Tag Archives: Guide Dogs for the Blind

50 for 50 #41 – A Walk in the Woods

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trail along the back of GDB’s Oregon campus

This past weekend I went with my friend Lisa to Oregon for Parker’s graduation as a guide dog. Lisa finished raising Parker when his original raisers moved to Florida when he was about a year old. One of my favorite parts of the trip was a couple of walks I took. The reminded me so much of the many walks our pet dog, Shadow, and I took while we lived in Boston for a few months. I love how the parks and other areas around Boston keep the natural look of the trees and plants. These walks turned out to be a perfect way to celebrate my 50th year this week.

blackberries

The first walk was by our hotel. From the our 4th floor window we could see a paved trail so on Saturday morning before we went to Parker’s graduation we took Zodiac out for a walk and explored the trail. It was lovely. Everything was freshly washed with last night’s rain. The path wound its way through a little patch of natural vegetation with tall trees and blackberry brambles. I wished I had my camera with me it was so lush with moss and ferns. The only disappointment was how short it was. It came out of the trees onto the parking lot of a Costco that we didn’t know was there.

Zodiac

A few hours later. Zodiac and I were exploring Guide Dogs for the Blind campus in Boring while we waited for graduation time. Lisa was visiting with Parker and his new handler. I had heard about what students call “the Oregon trail” on campus and I set out to see if I could find it. We did! on the back edge of campus there is a loop that runs along the back of the kennels and then into what looks like the natural growth of the area. It was very much like the trail by our hotel with lots more blackberry bushes and huge tall trees. This time I was prepared with my camera and got a few shots off. We took the loop twice and enjoyed every minute of it. For me there is nothing more therapeutic than a walk through nature. This was perfect after the long drive from Utah. I’ve learned over the years that I need to have sometime out in nature to be at my best in coping with the stresses of everyday life. I don’t do it often enough these days.

ferns and moss covered wood

leaves and pine needles on the trail

Zodiac enjoying a sniff

Update from Casey

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Casey

This week marked one year since we put Casey on the truck back to Guide Dogs for the Blind. So I took that as an excuse to send a quick email to Casey and her partner. I was so excited when I got an email including photos back! Here are some excerpts:

Casey and I are doing really well. Casey has settled into the school routine nicely and has been well received at the law building. She provides comic relief in lectures because she tends to groan, snore and grunt her way through class! We have some long days – I have night classes on Tues. and Thurs. but she manages to get me home safely which I very much appreciate.

I just ordered her a raincoat because she HATES the rain! We have had nothing but sun all summer and fall – very unusual. It just started raining really hard a couple of days ago. She does not like puddles – avoids them like the plague, and slows down to a crawl when it rains. Did you guys notice this? I am hoping the raincoat will make her happier – rainboots might be next!

She’s also doing well at the swimming pool where I swim (she stays on deck with a tie down). She keeps a watchful eye on me when I get into the pool but eventually has a nap.

She happily chews on her nylabone and rolls around on her back, chasing her tail a few times a day. Our cat, Sammy, is still quite cranky about her but she steers clear of him. We have many, many different routes that we do around the neighbourhood and she knows them all – loves the chip trails at a nearby park and walking near the ocean. I love being able to go out for pleasure walks now – was not able to do that before, and now I walk a ton with her which is amazing. We get our fresh air and exercise every day.

Casey

Casey and her “cousin” Jasper

Nothing makes my day better than an email from one of pups unless it is an email from one of our pups including photos and I got both! We hadn’t heard any thing since just after they got home from class and I was concerned that we were going to have any ongoing contest with Casey. So this email was even more cherished. I sure hope that we can have some contact with the puppies we raise as they move on to the main purpose of their lives.

 

Good-bye to Yakira

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last group photo with me, Zodiac and Yakira

We got up at 5 a.m. on Monday morning to get Yakira to the puppy truck on time. The drop off spot is about an hour from our home and they leave the first thing in the morning, after breakfast and walking the dogs already in their care. We like to get there early enough to help the puppy truck drivers walk the dogs. It seems to help make the process of sending off a puppy a little easier. There is a nice little walking path by the hotel where the puppy truck stops for the night.

