GUIDING EYES FOR THE BLIND MONTGOMERY REGION

Transcription

1 I GUIDING EYES FOR THE BLIND MONTGOMERY REGION Training Center & Offices 611 Granite Springs Road Yorktown Heights, NY Canine Development Center 361 Routes 164 Patterson, NY Montgomery Region Featured Stories Raisers of the Month Aris Graduates Welcome New and Repeat Raisers Josie Attends Conference Whim Attends Baseball Game Fun Places to Go Raiser of the Month July-August 2017 Wonka we transformed together! When I first learned that my dog s name was Wonka, I began to imagine the many adventures we would have together; and now that our time together has come to an end, I look back on all of them fondly. Wonka was my first Guiding Eyes puppy and raising him has been an unforgettable experience. Initially Wonka was very independent and liked to keep to himself. He would play with people for a few seconds before losing interest and moving to a corner to sit alone. But slowly, as he grew older and we attended more classes, he grew more social and we became a better team. He became a true companion and a member of our family. We would work hard on all his new skills in numerous situations. Whether it was coming out to my cross country races, waiting patiently as all the runners stormed by inches from him, going to parades with children running around and candy thrown next to him, going out for lunch with the wonderful smells of food surrounding him, or settling next to me as we pulled all-nighters while I worked on my homework or studied for tests. Wonka also went on several fun field trips with all his friends like hiking in the woods or shopping in the mall. I remember on his first visit to the grocery store when he was so excited by all the people and smells that he couldn t concentrate on his commands. I thought that he would not be able to handle all the difficult situations. But, looking back on our last trip, it was amazing to see how much Wonka had changed from pacing around the aisles as I looked for groceries to now patiently waiting by my side as I deliberated over which cereal I wanted. Looking back on this past year I cannot even imagine some of my most important milestones without Wonka. From taking pictures with him on prom night and wishing he could be my date, to studying for the SAT and applying to college. We both started off this year very meek and independent, but we transformed together and grew to be more confident in our abilities. I am so proud of how hard Wonka has worked this year and just how much he has grown. So much has happened in such little time that I can only imagine all the wonderful things he will do in the future. Puppy raiser: Pranavi

2 Raiser of the Month Elton my lucky 13! Many people see the number 13 and equate it with a negative like bad luck or a bad omen. In my case, Elton is the 13 th pup I have raised for Guiding Eyes and I call him my lucky 13. Elton, not a surprise to all who know me, is a black male Labrador retriever. But like all of the others I raised before him, he has made himself a stand-out from the rest. I was actually a little concerned early on that Elton might lack some confidence that would be necessary for him to be a successful guide. I soon learned that he was just going to go at his own pace and when I made the adjustments, he responded extremely well. In fact, he has excelled in a very important area. While he has the typical lab enthusiasm, he is able to settle very quickly amid whatever chaos continues around him. This includes lying on his side surrounded by college students and other puppies at Montgomery College and being under my desk when we volunteer on Wednesday mornings for 5 hours. He seems to appreciate his nap times a quality with which I can really relate! He has also earned a level of trust that is usually reserved for older, more mature labs. Elton has wonderful house manners and when he is not included in an activity, he finds a comfortable spot to relax or chew a bone. Raiser of the Month Quantum..quite an active tail wagger! Quantum came to Bobbie and Jim Havel s house when he was about a year old. He is the first male guide dog candidate that we ve helped to raise. The first thing that impressed us was how happy and friendly he is. He is quite an active tail wager. He always greets you with an offering to share with you a toy, bone or anything that is handy and that he thinks will make you glad to see him. Another early impression was his size and strength. He is a good 22 pounds heavier and 4 inches taller than any of our petite female labs. He can really pull when he wants to, but he stops readily on command. When Quantum arrived, he rapidly fit right in with our pet dog Pepper and our 17 year old cat Blue who is known for being completely unimpressed with dogs of any size or disposition. He was a little puzzle by a much smaller creature who was not intimidated by his size, but they were soon playing games where Quantum would nudge Blue and Blue would gently paw Quantum back. Montgomery Region Page 2 While his brother Louie has earned out of crate status when I leave the house, Elton has shown he can be trusted as well. I started this slowly, short periods of time away, etc. His ability to settle has come in very handy and will work well if he is matched with a partner. One other difference with Elton is the level of joy he gets out of being connected to you. He likes to lie on your feet or put his head on your knee. As a puppy, I would hold him in my arms and rub his belly. To this day, if I get on the floor and invite him, he will climb in my lap for hugs and belly rubs. At 67 pounds, that is not so easy anymore but it is well worth the struggle of getting him into position. I want to thank Celeste and Jean for the training help we received and for the experiences he had with his puppy sitters. Now I am going to go back to hugging him every chance I get until he leaves to do what he is meant to do for his chosen career. We love you Elton!! Puppy Raiser: Jody Although we only had Quantum for a few months, he became a fun guy to have around, particularly when he went to the beach with us for a couple of weeks in June. He never got into the water for an actual swim, but he wasn t afraid of the waves and enjoyed long walks on the beach. Good luck Quantum on your future career. Puppy Raisers: Bobbie and Jim It will be hard to put him on the van going to NY, but I do it knowing he is well prepared and will make someone a wonderful companion. If he is not meant to work, I would gladly accept that role as his future companion! Louie will probably enjoy a little down time between pups, but they are such good buddies that I think he will miss him at least a little bit. A special thank you to Morganne for giving Quantum a great start through his first year of training and good luck to Morganne has she pursues her studies to become a veterinarian.

