[nagdu] The matching process

Tue Sep 24 17:44:47 UTC 2013

Julie, you are too right!  It makes me hesitant to ask for a confident
dog, in case I get a monster, or an easy-to-handle dog, in case I get a
total marshmallow.  Maybe it's best to just let the trainer know as much
as I can about my lifestyle--where I work, what I like to do, and what I
expect of my dog, like the ability to handle crowds and traffic, or to lie
quietly while I sit at my desk for hours.
I believe strongly that it's important to try to communicate these things,
tricky as it can be, and to speak up if a match doesn't seem to be
working.  I always feel happiest when I have plenty of information on
which to base a decision, so I assume the trainer would also rather have
lots of info, rather than making his or her best guess based on a chat and
a couple Juno walks.
Tracy

> Recently, when I was picking Jetta from the litter, I had discussed what
> sort of dog I was looking for with the breeder.  she made two suggestions,
> neither were Jetta.  I was struggling with whether or not to go with a
> puppy
> she was suggesting or to go with my own hunch.  So I asked her why she
> picked those particular puppies.  She explained and it made sense, they
> did
> have the traits I was looking for.  However they had them in greater
> quantities than I was prepared for.  In the end it came down to an issue
> of
> communication.  I said I wanted a bold, confident dog and she suggested
> puppies based on what bold and confident meant to her.  Sure I want a
> confident dog, but I also don't want a constant battle of wills, but I
> didn't make that as clear as I could have.
>
> I think the same goes for every other trait, what exactly is a high energy
> dog?  Is my definition of high energy the same as everyone else's?  How
> much
> pull exactly constitutes a hard pull?What do you mean when you ask for an
> easy to handle dog?  There are so many variables and perceptions  of those
> variables.  You could express the same exact criteria to two different
> trainers and they could very well suggest two different dogs because their
> perception of what you want is going to be different based on their
> different experiences.
>
> There are certainly things that can be measured mathematically, pace and
> pull come to mind.  It would be easy enough to match person and dog on
> these
> factors, but how do you measure initiative or confidence?
>
> Julie
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Star Gazer
> Sent: Tuesday, September 24, 2013 11:18 AM
> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] The matching process
>
> I was thinking more along the lines of the schools not telling customers
> how
> they came to the decision of matching a person with a dog.
> If we're going to work successfully with a dog, then we should have some
> visibility as to how and why that dog was selected, along with the option
> to
> say no, or to discuss with the school why the match may not work.
> When I was using dogs, I always knew I could push back, but I also had the
> very strong sense that if I did, and I left without a dog, then I had
> failed.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tracy Carcione
> Sent: Tuesday, September 24, 2013 11:30 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] The matching process
>
> What I meant by "mystery" is that it seems traditional for the identity of
> the dog to be a surprise, kinda like not knowing the sex of a baby until
> it's born.  It's amusing, trying to guess before the fact, but it doesn't
> really make much sense.  Why should it be a big secret?
>
> I forgot to say before that sometimes picking one's own dog from some
> possibilities doesn't always work, either.  At least, one of my classmates
> fell in love with a very playful golden, and was matched with him, but his
> extreme playfullness wore her out, along with other unanticipated
> characteristics.  She was smart enough to see it wasn't going to work, and
> get a re-match in class.
> Tracy
>
>> I don't know why the schools can't say "We use a b and c criteria
>> because that is what has worked in the past". They could also say "And
>> sometimes we guess along with these criteria".
>> I am not sure why the mystery aspect is even a factor.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tracy
>> Carcione
>> Sent: Tuesday, September 24, 2013 10:34 AM
>> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> Subject: [nagdu] The matching process
>>
>> The last 2 times I was at GDB, my trainer called me before I came to
>> talk about the dogs they had in mind for me.  They told me some of the
>> characteristics of each, and asked if I had a preference.  I really
>> liked that.  I had some idea of what I was going to get, and could get
>> used to the idea.  Last time a friend went to TSE, they actually let
>> her try out the 2 prospective dogs, and discussed the traits of each
>> at length.  In the end, she chose the one she wanted, and was ready
>> for the challenges it presented.
>> I like that, too.
>> Somehow, it seems traditional to keep the match a mystery until it
>> happens, but it doesn't really have to be that way, and perhaps it
>> shouldn't be, especially if the student and school have a
>> long-standing relationship, so that the school has a pretty good idea
>> of what the student needs.
>> Tracy
>>
>>
>>
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