Bill saying his last good-bye to Yakira

After all the dogs were walked it was time for all the new recall dogs to get on the truck. There were three dogs that morning and we went first. The puppy truck has two tiers of kennels and Yakira ended up on the top row. She got a large dog biscuit upon getting in to help make the kennel a more positive place. We said our last good-byes and took the last photos. The puppy truck drivers patient all the raisers. No one is rushed but no one takes unfair advantage of the situation either.

The puppy truck stopped Monday evening in Meridian, Idaho and finished the trip to Boring, Oregon and the Guide Dogs for the Blind campus there on Tuesday. We don’t expect to have any news on Yakira for a while. I think at this stage if we get news too quickly it probably won’t be good. Casey was dropped from breeder evals in just a couple of weeks. Banta was in breeder evals for months. We got some news after about a month and a half that she was in the last stages of breeder evaluations.

We all miss our sweet and gentle Yakira. But Zodiac is taking it harder than I expected. We are puppy sitting a four-month old yellow lab named Tim. I thought that would be enough to keep Zodiac from being too sad but it has worked. There is a sadness in his eyes and he doesn’t have much interest in many of the things that usually attract his attention. It seems the bond between Yakira and Zodiac was even stronger than we knew.

Yakira and Waffle News

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Yakira – photo by Karen Fuller

I got the official news today. Yakira will be returning to Guide Dogs for the Blind in just 12 days for breeder evaluations. It has been a bit of a roller coaster. First she is going in October, then no I think we will wait until November. But now it is real. I thought that the date was the 14th but we have an extra day. This is good because we like to do a farewell party for our puppies and Sunday is the easiest day to do that. She has to be to the truck very early in the morning so if her recall was the 14th we would have to do her farewell party this Sunday. I’m glad to have an extra week to get ready and to spread the word about her party.

Waffle – May 2012

Now for the really good news! Waffle was placed on August 31st with a middle-aged woman with special needs. She shares her home with two other mature women. Waffle goes nearly everywhere with her new partner, including on plane flights. The two of them are continuing their training with private session with a GDB employee. The adopter is VERY happy with Waffle. It is standard procedure to wait about a month to make sure that everyone is happy with the placement before the let the raiser know. I’m so happy that our little girl has her forever home and that she gets to be a service dog! Way to go Waffle!

 

Retiring a Guide Dog

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I think the hardest thing about having a guide dog is probably their retirement. The average guide dog works for about seven years, so most handlers have to go through this process several times in their lives. There are three basic reasons that a guide dog retires. The most common is age. Just like with people, dogs eventually get too old to do the work of a guide dog. For most dogs this is about 9 or 10 years old. Another reason for retiring a guide dog is health. Some dog develop health problems that make it difficult or impossible to work. The last reason is some dogs just decide they don’t want guide anymore and are ready for the more relaxed life of being a pet. This is sometime brought on by stress or a traumatic incident while working as a guide dog.

Whatever the reason for retiring a guide it is a difficult and painful process for the handler. Guide Dogs for the Blind has a blog set up for “remembering the people and dogs of Guide Dogs for the Blind.” Some of the most resent post include:

Marly: Gone But Not Forgotten (a tribute by Juliet Cody to her first guide dog)

One of the Greatest Guide Dog Retirement Jobs Ever! (the story of guide dog Leslie and the second career her family found for her when she had difficulty with retirement)

Mathew: The Dog with a Heart of Gold (this dog was retired early due to sever allergies)

Remembering Havarti (tender story of a very short career)

Thank You, Firestone (short poem)

I encourage you to take some time and read about the impact these amazing dogs have on the lives of those they come in contact with.

Zodiac’s Big Bad Day

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Zodiac and the cone of shame

Today Zodiac went to the vet to get neutered. It is kind of funny because he was scheduled to do this last week on Monday. But Bill forgot and feed him so we rescheduled for the next day. Then when Bill got to the vet, the total came up to much more than the $200 Guide Dogs for the Blind is willing to pay for a neuter. So Zodiac got a second reprieve. Now we needed to find another vet and with the trip to visit Banta coming up on Friday we decided it would best to wait until this week. But today the inevitable finally caught up with him.

