Category: Animal House
it's time i finally decided to try and get a guide dog again. i tried in 07, but that didn't go so well.
i first tried seeing eye. i like them, but i resently heard of guiding eyes in NY.
can someone help me with the pros and cons of the two schools?
i live near to both of them in connecticut
guiding eyes is in new york
seeing eye is in new jersey
any help would be appreciated.
I loved going to Guiding Eyes. The people there are very nice and they have really good dogs. I would never go to Seeing Eye.
Here is the Guiding Eyes for the Blind website:
www.guidingeyes.org
And here's the GEB survey:
www.gdui.org/GEB06.html
You can message me with any questions about GEB if you want to.
what is the program like, how long is the training, that sort of thing...
you'd never go to seeing eye, may i ask why?
yes i think that was very lacking in info too. please give reasons why not to go to seeing eye?
i mean, i have usuable vision to a degree. and, on the survey, the seeing eye, prefers peop,le with little or no vission. not those who are legally blind like guiding eyes. but, other then that, based on those surveis, TSE is better... but i still want to hear about both, pros and cons. those surveys were done in 2006 basically 4 years ago... so, things may of changed...
>the seeing eye, prefers peop,le with little or no vission. not those who are legally blind.
I'm sure either school would accept you.
You could apply to both, and keep doing your research. If you decide that either would suit you, just go with the one that can fit you in soonest, or in whatever time frame works best for you.
I agree with the last post. Over the years, the Seeing Eye has had a preference for totally blind people, and it's only recently that they've started accepting low vision or people with other disabilities. So, while that might seem hegative, I think if you really want to go there, you should have the right to. I don't have a guide dog yet, but I've heard a lot of good things about that school, I've met people who work there and they all appeared very friendly. The person i met who was representing Guiding Eyes at a conference I went to, I really didn't like at all. He seemed very cocky and I didn't like the way he explained the school to me, but again it's really up to you, and you're going to get all different opinions on this board from people who have had good and bad experiences with both schools. Also, since I really haven't been to either one, I'll just shut up and leave it to people who know what they're talking about, lol.
i have, 60% vission in my left eye, nothing in my right, i went back in 07 to the seeing eye, and, made it two weeks, but got sent home with out the dog, willow.. sigh, i miss her...
alot of the training i did was under occlusion, i didn't like that much. but i did it, and if i have to do it again, i will...
Hmm, both schools sound great, and I am planning to apply to both. The personnel at Seeing Eye seem very patient, and ready and willing to answer any questions you may have. Also, after a youth weekend that I spent up there a few years ago, where a few students got to get a sort of mini-taste of the school and it's facilities for three days, I am definitely leaning towards Seeing Eye.
Ah, I wasn't recommending one school over the other.
I have been to Guiding Eyes, twice, and found it and its dogs to be excellent. I've nothing against Seeing Eye, however. If you feel more drawn to go there, trust your gut feeling.
I'm more of a GEB person. I've spoken with many reps from GEB, Seeing Eye and Guide Dogs (in fact my one home interview was with GDB), and out of all three GEB is the most appealing to me. Partly I can afford the 150 dollar fee the Seeing Eye charges for the dog, which is a lot of money when all you get is SSI. And they seem almost secretive about the fact that you're getting a guide dog, which is why they don't even hold a graduation ceremony or allow you to meet or interact with your dog's puppy raisers. That's one thing I like about both Guiding Eyes and GDB.
I went to GDF or the guide dog foundation. It's in New York also. I loved my experience. I will never set foot in seeing eye. I've met people from there and everyone of them has been a snob. They act like all other guide dog schools are trash and so on and so forth. I know that seeing eye is the oldest guide dog school, but still. With GDF all the people were nice and they answered all my questions and showed me the correct way to do things without making me feel stupid which was important. I have a friend who went to GEB and he loved it. Also I know that GDF will work with many disabilities and they don't mind if you have some vision either. Several people in my class had some vision and they were treated well. Just some food for thought.
I went to the youth program at the seeing eye in October and loved it! I applied to go there and got excepted. I will be leaving for NJ on May 22. Everyone I met at the seeing eye on my youth weekend trainers, admissions staff, everyone was extremely nice and willing to help and answer any questions I might have. It was a wonderful experience and I can't wait to get my dog. I love the fact that we actually own the dogs after we leave there, I like the beliefs of the seeing eye and support them completely. But I no guiding eyes is good as well. My friend went there and got a dog 2 summers ago. got it taken away three months later in october, then got a new one the next april and they are doing ok, so go where feels right to you. just expressing my opinion.
