[Cagdu] Fw: food rewards resolution revised

[Michael Hingson]

Hi Ken,

Thanks for sending this along.

I would suggest that this is not a proper resolution for the committee.  It
should not be and is not our purview to use resolutions for a purpose other
than adopting policies for the NFBC.  While I appreciate Ken's opinion
concerning food rewards they are widely used and accepted.  Also, we are
always training our guides; training does not stop when we graduate.

I am not going to get into a debate about the merits of food rewards.  I do
suggest that if anyone feels food rewards are not proper then they should
take it up with the schools, but we should not make this a subject for a
policy decision of the NFBC.  The schools are using the techniques they feel
they need to use.  Their use of food rewards does not address any issue of
civil rights concerning the blind nor does such use promulgate any
stereotype concerning blindness.


Best,


Michael Hingson


The Michael Hingson Group, INC.
     “Speaking with Vision”
                 Michael Hingson, President
                         (415) 827-4084
                   info at michaelhingson.com
                   www.michaelhingson.com


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-----Original Message-----
From: cagdu-bounces at nfbcal.org [mailto:cagdu-bounces at nfbcal.org] On Behalf
Of Ken Volonte
Sent: Thursday, September 23, 2010 10:47 AM
To: Ken Volonte
Cc: Cagdu; Mary Willows; Miguel
Subject: [Cagdu] Fw: food rewards resolution revized


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ken Volonte" <kenvolonte at comcast.net>
To: "Mary Willows" <mwillows at sbcglobal.net>
Cc: <miguelmendez7 at gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, September 15, 2010 4:38 PM
Subject: food rewards resolution


>    Whereas guide dogs have been in the public eye for more than 80 years, 
> and;
>
>    Whereas these guides work to please their handlers, and;
>
>    Whereas some few guide dog schools now use food rewards to reinforce 
> physical praise, and;
>
>    Whereas such use of food rewards may be entirely appropriate and 
> necessary during the initial training of the dogs for guide work, and;
>
>    Whereas use of food rewards is inconvenient and messy and interferes 
> with the relationship between dog and handler because the dog will not 
> generalize situations, but will instead be focused on trying to get a 
> kibble, and;
>
>    Whereas use of food rewards in public will lead to the erroneous 
> perception that we are training our guide dogs, and;
>
>    Whereas use of food rewards has the unintended consequence of making 
> the dogs more solicitous of food:
>
>    Now therefore be it resolved that the National Federation of the Blind 
> of California request that guide dog schools offer food rewards as a tool 
> rather than an imperative. 

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