ON OUR OWN

I am packing now in anticipation of a 3:30 wake-up call and a ride to the airport at 5:00.

For me Independence Day comes a few days late. I am eager to get home and get going, yet I am a bit nostalgic about leaving. This is a bit like camp. There are friendships forged out of our common goal of success with a first or replacement guide that is difficult to describe to those who have never experienced it. It gets me thinking of my future and where I will be in about 8 years when retirement and replacement comes again. I think, too, of the many hopes and dreams that have been realized over the 80+ years that this school has been partnering blind men and women with Seeing Eye dogs. There has been both joy and sorrow mingled here throughout the years.

As for me, this one has been a relatively easy ride. Trinity and I have the beginning of a great partnership. There are some things that those who will be meeting and greeting us in the near future can do to help us achieve this goal. Please remember that we are a new team and our work together will not look like the work that Sydney did after her 8+ years as my partner. In the days to come, this dog will be introduced to a whole new world full of people and places she has never seen or dreamed of before. All that she has known, she is about to leave behind. I am the only person that is familiar to her.

Everyone will want to watch her work and admire her because she is a very cute girl (No Bias here). Dogs can feel threatened if people “stare” at them.

I can feel disappointed if her short comings are compared with Sydney. Most of you did not know Sydney when she first came home.

Trinity is a friendly girl and I will need to establish boundaries that will include separation of work and play. Work is happening whenever her harness is on--even if she is sleeping or sitting quietly. This means no engaging with her in any way when the harness is on. No petting, no feeding, no talking to her in a way that she is engaged. It can mean my safety.

Having said this, please know that I really enjoy talking about her and my experience in training. Questions are very welcome in person, by e-mail, or by commenting to posts on this blog. I will likely continue it for a short while to let you all know how the transition to home will be going.

I hear that our heat wave is making news across the country. It is truly very hot. My partner and I walked this morning to a coffee shop for a visit with our trainer. Even then it was uncomfortably warm and humid, but the sun hadn’t had a chance to bake the pavement when we were out.

This afternoon, a group of six of us and two trainers went to a different mall. The instructors worked on negotiation of narrow aisles, escalators, stairs, and a glass elevator. Some worked on patterning the dog to go to a certain location within the mall that the person might frequent. In this way, we learn transferrable techniques that we can apply to our situations when returning home.

Thanks so much for your interest in the training process. It means a great deal to me to know that you are reading and praying for me throughout this experience.

Following is the text of a letter that The Seeing Eye sends to families and friends at the request of each student. I am pasting it below with permission for your information.

Copied material follows:




July 2010




Dear Friends:

We are writing to you because you play a significant role in the success of the new working partnership of your friend and/or neighbor and her Seeing Eye dog. We cannot emphasize to you enough the importance of the first few weeks and months at home in the development of the relationship between them. In that time, the success of the two as a working team will be determined. Good teamwork develops when the owner follows three rules in dog handling: consistency, praise when earned and correction when necessary.

Family, friends and co-workers can help by observing a few simple rules of their own:

1. When owner and dog arrive, greet them in a relaxed manner. Do not rush up to them.

2. Avoid inviting family and friends over to meet the dog during the first few days. Give the dog a chance to adjust to its new surroundings gradually.

3. Let the dog make the first advance to greet you. Don't stare at the dog; it's
Unnerving.

4. Never follow the team when it is working. The dog will recognize you and look back at you rather than paying attention to its work. This is a serious distraction and will prevent the team from working safely and effectively.

5. The owner should insist upon good manners in the home - this means, for example, no tidbits at the table at mealtime, no barking at the doorbell, no lying on furniture.


6. The owner has been taught to correct the dog by using the leash. A leash correction does not hurt the dog; coupled with affection, it results in efficient guide work and good behavior.

7. The owner has learned how to groom and care for the dog completely. It is the owner's responsibility to feed, groom and take the dog out 3 or 4 times a day to meet its needs.

8. A Seeing Eye dog is not a pet, but the family need not ignore it. The important thing to remember is that the greatest amount of affection and care must come from its owner.

9. Even though the owner has a wealth of experience gained from working and living with a previous dog, a new dog means a new relationship. The owner needs to help the dog adjust to new working conditions away from The Seeing Eye and the instructor. Each dog has a unique personality and will be quite different from its owner's previous dog.

We hope this has helped you become more familiar with The Seeing Eye program and more confident in your role of helping to strengthen a wonderful working partnership.

Sincerely yours,



David Johnson
Director of Instruction & Training

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