[nagdu] I was not excepted

[Julie J.]

I have done both the Juno walk with an empty harness and a test walk 
with a demo dog.  I have actually worked 3 or 4 demo dogs.  I'm a bit 
nutty, but I am extremely interested to know how the different schools 
teach the details.  There are small differences which helps me to think 
through which I like better and why.

Anyway,  I do like the idea of working an actual dog during the 
interview.  I think it gives a much more accurate representation of 
working with a guide dog.  However, I think it is extremely unrealistic 
to assume that you are going to be able to trust that dog in the 5 or 10 
minutes that you will work with him.  Ideally I think both the empty 
harness and a live dog should be used in the interview process.  I think 
each allows for different types of information.  the empty harness gives 
the instructor info about pace pull, how the person could move with a 
dog.  A live dog gives a more accurate feel for the blind person because 
a dog moves differently than a person pulling an empty harness.

Of the demo dogs I've tried, one worked wonderfully for me.  I could 
have taken that dog home and been quite happy.  Another dog was thinner 
than the harness he was wearing, so there was a lot of handle rocking 
back and forth, making it very hard to feel the movements of the dog 
accurately.  I think a smaller, better fitted harness would have solved 
this problem, but that isn't something a person brand new to guide dogs 
would know.  Another dog moved very slowly and had a feather light 
pull.  I also had a lot of difficulty working this dog.  If the only 
experience I had was the second two dogs, I might come to the conclusion 
that a guide dog wouldn't work for me or that I needed to change how I 
walked.  The instructor holding an empty harness can provide the pace 
and pull that you prefer, but won't be able to give you a very accurate 
idea of what it is like to work a real dog.  It's like driving a car 
video game and driving a real car.  They just aren't the same.

Julie



On 3/16/2013 10:48 PM, Julie McGinnity wrote:
> Hi Jenny,
>
> So sorry to hear about this.  I can't imagine them telling you that if
> you can't walk fast, you wouldn't make it.  I believe you, but...
> Wow.  I am only slightly taller than you are, so I know that those of
> us who are short can only walk so fast.
>
> Also, I know some schools make a bigger deal out of how much you walk,
> but I would say that as long as the dog is worked enough, you
> shouldn't have a problem.  What about the people who are older or have
> medical conditions that prevent them from leaving the house every day?
>   I know they aren't always denied dogs.  Also, when I got my dog, the
> trainers were well aware that I was in high school and wouldn't do a
> lot of straight walking.  Like you, I did a lot of walking
> speratically throughout the day.  I was never told that was a problem.
>
> Now I have a question from others on the list.  Is it common practice
> to bring a dog for home interviews?  I was not given a random dog to
> work with at my home interview with Guiding Eyes 6 years ago.  What is
> their rationale for doing this?  Why does a simple Juno Walk not
> suffice?
>
> On 3/16/13, rhonda cruz<rhondaprincess at gmail.com>  wrote:
>>   i went to pilot dogs. and i got in just fine.
>>
>> On Mar 15, 2013, at 3:29 PM, RJ Sandefur wrote:
>>
>>> I was told by a guide dog school don't worry about applying because I'd
>>> get denied. RJ
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "rhonda cruz"
>>> <rhondaprincess at gmail.com>
>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Friday, March 15, 2013 6:25 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] I was not excepted
>>>
>>>
>>>> hi i am so sorry. hugs.
>>>>
>>>> On Mar 14, 2013, at 9:30 PM, Sheila Leigland wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Hi, I'm sorry you weren't accepted. The first school I applied to turned
>>>>> me down also for rediculous reasons so I applied at a different school.
>>>>>
>>>>> Sheila Leigland
>>>>>
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