Category: Daily Living
Hi all,
I'm considering getting a guide dog some time in the near future, and am curious as to what schools anyone with some experience can recommend. I've been considering GDB, however I just wanted to gather some opinions before I embark. I realise that opinions are much like ass holes (everyone has one) but I'm curious to hear of your experiences. Thank you for any information you can provide.
All the best,
Austin
Honestly in my opinion, it's good that you seek input, but I think you'd benefit from researching, calling and asking questions. I'm telling you this because sometimes, a few people think a school is the best, doesn't make it the best. I'm not saying opinions aren't helpful. I'm saying that it really depends on how much time you can go away, where you can travel etc. Also, just because you do research and stuff doesn't guarantee you the best experience either. You live, learn and grow. I sincerely wish you the best in your experience with a guide. :)
I revised this message from a post I sent to a friend who was asking about schools. Given that this is based from my own experience and opinions, I hope I don't start any flame wars. I'm trying to be as honest and objective as I can be.
I went to The Seeing Eye. We were the first class in after renovations, and I was lucky enough to get the only room where both wireless and Ethernet
were broken. I found the 3 and a half week training period a bit long, but that was mostly because I rarely had internet in my room and I was itching to
jet off to Colorado. This was just after graduating from college, and I just wanted it to be over and done with. that said, the three and a half week period sure gets you comfortable with guidework. The food was pretty good.
I happened to get a very friendly instructor who was great for a first-timer, though there are some pretty strict members of staff who can be a bit intimidating in my opinion. that's just personality preference though. I'd rather have an open and friendly environment than feel like I'm being barked at all the time.
I felt that the staff was generally cheerful and happy to be doing their work. During your last couple weeks of freelance work, you can go practice things
for your daily life such as stores, college campuses, escalators, indoor buildings, and we even went to a farm.
IMHO, there wasn’t much consistency in who taught what and when. I felt like a couple of the other classes were way ahead and more in depth on things like patterning
your dog to remember places and clicker training. However, my instructor was always willing to fit in anything I asked for. I just felt jealous, seeing how some other classes seemed to be learning more technique behind the work.
There were four of us in our group (I think that’s the max) and we worked in pairs until the retrains left.
Seeing Eye doesn’t help you out much financially. GDB will pay for your vet for the first year or something like that. Seeing Eye does let you own your
dog right off, so they aren’t coming to check on you every year like other schools do. that said, after the first year, you do have the option of buying? your dog from GDB, and it becomes your own then. I've heard that GDB's medical financial support doesn't change if you own your dog.
As far as grad support, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. I know people who waited six weeks, and the trainer only worked with them for an hour and a half over
two days to correct a food scavenging problem. I know another girl who got a trainer out fairly quickly, but the trainer didn’t seem to think the issue
was a large one, and apparently, wasn’t helpful. I haven’t had any grad support issues. I know that twice, trainers came out to Colorado for other visits,
and either my boyfriend or I got a call both times saying, “Hey, I’ll be out in Colorado, do you need anything?”
Generally, I feel a little mixed about Seeing Eye. My boyfriend's dog has some behavioral problems. He is a major food scavenging table surfing kitchen ant eater
who has been known to try and eat rocks. My dog on the other hand is content to sleep on the floor by the humans. His dog mostly ignores when he’s being
called. Mine will come to me 95 percent of the time. All bets are off if she’s ignoring me for food. His dog will take any opportunity to bolt out the door,
and Seeing Eye’s response is, "Keep the door closed." That’s a perfectly legit response, but when forgetful parents leave doors open, and the dog ignores commands to return...
I feel that Seeing Eye only does the bare bones of training
with their dogs. They get basic obedience, guide work, traffic work, but not a lot of practice with off leash return commands. Let me rephrase that. I feel like Seeing Eye does a perfectly fine job with all aspects of guide work. The trainers' job is to work on guide work, and not basic obedience. It's up to the puppy raisers to teach that obedience, and with all schools, there is the risk of getting a dog who wasn't as well trained as another. I know other schools teach things like "find" or targeting to stairs or chairs. Seeing Eye doesn't teach chair finding unless you ask, and I got the impression it was kind of a hastle for them to fit that lesson in for me and my class partner one afternoon. Seeing Eye does have an optional clicker program where you can learn how to use the clicker to teach your dog to target things like bus stops or other landmarks.
My dog never displayed this in training, but now, when she sees a dog, her hair goes up, she starts panting, and she fights me to get away to go see the
dog. Sometimes I can work her past it, but she's so keyed up that I really don't trust her in those moments. Other times, I'll force her to sit until the dog passes, but I have to fight hard to hold her down. I told the trainer this when he came out, and he just told me to put the gentle leader on her. (It’s a strappy device that goes tightly around their
head. You clip the leash to it, and so you have greater control over where their nose goes.) I'm not convinced this will do anything but aggrivate her. I don't think it's very practical to make my dog wear the gentle leaderr every single time we go out, because we only see a dog on rare occasions. She hates the thing, and her work suffers when she wears it. Maybe I'm just being stubborn about it.
I guess to sum it up, I think Seeing Eye is a great school with a passionate staff who love their work. They have had some financial problems, though they
swear up and down it hasn’t impacted the dogs’ training. The dogs get trained for four months on guide work. I do know that Seeing eye actively teaches
you how to use escalators, and some other schools don’t, or they make the dog wear booties. Seeing eye pays for no vet bills. They give you a year free
for your microchip subscription. You don’t have big brother checking up on you all the time, which could be either good or bad, depending.
