[nagdu] Sad news regarding Sophie

[Shanna Stichler]

Hi Alyssa,

First, I'm sorry to hear that Sophie did not work out for you. It's so 
hard when we bring home a new dog, and they clearly don't want to work 
for whatever reason. I'd recommend having a very open and honest 
discussion with someone at LD when they come pick up your Sophie about 
exactly what happened with her and the reason behavior like that was not 
seen in training. That conversation may be helpful for you when deciding 
what to do for your next guide. If they seem annoyed and/or unwilling to 
discuss Sophie with you, my advice would be to apply elsewhere for your 
successor dog.

That said, GDB can definitely give you a dog that meets your needs. My 
last GDB dog was truly the best dog I could have ever wanted. She could 
work all day in any environment, but was also quite content to cuddle on 
the couch while I read or worked from home. The only reason I didn't get 
my current dog from GDB is that they do not use German Shepherds, which 
I really wanted for a number of reasons.

Incidentally, I used to work at GDB in their Training department, so 
feel free to write me if you have any specific questions about their 
programs, and I'll try and help as much as I can.

Warmly,
Shanna Stichler
slstich at gmail.com

On 1/25/2014 3:38 PM, Nicole Torcolini wrote:
> I, too, would recommend GDB. I'm not the best one to ask about the actual
> classes as I attended about six in a half years ago, but I can answer
> questions about most other aspects. At the time that I attended, I had had a
> pet dog and known several people who had guide dogs, but I had not had a
> guide dog myself. I had some preferences in what I wanted for a dog, but I
> left the final decision up to GDB. They not only found a dog that matched
> all of my preferences but they also found one who, in my books, is about as
> close to perfect as you are going to get.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Daniel Sweeney
> Sent: Saturday, January 25, 2014 8:30 AM
> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Sad news regarding Sophie
>
> Hi Alyssa,
>
> I returned my dog to LD after a serious accident just over 2 years ago now.
> I can certainly share my experiences with you about my dog and my thoughts
> on training methods of LD if you care to write me off list.
> When I decided to get another dog I went to GDB in Portland, and all I can
> say is the difference was night and day with the training, the confidence in
> the dog, and my overall experience. I feel the school took extraordinary
> measures to assure the dog they matched with me was the right dog.
> They have also shortened their training classes to 2 weeks instead of 4
> which makes a huge difference in the loss of your personal time.
> I am happy to answer any questions about my experiences off list.
>
> Daniel and Cass
> Lakewood, CO
>
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Alyssa
>> Sent: Wednesday, January 22, 2014 9:43 AM
>> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> Subject: [nagdu] Sad news regarding Sophie
>>
>> Hello list. I have unfortunate news regarding Sophie girl. Within 2
>> days,
> she
>> caused injuries to me. One involved food at the bottom of some stairs
> while
>> in harness. The other involved her getting excited about seeing
>> another
> dog
>> during her park time. The force she used caused me to break a bone in
>> my hand. Today Sophie is going back to Leader Dog and I most likely
>> have to get a different dog. I'm trying to decide whether to stick
>> with the same school since some of their training methods don't seem
>> to work well. In
> the
>> event I must select a different school, does anyone have suggestions?
>> I'll give you some info on my travel needs so you have them to go by.
>> I'm an 18 year old college student who walks a decent amount every day for
> classes.
> I
>> prefer a smaller dog as it can fit more easily under desks and will
>> not
> have
>> as strong of a pull. Any feedback is appreciated.
>> Thanks
>> Alyssa
>>
>> Sent  from my iPhone
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-- 
All best,
Shanna Stichler