Guiding Eyes for
the Blind
Erie Region Newsletter
Spring 2008
Web
Wise
The CDCWeb is now the Volunteer Network website
at volunteer.guidingeyes.org. The new
Relationship Centered Training material is posted in the Puppy Raising section
under “Lessons for GEB Dogs”. You must
log in to have access to this material.
Success comes in Small Steps
Juno and I go to the mall
early to avoid the crowds. On our last
visit, there were very few people but he still dandered and was highly
distracted. We stayed close to the
entrance, repeating the same area, encouraging comfort. Our stay was short, about 15 minutes.
Our next trip was two weeks
later. This trip was at the same time
but there was much more activity. Juno
was initially distracted but began settling after 10 minutes. We proceeded very deliberately and slowly to
the stairs. Lots of passer-bys but he
did very well! I anticipated that he
would lunge toward everyone, but to my delight, he sat and checked-in with me,
where he gets highly rewarded. This
amazed me given his impulsiveness. One shopper impolitely invaded our space by
bending over Juno and putting his hands near his face. This made it impossible for all of us. I suggested we (all three of us including
the intruder) could do better so we tried again. The second time, everyone exercised better control.
Loose leash walking is always
challenging so we never get far in terms of distance. Juno was dandering so we slowly headed back to our entrance. Suddenly, he fell in stride, gazed up toward
me and walked with a loose leash for the longest distance we’ve ever covered.
That’s when I wanted to scoop him up and toss him in the air with joy! Our distance for someone else may have been
a big “So What!”, but for us, it was a mile of success.
Juno is beginning to show
signs of maturing and having an understanding of all the tools taught in the
classroom. At times, it seems the
patience required to practice class concepts will never pay off, but when you
least expect it, the puppy puts it altogether, making the next exposure even
more successful than the last. Soon, we
have the well-mannered, responsive dog that can walk down the street on a loose
leash on your left without hesitation.
Then, it’s time for our good-byes as he begins his next chapter.
Secondhand Smoke
Cigarette smoke can make a dog
sick. According to the American Animal Hospital Association, one of the primary
causes of canine cancer and bronchitis is secondhand smoke, affecting the
longevity and comfort of a dog. In
2001, researchers at the Colorado College of Veterinary Medicine tested dogs
that lived with smokers and found carcinogens in the dog’s fur and urine. Toxins from cigarette smoke settle on the
dog’s hair and become consumed when the dog self-grooms. Also, researchers found that long-nosed
breeds have more nasal tissue exposed to carcinogens, resulting in higher rates
of sinus cancer than their short-snouted friends.
Research at the Saskatchewan
College of Veterinary Medicine suggests that smoke exposure causes canine heart
disease. Studies beginning in 2006 show
severe canine blood vessel damage. For
humans, this level of impairment is associated with a high risk for stroke and
heart attack. It’s unclear what this
means for a dog’s health.
All experts agree there is
only one sure way to mitigate risk to our dogs: don’t smoke inside the house, any building with pets or in your
vehicle.
Local Heroes - Comings
& Goings of our Puppies
Best
Wishes to the
following dogs and their proud raisers.
Congratulations for a job well done!
§
Doreen
said good-bye to her 2nd puppy Diva
§
Fortune “Cookie” gave lots of hugs and
kisses to her raisers Gail & Doug.
Fortune is their 11th puppy.
§
Haiku, Hillary & Susan’s 1st puppy,
said good-bye to her raisers
§
Denise
said good-bye to her 5th puppy,
Murray
§
Nugent gave hugs to his raisers Jody &
Merlin. He is their 5th
puppy
§
Renae said good-bye to her 1st
puppy Chico
Welcome to the newest members of our region:
§
Scamp was welcomed into the home of
Susan. He is her 1st puppy.
§
Colleen
& Don welcomed their 1st puppy Titan, Sue Brado is
graciously starting Titan for Colleen & Don
§
Babe is enjoying her new home with
Laura. She is her 4th puppy.
§
Barbara
gave lots of hugs to her 3rd puppy “Little” Debbie
Happy 1st Birthday
The
following puppies and raisers are celebrating!
Janelle, born on
3/20/07, celebrated her birthday with lot of hugs from her raisers Audrey and
Russ
Lambert celebrated his big day with his raiser
Len. He was born on 3/27/07.
Tim is celebrating with his puppy Velour on
her 1st birthday. She was
born on 5/16/07
Wesley is growing up fast! He’s having a party with his raisers, Mike
& Sharon. He was born on 5/22/07.
Rich is having a party for big boy
Amos. He was born on 5/29/07
More than Punching the Clock
Good House Manners are Important to our Graduates
Its uncanny what my guide dog
knows and how he reacts to situations.
In the two plus years we've been working together, we have truly become
a team. He knows all my usual
haunts. As we pass one of my favorite
restaurants on the way to the train station, he turns his head to ask if we're
going to stop there. He loves to visit
restaurants and Starbucks.
