[nagdu] Guide Dog Schools

Thu Oct 31 18:24:42 UTC 2013

Hey,
Welcome to the list.  I'm working my second guide, Spritz.  She 
is from Guide Dogs for the Blind.  She is a black lab; I got her 
over the summer.
Since I'm a college student and having had a previous dog that 
was very high-maintenance, I knew I would need financial 
assistance and after support.  Those were two of the major things 
I looked for when I applied to schools.  The training methods 
(positive vs negative) used in schools also mattered to me.  Of 
course which may vary on an individual and team basis, but I've 
come to realize that food rewards go a long way.  My first dog 
was from Pilot because I wanted a poodle, but she retired after 
almost a year.  My training experience at Pilot was good, but I 
wasn't as experienced so I didn't have the necessary tools to 
manage such a high-strung dog.  Please email me off-list if you 
have further questions.  Good luck with the application process 
and all that.
Best, Hannah and Spritz
 ----- Original Message -----
From: Shickeytha Chandler <shickeytha at gmail.com
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog 
Users" <nagdu at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Thu, 31 Oct 2013 14:08:20 -0400
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Guide Dog Schools

No problem.  I understand that different people have different
experiences and perspectives, and I think it is important to 
consider
both positive and negative.  Thanks.

On 10/31/13, Mike <blinkin4342 at gmail.com> wrote:
 As a Fidelco client I completely disagree with the statement 
that Fidelco
 has contract issues.  The issues are definitely personal and not 
Fidelco's
 fault.
 I have had nothing but good experiences with Fidelco over the 
last three
 years and I know a lot of people who feel the same way.  There 
are a certain
 handful of folks on this list who have personal issues with 
Fidelco and tend
 to be much louder than the people who have good experiences.
 You should definitely read the contract to make sure you are 
aware of the
 rules.  That is the case with any guy dog school.  Just keep an 
open mind.
 Every school has good and bad things.  Every school has someone 
who loves
 them and hates them.  I'd recommend that you decide what breed 
you want, see
 what school meets your needs the best, and go forward from 
there.

 Mike

 On Oct 31, 2013, at 12:18 PM, "Larry D.  Keeler" 
<lkeeler at comcast.net
 wrote:

 First, watch out for Fidelco! They have contract issues.  Before 
you
 decide, make sure you read and understand the contract.  The 
other thing,
 schools when possible do give you a choice.  Now always can they 
accomidate
 but usually they can.  I went to Pilot because I wanted a 
poodle.  They
 breed them down there.  However, I ended up qith a labradoodle 
wich is
 almost as good! As for training at school or at home, I think it 
would be
 more useful to train at hom.  But, if you know your 
neighborhood, it
 doesn't matter as much.
 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Shickeytha Chandler"
 <shickeytha at gmail.com
 To: <nagdu at nfbnet.org
 Sent: Thursday, October 31, 2013 11:44 AM
 Subject: [nagdu] Guide Dog Schools

 Hello all,

 I am new to the list.  I currently travel with a cane, but am 
very
 seriously considering getting a guide dog in the near future.  I 
am
 doing research on guide dog schools to see which might be best 
for me.
 I am considering Fidelco, Guiding Eyes and the Seeing Eye.  Does 
anyone
 on this list have either particularly positive or especially 
negative
 experiences with any of these schools? If so, I would be 
interested to
 hear your feedback.  Also, I noticed that Fidelco does training 
at your
 residence, whereas the other schools bring you to their campuses 
for
 training.  I would like to hear perspectives about the 
disadvantages
 and advantages of each of these methods of training.

 Finally, I know that various types of dogs are trained as 
guides,
 ranging from labs to German Shepherds.  I would like to know if 
schools
 give you a choice as to what type of dog you are paired with.  
Also, I
 would be interested to hear from anyone who has worked with dogs 
of
 various kinds; I'd like to know your thoughts as to whether 
there are
 distinct qualities that one breed possesses that another breed 
does
 not generally possess.  Of course, I am sure all dogs are 
unique, even
 within a breed type.

 I know that is a lot of questions for one email.  Thanks in 
advance for
 any insight that you can provide.

 Shickeytha

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