Category: Animal House
Hello zoners!
I am in the applacation prosess at gdb and would like to no the avrage wate time from online aplacation to getting into class. I've all reddy sent in my medical contact forms, and I am going to be sending my tb test results by fax tomorrow. How long do you think it will be until I here from the home visit people? I'm vary excited about this hole jurney and would like to no about other's experiences. Also do you all have things that you did to keep from going crazy wile you wated?
Have a great day!
Tracey
I thinks you have four months
It will be a few months. after you get the tb paperwork sent in, you have to wait for someone to come interview you, and that can sometimes take a while. Then, after the interview/walk with the cane has been conducted, there's the waiting period between then, and the day you get a packet or lettter informing you of the selection committee's decision. I can't remember too much by way of keeping myself from going nuts while waiting, but I do know, that working on your skills as an independent cane traveler, is a must.
Yes, I am trying to get my cane skills up before I go for my second dog. They want me to do it like this because they said I didn't do enough with my first dog. But I want another dog and I am getting fed up with using the cane. It sticks inthe ground a lot. A dog is much safer than a cane I think.
Oh man, I was afrade you all would say that it could months. Lol I saw the 4-6 week statement that gdb made on the 2006 guidedogs school servay or dgui's websight. They said that it could be as short as that if the prospective student was promped in turning in paperwork, witch I have been. So any of you that have goon to gdb, what were your wateing periods like?
Let's see. I applied in December, had the home visit in late January. Then I kind of dragged my feet about the TB test because I hate doctors and I was having cold feet about getting a dog. So, I got the TB test results to them in Early April, got my acceptance in early May. They originally put me in a July class but I had a conflict and had to put it off until August. So, since you are very prompt with your paperwork and such, I'd say it's a good bet you'll be in class within 4 months or less. As for not going crazy, I can't help there. I went insane while I waited. I spent a lot of time reading anything I could find on the net posted by dog users. I read lots of blogs and message boards and such. It kind of helped pass the time. Good luck.
Hi, I just went through the process late last year. I applied in the summer, and then did the medical papers in August. I had my interview by Christmas, because the rep was in my area at that time, and i heard back in the middle of January with my exceptance letter. I will be going this June. I think the wait time for the interview depends on when they can get someone in your area to do the home visit. I hope this helps.
Blessings,
Angela
I applied last may to get my dog, but I didn't shoot the video until late July, and it wasn't sent until about early septimber, and at that time, the school was going through a transitional something or other. Well, i called them at christmas, and they found my video and added it to my file. The lady came down in February, and now they've said they have a dog for me. I honestly don't think the wait would've been so long if my filmer had sent the video in earlier, and if the school had put my video in my file, but i'm a college student, and so, me going now is perfect timing. i have no complaints.
GDB does not require a video from students, but the wait between the time you send in your application, adn the time you actually go in to trainig depends on which school you choose to attend.
i think a video is almost easier because for me, i had people i knew and was comfortable with filming me, whereas with someone coming out and doing their own assessment, it's more scary. I actually had both when I applied to GDF, but it was fine. I'm so excited about my dog! I can't wait!
What actually happens here in the UK with regards to applying and such?? living in Surrey as I do, where would I have to go to training school when the time came and I'd been matched with a suitable dog? So far, the manager of our local GDBA centre in Guildford, Surrey's been for home visit and interview to discuss all the options, implications, ramifications Etc Etc, answer any questions we might have that weren't already in the info pack 1 booklet I already had, but they gave us a second copy anyway, then info pack 2 in print. Not so handy, so I think I'll ask my instructor on her next visit if any more Braille coppies have become available or are going spare. Anyway, as for getting around out and about, I have cracked two routes, one round our block which is more or less just a basic square, 4 roads, 4 sides. This route would be if say, I wanted to pop out to our local coffee shop which mum and I haven't really sussed out yet, that's a job for this weekend sometime, Another route to my Grandparents house, mini Tesco and maybe even down in to town is still to be fully sussed out and learnt, I might see if there's an alternative route to the one I started learning when the Surrey Association for the Visually Impaired was in charge of my mobility, just for piece of mind, confidence and because of safety concerns involving a very main road and an incredably narrow pavement en route. I have no qualms about going down the shop at the bottom of our hill on my own, even though this route involves 4 road crossings, one of which is over the fairly busy steep downhill main road at the bottom of which is my destination, but that doesn't seem to've put my instructor off. O no. She had me steaming down there and then back up to my house at full tilt on the short training handle for the first time today. Yayayayness, not even 4 months after me and Fiona, my rehab officer started working together. That just proves GDBA deems me both a suitable and worthy applicant, although, I would have to remember to tell the dog what to do and where to go, or what not to do and where not to go in the great scheme of things when we are out and about together, correcting it if there are distractions which seem to the dog loads, loads more interesting than the job it must do for me, get me from A to B and a hell of a lot further, safely. Ah well! I'm sure I'll get as many opportunities as I need to practice and pretend the rehab officer's a guide dog getting me from A to B, lol. so, with all this in mind and living in the UK, what sort of time scale might I be looking at? I only need a rough estimate as I'm guessing an average is out of the question here.
Jen.
O, and I made typos in the last post, lol. When I said instructor, I meant rehab officer, lol. I'm getting the two mixed up already.
Jen.