My boy lets me know when he
needs to “Get Busy”. I've learned to
detect his signal that he needs a pit stop. I know his slight pull when he's
trying to take me around an obstacle. I
also know when he's distracted by the presence of another dog or some
interesting scent. Because we trust
each other, he can guide me confidently, with wagging tail, in any situation –
to work/church or through unfamiliar airports or hotel lobbies. At the end of the work day, when he punches
out on the time clock and his harness comes off, my boy fulfills another
important role in my life – that of loving family member.
I was blind at birth. Currently, I have my 7th guide
dog. His impeccable house manners have
earned him the run of my home. He has a
proven record of staying off my furniture; he never jumps on my kitchen
counter; he never steals food; he waits patiently for his meals and he greets
my friends and guests with all fours on the floor. I do my part by providing him with safe chew toys in his toy box
as well as playtime toys which we use only during play and exercise
sessions. At night, after his playtime
and last visit outside, he goes up to our bedroom and heads for his dog bed. It doesn't take him long to fall fast
asleep. It's easy to tell when he's asleep, since he snores. In fact, my husband and I can't decide who
snores louder - us or him. In sum, my
boy is an integral part of the family.
I have loved all my guide
dogs, each with their individual personalities and sense of humor. However, not all were taught good house
manners. While my first dog was an
excellent guide dog, she was notorious for jumping on people when they came to
visit. She thought everyone was coming
to see her and wanted to give them a big warm welcome. However, my guests didn't have the same
opinion of the greeting. Since her
behavior was driving my friends away, I called the Training School for
help. A trainer worked with her and showed
me what to do to keep her from jumping on people. What a relief! I didn't
loose my friends, and they grew to love her almost as much as my family and I
did.
My third guide dog never
jumped on anyone, but boy did she love to eat.
She could grab food off the counter faster than anything. One day I was making my daughter’s lunch for
school and I turned around to get a sandwich bag. In that brief second, she jumped up, grabbed the sandwich, and,
in typical lab fashion, wolfed it down.
My daughter went to school without lunch. I took it to her later that morning on my way to the
university. Because my guide dog had an
iron stomach, most of her escapades with food were an inconvenience. However, the day she took a wrapped box of
chocolate off the table and ate most of the chocolate along with ribbon and
wrapping, the result was a sick dog out of commission for three days, many
messes to clean up, and a large vet bill.
Fortunately, I know how to travel with a cane and didn't miss any time
at work. After that episode, she was
never let loose in the house without a sighted person present. In addition, when I was handling food, she
was tethered to the bookshelf in my kitchen to keep her from hovering around
me, just waiting for any opportunity to run off with food.
Climbing and sleeping on
couches, chairs, and beds not only increases my vacuuming and laundry chores
but also makes me an unwelcome guest in hotels when I travel on business or
pleasure. Subsequent hotel guests don't want to find fur in their bed or on the
chairs because a previous guest's guide dog wouldn't stay on the floor.
All of us graduates will never
find the words to thank raisers for the wonderful gift that you give us. We know you put a lot of work into raising
these dogs; we appreciate how hard it is to give them up. My guide dogs have increased my ability to
travel safely in all kinds of weather to anywhere I need to go. For example, twice my fourth guide dog led
me in heavy snow – once to get my daughter at daycare and later to be with my
mother before surgery. If they all had
my current guide dog’s good house manners, it would be the icing on the cake
(gravy on the biscuit!), making it the best gift ever. Thank you again for all you do!
Volunteers Needed
Your help is needed at the
Knight of Columbus Meat Raffle to be held on May 17 from 6 PM - 9 PM in
Cheektowaga. A portion of the proceeds
benefits GEB. Contact Mary Ellen if you
are able to volunteer at this event.
Upcoming Events
Please stop
by to lend your support at Public Relations events. However, unless you and
your puppy are scheduled to work at an event, please refrain from bringing your
puppy with you. If you are scheduled to
work, digital pictures of the event for our web site are appreciated. Click on
“Schedule of Events” for the list of regularly scheduled classes. Contact Russ or
Mary Ellen with any Public Relations Events or Speaker’s Bureau requests.
4/29 Boy Scout Group
presenting used ink cartridges, 7 PM - 8:30 PM
Russ & Audrey, Windom Fire Hall, 3736 Abbott Rd, Orchard Park
4/30 International Guide
Dog Recognition Day - various activities pending
5/2 & 5/3 New York State Lions
Convention - Niagara Falls Convention Center
5//9 Presentation at
Westfield Academy - Russ, Audrey & Janelle
5/12 – 5/27 Vidler’s Window Display - Main
Street, East Aurora
5/17 Knights of Columbus
Meat Raffle, 6PM - 9PM, Cheektowaga
5/19 East Aurora Lions
Dinner Meeting, 6:30 PM, Iron Kettle Restaurant, East Aurora, Jim - presenter