3 Montgomery Region Page 3 Raiser of the Month Basil an unassuming man Congratulations to Jean as she sends off her 10 th GEB pup to continue further training. Of course we can t thank Jean enough for all the unmentioned pups that she started for other raiser families that are not a part of this tail count. Her tireless energy has not gone unnoticed and her continued support is greatly appreciated by all. Good luck to Basil! Aris is a May Graduate Everything was a totally new experience, says Eileen, recalling how life changed after she brought home her first Guiding Eyes dog nearly 20 years ago. It was freedom. I didn t have to worry about being safe. I felt like we could conquer the world. Eileen s vision began to deteriorate when she was in her 20 s due to retinitis pigmentosa and continued to grow progressively worse over the course of 40 years. She has been totally blind for the past two years. Still, life went on for Eileen. While sending her son off to college, she realized that she wanted to go too. To fulfill that dream, she knew she would have to become independent. Enter Jitney, a male black Guiding Eyes Lab, in At age 50, Eileen went back to school and earned a degree in psychology and sociology at the City University of New York. Eileen had been without a guide dog for two years before Guiding Eyes matched her with Aris, a black-and-tan male Lab and her third Guiding Eyes guide. Her previous guide had died and Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare disorder, had now left her paralyzed. Medical professionals suggested she decide on a goal to work toward during the long months she would spend in recovery. That goal was clear: to get well enough so she could live independently again with the help of a guide dog. Nothing was going to stop me, says Eileen. And when I finally got my guide the world opened again. Nowadays, Eileen is enjoying her retirement on Staten Island, NY by eating out, listening to music, taking walks with her friends and spending as much time as possible with her grandkids, ages 2 and 6. Eileen participated in our accelerated ACTION program for experienced guide dog users. Guiding Eyes, she says, offered her both independence and companionship. With a guide, I don t feel blind, she says. I m on a par with everyone else. Montgomery Region Puppy Raiser: Jean

4 Welcome New and Repeat Raisers Welcome back! It is difficult to stay away. Susan and daughter Joanna return after several years off! They are doing a puppy start for male yellow lab Ryan before he moves onto his full-time raiser. Jennifer and daughter Diana will continue with Shade s training after a great start by Brian. Welcome to both. Montgomery Region Page 4 Amy and daughter Blythe are raising another German Shepard, Henley, who is the current love of their life! Welcome first-time raiser Kai who will be raising his first GEB puppy Sheldon. Good luck to this new team! Dixcy and family will be giving Gunner an early start as they join the region for their first puppy start experience. Josie s Conference Adventure Josie accompanied puppy raiser Patricia to the American Thoracic Society (ATS) meeting held at the Washington Convention Center this past May. She appeared to be a little bored on the metro ride down, and wasn t sure things were arrived at the convention center. However, she did enjoy helping to launch the NHLBI COPD Action Plan and provided understated support while I gave a talk! She now has a bit of an international reputation as a group of Italian researchers also wanted to have their picture taken with her in front of the ATS sign. As always, she was very good. A bit taken aback when we came suddenly to the wide open, sweeping stairways; but after a quick let s go, she was down them with no problem, and we spent a bit of time practicing them later in the day. Three Strikes and You re Out! Not true when there are guide dogs attending a ball game! On Sunday, June 4th, the Bay Region of G.E.B. had a fund raiser at Prince Georges Stadium. Carolyn and I took Whim, out interim 8 month old, to the game. The Bowie Baysox hosted the Altoona Curve on a very warm afternoon in May. The Curve (a Pittsburgh Pirates affiliate) is named after the historical Horse Shoe Curve which is near Altoona. After a couple of innings in the sun, we retreated to the shade along with other Bay region pups and raisers. We managed to last 9 innings but, alas, the game went to 11 before the Baysox won 7-6. The Whimster had a great time but wondered why 9 innings took three hours when there were no TV commercials. A baseball game would be a good event for the pups of the Montgomery Region to take advantage of. The Cal Ripken Summer League has teams in Silver Spring, Takoma, Bethesda, Rockville and Gaithersburg. Play Ball! Patricia and Josie international celebrities Carolyn and Alan with Whim

5 M Fun Places to Go Montgomery Region-Page 5 B Lots of dogs in training mean their participation in field trips will take them to different locations to experience the world around them. One recent outing was a trip on the metro and MARC train systems down to Union Station. It was a hot day, but the dogs did great in such a busy and peoplemoving environment. Basil, Kara and Georgie relaxing at the restaurant inside Union Station. Let us know where you like to take your pup for outings Sabba and raiser Cindy took the Metro down to the Mall on July 3rd. It was too hot, but Sabba was a trooper the entire way. We stopped in at Peet's Coffee for a cool drink and a cold tile floor. Henley enjoying his first swim lesson from Georgie at Seneca Creek Lucky I brushed up on some swimming and fetch techniques to help Henley! Georgie all dressed up for the community 4 th of July parade Kaya relaxing among happy feet during a metro rush hour trip. Deadline for submission of articles is the 1 st of each month This newsletter is for everyone. Please contact me with your suggestions, ideas, and stories...and send pictures Your articles will be included in future issues Margie Coccodrilli gebraiser@comcast.net