[NAGDU] Questions about American Guide Dog Programs

[Dan Weiner]

the answer to that is that it depends on the school. Also several of the 
American schools, GEB, GDF, Leader, pilot, Southeastern, GDA, and GDD, 
(guide dog s of the Desert) have had clients in the past that have come 
from all over...However, policy on this has changed rather markedly in 
the last 10 to 15 years... Leader for example, when I first went there 
would pretty much take anyone from another country and they had an 
impressive list of countries from which people have come, however now, 
due to whatever, IGDF membership, or their change in policy, they don't 
seem to accept new studentss from any other land unless they come with a 
group and not sure even of that...  GEB and  GDF and so on also used to 
be that way but havve heard they dont unless there is some agreement 
with training organizations or whatever .   I can go on and on but I 
think it's better to contact the schools in question as frankly policy 
seems to change all the time. I just tried to learn about it because, 
having been interested in international travel myself and languages I 
wanted to find out all I can about folks from other countries who had 
come here for training...


However contradicting what I said earlier about Leader, I was told by a 
grad from there in Europe that they would accept you if you could 
guarantee with a letter from some certified trainer from a school 
affiliated to the Guide Dog Federation that you could get follow up in 
your own country. So as I said it's gotten a bit more complicated that 
it was when I first started compiling info on it.

So contact any of the schools Danielle/ mentioned and  let us know 
because I'm curious.


Leader does not provide ownership though, and I think he list of schools 
Danielle? gave you who do provide ownership is up-to-date.


If there is anything I can do to assist you let me know, though, sadly I 
have no special inside knowledge about anything--smile --smile


Oh and to clarify, I think a majority of US schools will accept Canadian 
grads as well so US and Canada are a given.


don't know if I've just helped you or made things more obscure--smile


Dan W.




On 5/19/2019 4:37 PM, Sandra Gayer via NAGDU wrote:
> Hello,
> I thought you have to live in America to apply for a dog from an
> American school. Can an applicant be domiciled in another part of the
> world entirely and still apply to an American school? I only ask
> because I couldn't help noticing Sweden at the end of the first email
> in this thread.
>
> Very best wishes,
> Sandra.
>
> On 5/19/19, Danielle Sykora via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> The US programs that give ownership upon graduation are Seeing Eye, GDF, and
>> Freedom for sure, and I believe Pilot and GDA as well. Other programs either
>> give ownership after a period of time, or say they give ownership but still
>> have the ability to remove the dog in some situations.
>>
>> In terms of positive training methods, basically everyone is going to tell
>> you the program they went to used positive methods because obviously you
>> can't train a dog without rewarding them for their appropriate behavior. The
>> two programs that come to mind that truly strive to use the most positive
>> methods possible are GDB and GDF.
>> Danielle
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
>>
>>> On May 19, 2019, at 3:02 PM, Leye-Shprintse Öberg via NAGDU
>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>
>>> בס’ד
>>>
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> I’m researching guide dog programs for my next guide dog. I wonder which
>>> guide dog programs give ownership to the guide dog handler after
>>> graduation and which dittos use positive training methods with their dogs?
>>> Thank you!
>>>
>>> לשלום,
>>> Leye-Shprintse Oeberg
>>> Sweden
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>