I would like to no what went wrong at the seeing eye for you if you don't mind sharing though?
i have some vision and they say i wasn't trusting the dog enough, and, there were a few, uh, hygene issues. i left a pair of panties in the bathroom, which i didn't realize, and they sent me home, with out the dog...
Wow. And over a pair of panties? If that isn't riddiculous I don't know what is.
Well, I've gotten both of my dogs from The Seeing Eye and I know lots of different people that have gotten dogs from different schools. But I think paying $150 for a dog compared to the thousands and thousands of dollars just to train a dog, is a tiny fraction of the price. you only pay $150 once and that's for your first dog. When you're a retrain you pay only 50 bucks, and I could handle that. Plus they pay for your first year of vet bills. Anyone who thinks you have to dress up at Seeing Eye, you don't have to do that anymore. I don't know when they changed that rule, but I'm glad they did since I understood why they wanted you to, but it was still kind of a hassel to do it. Anyway, I would go where ever you feel most comfortable. I always tell people, to apply to 3 schools, and if they do home interviews, go with whoever you feel most comfortable with. It's not just the home interviews, it's when you talk to them on the phone, or if you e-mail them back and forth, how do they respond in an e-mail or on the phone? Do they treat you with respect and answer all your questions and make you feel comfortable? That's what I'd look for the most. I know that the application process can go a lot faster if you do your reference letters and application by e-mail to. A friend of mine applied to both Guiding Eyes and Seeing eye and he's going to Seeing Eye next month. He said that the rep that came out from Seeing Eye was very nice and easy to work with and they got to be kind of close and personal with each other. He said the one from Guiding Eyes didn't seem as personal and as friendly, but this is just what he said. I personally think that GDB, GEB and Seeing Eye are the top 3 schools, and any of them would be nice to go to. But it's all up to the user. There's good and bad that comes out of every school, but there's no need to put a school down since it's either the user or the dog that's the problem, in my own oppinion. So good luck with whatever you'd like to do, and if you have any other questions about guide dogs in general, you can send me a message and I'll be glad to answer them.
Oh I forgot to say, that my friend who's going to Seeing Eye has usable vision. They did a juno walk and I think he closed his eyes or something. I personally think that if someone that has vision wants to get a dog, and doesn't mind using a blindfold or something while you're at a school, then go for it. It's really the dog that's suppose to help you get around things and get you where you need to go, not your sight. So no matter where you go, i hope it's an enjoyable experience.
Well the two I'm most considering are GEB and GDF. As I said I didn't care for Guide Dogs, at least the particular rep they sent out. She came off as more than a little condescending, although I will admit that I didn't get the feeling it was intentional. But to count things against me that were entirely out of my control just seemed more than a little unfair. I mean I couldn't have foreseen that we'd have almost 40-mile-an-hour winds right when we were doing the crucial walk. I can understand perhaps needing to build up my physical strength, improving my familiarity with my neighborhood and working on not overwalking the dog or the instructor during a juno walk. Those made sense. But to tell me A. that I couldn't stumble in such strong winds and B. that I lived in too dangerous of an area...well that second perhaps made a little sense. But then if that were true why bother training in sidewalkless settings? And a good friend of mine had a home interview with a rep from the Seeing Eye and he was even more condescending, as were the several reps I've had the opportunity to meet over the years. But as Songbird83 said, it's all down to personal preference. I just happen to be more interested in GEB or GDF. And Leaderdogs also seems like a good school.
I have gone to The Seeing eye for my dogs, and I have had a great experience with them. I think any school you choose to go to you just have to do your own research on them and choose what school is the best for you and your own personal needs.
I am doing a paper on guide dogs right now, and I liked GEB. Yeah seeing eye is good, but I don't like the fact that you can't have contact with the puppy raisers... well I think they give you the puppy raisers info after class but before you go home you can't contact them or at least that's what I got out of that lol. I went to GDB and loved it, but I looked at GEB as well. They didn't even bother to respond to my email, so obviously I didn't go there lol! Good luck with whatever you choose :)
Jenna and Bilko