Honestly, I was going to try out GDB in Oregon for my next dog when my dog retires. They retain ownership of the dog, but I’ve heard good things about their
training, which is about 2 weeks (or optionally longer?). I’ve seen some good dogs out of there. I’d like to try it out, just for the comparison.
I don’t think Seeing Eye would be a bad choice. I think it’s a perfectly fine option, and you’ll get what you need. In my opinion, I do have some concerns such as consistency across instructors, spotty grad support, and minimalistic training. But you do own your dog, you do work escalators, you don’t use
food motivation to reward the dog (just praise), and the staff is very knowledgeable. (Apparently there is some debate over whether or not food reward is helpful or harmful. Personally, I'm totally down with using only praise, and if I went to GDB in future, I'd probably have to stand up for that in my own training.) The Seeing Eye are working in some great new changes. They’re getting an on-campus training escalator, and have built a fenced in dog run so you can practice those off leash returns with your dog.
If this message is a little confusing and all over the place, it’s because that’s my feeling about the Seeing Eye. I got a great dog and had a fine training
period, but there were some things I didn’t like. If you already have good common sense about dogs, I think the Seeing eye is perfectly fine. They're already giving you a 65000 dollar dog for almost free, so why should they have to pay your vet bills too? Seeing Eye pays for your airfair to and from. You do have to pay 150 dollars to attend, but in the grand scheme of a 65000 dollar dog, I wasn't about to complain.
Haunted, I also went to The Seeing Eye and I almost completely agree wit you. Love the fact that I get full ownership but my girl has problems with scavenging, and when I first got her she had off leash re-call issues. My trainer was great and she really helped, especially with the clicker. I too noticed the barky trainers and agree that there is some spottiness in terms of what I was told vs. what others were told during training. I was very fortunate that my trainer was a good personality match for me. I think I'll be going to the Guide Dog Foundation for my next one though. Apparently their dogs know more commands and are better behaved out of harness. Most of the disappointment on my part has to do with the high regard TSE holds in the world of guide dogs. I just expected more from there training but overall it was a good experience and I have a fantastic dog! TSE is certainly not the worst school, I just don't think it's the best (as I was told by many).
I went to GDB IN 2008. i had a 4 week program, but I have heard good things about the 2 week poogram too. I love my dog, he's great, and I use food reward when necessary, like on new routes. GDB dues have good followup services, and in my experience the training is consistent throughout instructors. I think food re}rd is useful, and helps motivate my dog, but I don't fully rely on it, and feel you shouldn't because then the dog would expect a treat at every corner/step/door/light poll/whatever. The staff was great, GDB does not mao you pay anything for your dog, and they offer vet assistance for those that need it. At the moment, I haven't had to use it, but may have to start. You don't own your dog right off, but I really don't mind since it doesn't change my interactions with the school at all. The follow up visits are really helpful and I like confermation that my dog is doing his job and help when he isn't doing so hot. If you have any other questions, feel free to message me, and also check out the facebook group, "guide dog handlers network." It's for people that want to use a guide or already have one, and it's really helpful. There isn't a lot of school bashing like I have seen on other groups. School comparison, yes of course, but not bashing. :)
Is there a similar group on a mailing list rather than facebook? I am not a facebook user for a large complex variety of reasons, but would love to be able to talk to a variety of guide dog users. I have a very encouraging group of friends, which helps, and the school that I went with has been VERY helpful.
Kate
I'd always understood that the two-week program was more for returning guide dog handlers? Unless I'm mistaken? It's been about six years since I applied.
I am a first time guide user. I graduated from Southeastern guide dogs in FL. The trainers are wonderful. The classes are small and we work one on one with a trainer. So you get full and complete attention from your trainer while out on route. The food is great, two cheffs and the rooms are great to. You have y fy access in your room and after the first week, you are allowed to do independent traveling in your free time down the nature trail. My guide is well behaved, she lays at my feet at all times and while working, does not get destracted from the other dogs or cats here at home. They do folow ups but I like that because I feel if I need help with something or need a little training in a area that I am traveling in, they will come and work with me and my guide.
Sounds like a good school.
Is it limited only to those applicants living in Florida or area, or can anyone apply? How long was the course?
Kate
Yeah.If anyone could attend I might add it to my list of possibilities for if/whenI make a second attempt at applying.
I did in-home training with BC/Alberta guide dogs. They services, well, BC and Alberta in Canada, and they come to your home environment and do the training there. I think this served us both well, as Jenny tends to get excited if she's never been places before, and has had transition issues... my new job is a case in point. Once she settles down, she's a great guide!
I have also found their follow-up to be great. I have called/texted on numerous occasions. More than once I have been told that my struggles are normal and to keep doing whta I am doing, which is encouraging, but I have also been given great advice on things I can do to improve things.
My instructor was a very nice (but strict) Dutch lady; I didn't think we'd get along at first, but we wound up clicking very well. She had a great balance of knowing your dog's weak points and correcting them, but also not being so hard on the dog that it winds up doing more harm than good.
Kate
Kate I think guide dog users international gdui has a mailing list not sure
though.