When I went to pick him up, he was very happy to see me. But walking with the cone of shame on and still recovering from the anesthesia, he had some trouble actually navigating to the car. Zodiac isn’t doing so well with the cone. If he runs into something he just stands there and doesn’t try to move. I finally got him to lay down with my help. He is still kind of out of it and started to do pathetic little whines so I took the cone off for a while. But I have to watch him very close because he wants to lick his stitches.

Zodiac stopped cold by the desk leg

Poor little boy. I’m sure he will feel better soon but he has never experienced anything like this before. Yakira doesn’t quiet understand either but she seems to be catching on that he isn’t his normal, “I’m ready to have some fun” self.

 

50 for 50 #37 – Visit Banta

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I have the goal to visit the puppies we raise about a year after they graduate. I was so happy last year when things fell into place to be able to visit Apex. So this tripped seemed like another perfect way to celebrate my 50th year. This weekend we got to reach that goal with Banta. Denver isn’t that far away, so going to see her wasn’t to expensive but time this summer was crazy so we decided to wait until the weather cooled and a few of my big time commitments were done. The cool thing about going this weekend was that Sunday marked three years since we first saw Banta as she was handed to Bill off the puppy truck.

We had a smooth drive to Denver except we discovered that Yakira is not a good traveler. Zodiac did perfectly, sleeping most of the way but Yakira was anxious the entire way. Other than that the drive was smooth. We took US 40 so we could enjoy more of the colors of fall and take a different route than we would take home.

Bill holding Banta with Yakira and Zodiac playing nearby

We got to see Banta on Saturday. It was so funny, because she recognized the sound of our car. Our GPS lead us to the back of Mark’s place and she jumped up and started to whine. We figured out where to park and walked to the front door. And she was so excited to see us. That was when we found out that she had an early warning system for our arrival. After a brief hello we got the pups from the car and let them get to know each other. They had lots of fun romping around the house and got along pretty well.

romping pups

Cherry Creek State Park

A while later we drove to Cherry Creek State Park and walked along a nature trail to the reservoir. There were so many sailboats on the water, I was amazed. It was an enjoyable walk. Banta and Mark have done a couple of 5k walks this summer but he had surgery on Monday and wasn’t up to too long of a walk but it was fun to just take a leisurely walk and enjoy the nice breeze coming across the lake. The temperature was perfect.

We dropped Banta and her handler back at his house so he could rest for a couple of hours before we went to dinner. It was so good to get to know him better. Graduation is such a crazy time that you just done get to know each other that well. That is something that I really enjoyed when we visited Apex last year, and it was the same this time. It is so good to get to see the puppy we raised and see that they are still the same as they were when we had them. A bit more mature and but so much about them is still the same.

Zodiac, Banta and Yakira

Sunday we spent a quiet morning sleeping in and then went to church. In the afternoon we went back to hang out with Banta some more and then out to dinner again. Saturday we went to an Italian place called a Mama Roma’s and Sunday we went to Rib City. Both had great food and not so crowded that we had to worry about making room for more customers as we lingered long after finishing eating just chatting about a variety of things. Last night it was especially tough to decided that the meal was over. But we eventually did. It was a nice and relaxing trip  and Mark said he hoped we would come back again. The two of them are so perfectly matched. He loves all of Banta’s quirks and has the skills to handle her strong-willed side and even appreciated it.

Banta at Rib City

I’m looking forward to seeing Casey next spring either before or after our cruise to Alaska.

Guide Dog User Lifestyle

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So what is it actually like to live with and use a guide dog? So for this weeks post in honor of National Service Dog Month I’ll try to answer that question. But since I have no personal experience I found a couple of videos produced by Guide Dogs for the Blind that give some ideas of what it is like.

I also found this podcast interview with Bea Hawkins, 93, on her eighth Guide Dog. Listen in to this delightful conversation with a truly charming lady who is thoroughly in love with her Guide Dog. (12 minutes.)

