately your options are very limited if you want one from a guide program.  Pilot in Columbus trains some and Gallant Hearts in Mississippi does a few.  Your wait at Gallant Hearts is going to be pretty long because they are a small school that has just started up and they don't have very many Boxers.  Neither of these schools is located in a large city that has subways and that sort of thing.
> 
> You'll have a lot more options for German Shepherds.   Also if the school doesn't teach to find empty seats, it's a fairly easy thing to teach yourself.
> 
> Best of luck and welcome!
> Julie
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On 9/20/2012 12:00 AM, Kody Keplinger wrote:
>> Hi all!
>> 
>> I found this list yesterday and have been browsing the archives for info.
>>  After some serious thought, I have decided to look into getting a guide
>> dog.  I do have some concerns that I know others have brought up in the
>> past (I do have remaining vision, and I know it may impair my trust of the
>> dog at first, but I believe I can overcome this, especially since my
>> retained vision is only useful outdoors during the day.)  After asking
>> around about different schools and commands, I know I want to apply to
>> schools that teach "find" commands (ex. "find a chair" or "find the
>> stairs") as these are very difficult things for me in unfamiliar indoor
>> settings.  I also want a school that trains dogs for trains/subways since I
>> live in NYC and that's an important part of my daily life.
>> 
>> I have a pretty strong breed preference to either a German Shepherd or a
>> Boxer. I LOVE labs, but they've been family pets my whole life, and my gut
>> is telling me that, for my first guide dog, and one I'll work with as a
>> partner, I want to step away from labs if at all possible. My first choice
>> of school was Fidelco, but I read today some of the controversy from last
>> year. I like their program because a.) they focus on german shepherds and
>> b.) I like the idea of starting, from day one, in my neighborhood. I know
>> some programs take you to NYC as sort of a final "challenge" - but as NYC
>> is my home, I'd rather it not be my big challenge, I'd rather it be my
>> regular, if that makes sense at all.  Is the controversy over Fidelco and
>> ownership still brewing? Has anyone worked with them lately?
>> 
>> Looking at other schools, can any of you give me some info on which ones
>> teach the "find" commands as well as provide german shepherds and/or boxers
>> (and that allow you to specify a preference)? Also, any info on the wait
>> times for these programs (from turning in the application, to acceptance,
>> to attending the school) would be incredibly helpful/appreciated. (I found
>> the old surveys on GDUI, but they were from 2008 and I wasn't sure how
>> up-to-date they were.)
>> 
>> Thanks for any info you can give, guys! I'm so glad I found this listserv
>> already. The archives have already given me so much direction.
>> 
>> Best,
>> Kody
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> 
> 
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