[nagdu] Update on Sophie Girl and a new guide dog school

[Raven Tolliver]

As a grad from Guiding Eyes and someone who is aware of some of GDB's
practices, I will answer some questions for both schools.
What training methods are used with the dogs?
Both GDB and GEB use positive training methods. However, GDB places
more emphasis and spends more time on clicker training and positive
training methods with students, and has incorporated negative
punishment, also known as the time-out.
GEB uses mixed training, meaning they combine clicker training and
positive methods with traditional training or correction-based
training. GEB does not teach their puppy-raisers to handle the dogs
using correction-based methods. Puppy-raisers are not even issued
correction collars for their dogs for use outside of classes.
How effective do you feel these methods are?
With clicker training, dogs pick up on targeting and learning
desirable behaviors very quickly. Also, reinforcement-based or
positive methods focus on motivating, refocusing, redirecting, and
rewarding to establish effective communication between dog and
handler. Good behaviors are emphasized, and in this way, good
behaviors increase, and undesirable ones fade or disappear. The
relationship and training/working sessions are far less stressful
because the focus is on redirecting behavior and rewarding the good,
rather than correcting the undesirable.
How old are the dogs when they are issued?
Guiding Eyes dogs are returned to the school around 18 months and go
through formal guide training for roughly 6 months. Only adult dogs
are issued; each dog is placed when they are 2-years-old, or right
before their 2nd birthday. Dogs in the special needs program go
through about a year of training, and are issued anywhere from 2-1/2
to 3 years.
GDB's dogs are returned around 13-15 months and spend 2-3 months in
formal guide training. Dogs are typically issued several months before
their second birthday.
During your class experience, how were you treated by the trainers and
administration?
GEB has a very laid-back, friendly environment, and the staff help
create this atmosphere. During down time, staff are casual and chatty;
during lectures, staff are pretty serious; and on route, the
instructors are calm, hands off, and more than willing to offer
assistance, advice, or answer any questions. Instructors are willing
to modify plans upon request and to work with a student's needs and
desires. Instructors definitely sneak in curve balls at the students
to prepare them to handle their dog in a multitude of situations.
Students are treated as equals, not as underlings or someone who must
adhere to strict rules or else. Student accommodations range from
different types of working equipment to meet a specific need, to meal
requests. You're definitely treated as if you're at home. No questions
are stupid. Nothing you do is catastrophic. And personal choices are
respected.
The staff also arrange for students to be transported to church
services, or for volunteers to pick up any groceries students ask and
pay for.
FYI: GDB has a link to their class lectures right on their home page.
Definitely read that material and click around their website to learn
about their practices.
--
Raven

On 2/28/14, Chantel Cuddemi <jawsgirl87 at gmail.com> wrote:
> I am sorry to hear about Sophie.
>
> Good luck choosing your school from the three you listed.
>
> Chantel and Motley.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Alyssa
> Sent: Friday, February 28, 2014 10:24 PM
> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [nagdu] Update on Sophie Girl and a new guide dog school
>
> Hello listers. I sent a message a short while back explaining that Sophie
> had to go back to training because of her scavenging. It has been decided
> that Sophie and I simply aren't a good match. I've also been hearing about
> this problem occurring consistently with dogs from LDB. So I have made the
> decision that it's time to switch schools. The ones I'm choosing from are
> guide dogs for the blind, the seeing eye, and possibly guiding eyes for the
> blind. I like the geographical location of all these places as they feature
> busy areas to work in. I also like that they all offer follow up as well. I
> do have some questions though. I thank you for taking the time to read and
> answer. So here goes. What training methods are used with the dogs? How
> effective do you feel these methods are? During your class experience, how
> were you treated by the trainers and administration? How old are the dogs
> when they are issued? Thank you for reading these questions. Feel free to
> answer off list if you wish. I'll post again if any more questions come up.
> Thanks
> Alyssa
>
> Sent from my iPhone
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-- 
Raven