Bea Hawkins Interview

I’ve learned so much over the past few years of being a puppy raiser for Guide Dogs for the Blind about what it is like to have a guide dog but I still only have a glimmer of what it is like. Age related Macular Degeneration runs in my family so I could go blind in my old age. I hope that I will have the courage to learn orientation and mobility skills so that I could have a guide dog. I love the freedom and independence that a guide dog brings to it handler. That is why I’m a puppy raiser. I didn’t know that when I started raising. Then it was about being able to take my dog to places that pets can’t go. I still love that but it is more about being making a difference in the world in a positive way. I still love being able to take these puppies into all kinds of places. I also love getting to know each dog and enjoying their amazing personalities. But the real payback is the impact these dogs have on people’s lives.

50 for 50 #36 – Jordan River Trail

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Zodiac waiting to get out of the car

Today we took a walk along the Jordan River. This trail is one of my favorite places. I use to take our pet dog, Shadow there all the time. I even learned to roller blade on that trail a few years ago. I don’t get down there much lately. Since Apex, none of our puppies have had so much energy that a neighborhood walk can’t take care of it. The weather was beautiful this morning and there were lots of runners and bikers on the trail too. I prefer to go during the week when it isn’t so crowded. I’ve walked that trail in all kinds of weather from hot summer days to stormy ones with snow and cold wind. It is a little slice of nature running down the middle of the Salt Lake Valley.

Bill holding Zodiac and Yakira on the retractable leashes ready to hit the trail

When we lived in Provo, Shadow and I often frequented the Provo River trail. It is an awesome trail too. I think I should make more of an effort to get out into nature more. In the past it always helped me deal with the stresses of life. Even though I have a lot of things on my plate these days maybe taking time out to be in nature once a week or even every couple of weeks might rejuvenate me and help me to handle my to do list better. I’ll have to give this some thought. Do you have favorite places that you haven’t been to in a while?

Yakira enjoying the Jordan River Trail

 

Training With a New Guide Dog

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I thought for my second post, in honor of National Service Dog month, I focus on what it is like to go to the school and get a new guide dog. Because the working time of a guide dogs is seven years on average, most guide dog users have several guide dogs in their life time. Each dog is different and the transition from a seasoned dog who knows just what you want to a young inexperienced dog is exciting but challenging too. It is also heart wrenching when I dog must be retired whether it is due to old age, health issues or behavior problems. It some ways the first time is the easiest because it is simpler but it also has the challenges of being a whole new experience.

There is an extensive application process and then once accepted the guide dog user has to wait for an available class date. For some handlers with special needs the wait is more for the right dog to be found and trained than an available spot in a training class. There are about a dozen guide dogs schools in the United States. Because I’m a puppy raiser for Guide Dogs for the Blind, I don’t know much about how the other schools work but I think they are similar in many ways.

Guide Dogs for the Blind has two and three-week classes. Interesting to note that they are phasing out the three-week classes. It is an intense training with a very low instructor to student ratio. This makes it possible to be flexible in fitting the needs of each team. Dog day is probably the most exciting day of training, where the handler finally gets to meet the dog that has been carefully picked to fit their needs and desires. Soon after they take their first walk together. Over the course of the class there are many ups and downs. The handlers have to learn/relearn the skills of handling their dog and his/her challenges. Here are two blogs from a recent three-week class at Guide Dogs for the Blind in San Rafael, California. It is a really good way to get a glimpse of what it is like to train with a new guide dog. It takes a lot of discipline to faithfully journal the daily experiences of training with a guide dog.

Six Feet Over

Blind Girl Blog

At the end of training is a formal graduation ceremony. This is when the puppy raisers and the handler meet. It is an exciting an emotional time. After the ceremony the guide dog user is then cleared to go out on their own without an instructor. But the training isn’t really finished. It typically takes 6 months to a year for a new guide dog team to be working smoothly and consistently together. When the two of them come together as a team it is an amazing relationship that both enjoy and the bond between the person and the dog is incredible.