Guiding Eyes for
the Blind
Erie Region Newsletter
Summer 2007
Making a Splash
Whether you swim simply
because you love the water or because it’s easier on your joints, your puppy
can share the same fitness benefits. Swimming
builds endurance, increases muscle strength and is a terrific cardiovascular
workout.
If you have a backyard pool or
access to a pond, lake or ocean, here’s how to get your puppy paddling. Don’t assume all dogs love water and
inherently know how to swim even if they are retrievers. Each puppy is an individual with their own
personality. If a puppy is unsure of
the water, rushing into things will likely terrify her and turn her off for
good. Take the introduction to swimming
slowly. Attach a light-weight long line
so she doesn’t stray too far from you. Pick a quiet place with shallow water
and get in the water with her. Entice her with a buoyant toy or have someone
stand with her while you move away slowly.
Then call her to you enthusiastically.
Once she’s in, she’ll love it!
Remember to introduce her gradually to each new water experience. A pool looks much different than the ocean
with the waves rolling in! Also, water
looks different depending on the time of day. The reflection of the sun on the
water mid-day may confuse her as it glistens.
There are a few health
concerns to watch for after she comes out of the water. Check her paw pads for any cuts that could
easily become infected. Rinse her down
to rid her coat of any salt, sand or chlorine.
And, remember to clean and dry her ears. Try not to let her drink pool water as it contains chemicals that
can upset her stomach. Ocean water
might nauseate her too. Pond and creek water may cause dietary indiscretion.
Even water-loving puppies can
tire or get cramps when swimming. It’s a good idea to fit her with a canine
life vest for safety particularly if you go boating. Be sure the vest isn’t so loose that she’ll get tangled in it,
but not so tight that it restricts her breathing. Never leave her unsupervised around a pool and train her to exit
the pool via built-in pool stairs or a floating pet ramp. Only one puppy should be allowed in the pool
at a time. Keep in mind that puppies can become chilled in the water, just like
us. Check the water temperature before
jumping in. Most important, when she
wants to get out, respect her decision and she’ll be a great swimmer for years
to come!
From the Factory to the Bowl
Here are a few key things to
look for on the label of a bag of food.
The package should state AAFCO – the Association of American Feed
Control Officials. This means that the
recipe was formulated to meet the standard for a complete and balanced
diet. By law, ingredients are listed in
descending order by volume. Check out
the top four or five ingredients. As
long as the AAFCO assurance appears on the label, it’s a matter of personal
preference unless your veterinarian advises a special diet. But, the important part of the label is the
guaranteed analysis portion of the nutrient panel. This information assures the food contains the stated percentage
of protein and other nutrients. “Human
grade” food is a marketing term, not a term recognized or verified by federal
regulators. The same goes for ”USDA-approved ingredients”. The Department of Agriculture does not
regulate pet food.
Journey with Zed
by Tonya Cole, Puppy Raiser
Zed was my first GEB pup,
arriving in home September 2005. A small, docile ball of fur that captured my
heart by the third day. I marveled at how a pup could be so laid back. By the
second week, ‘Z’ came out of his docile shell, chasing Kitty from room to room
whilst overturning lamps. He decided he preferred his emerging personality and
never looked back to the placid days.
We attended weekly follow-ups
together for 6 months, had several in-home visits, and stayed after class
for extra help. Numerous stories to tell including some of the more renowned:
Zed’s objection to being filmed, and the notorious 'how to ride in a car lesson'
that left St. Catherine attendees certain the dog was driving.
Mary Ellen and team continued
to work with us patiently when around 10 months Zed began making great strides
in maturation and attentiveness. He went ‘In for Training’ on October 10, 2006 and
passed. Quarterly evaluations improved month to month and Mary Ellen phoned
mid-April – “get your bags packed, we have an upcoming graduation”. After
inquiring whom three times, the realization finally sunk in!
Zed graduated on April 28,
2007. It’s a day certainly never forgotten. Zed ushered his graduate into the
room and calmly laid under the chair for a lengthy graduation ceremony. I did
my part and cried, triggering a chain reaction down the row. While observing
Zed during the graduation, I quickly realized the bond between graduate and dog
was much, much stronger than between raiser and dog.
I followed Zed and graduate
out of the ceremony while ‘Z’ casually led his new owner down a flight of
stairs – nice, calm, and purposeful. They continued down the hall where Zed
gently nudged himself between a narrowing hall to get his new owner safely to
his room. They were an absolute perfect match and the graduate could not stop
talking about ‘his boy Zed’. The tears stopped and joy and gratification overtook.
At some late juncture, Zed
decided to accept the challenge of becoming a Guide Dog. Not all do but a
decision made independent of me in the end. Zed and graduate are happily
meeting one another’s needs in the Bronx while I turn my attention to the next
one. There’s always so much to learn and each dog imparts another layer
irrespective of their final destination.
by Mary Ellen.
Regional Coordinators were
invited to nominate those exceptional youth raisers in their region who have
demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to the Puppy Raising Program and our
dogs for The President’s Volunteer Service Award. Erie was proud to nominate their very own, Rich Elliott, Jr.
Rich Jr. has been a Puppy
Raiser since age 11, raising 7 puppies including Rodney, Ethan, Paxton, Archie,
Hansel, Anderson, Ripley and now, number 8, Amos. His family is to be commended for their dedication and
support. As we all know, family support
is paramount in Puppy Raising. Rich Jr.
can be described as quiet and understated, with a strong ability to ‘connect’
to the dogs as well as good handling skills.
We are extremely proud that Rich Jr. was awarded The President’s
Volunteer Service Award. Congratulations and thank you so much for your
continued passion for GEB.
Local Heroes - Comings
& Goings of our Puppies
Best Wishes to the following dogs and their
proud raisers. Congratulations for a
job well done!
§
Jody
& Merlin said good-bye to their 4th puppy Iggie.
§
Rufus gave lots of hugs and kisses to his
raisers Sharon & Mike. He was their
3rd puppy.
§
Anderson, Rich Jrs 7th puppy, said
good-bye to his raiser and family.
Welcome to the newest members of our region:
§
Janelle is joining the home of Audrey and
Russ. She is their 13th puppy.
§
Lambert, Leonard’s 4th puppy, was
welcomed with lots of hugs and kisses.
§
Tim’s 1st
puppy, Velour, was welcomed into his
home with warm hugs.
§
Wesley, Sharon & Mike’s 4th
puppy, was welcomed with lots of hugs & kisses.
§
Rich
Jr. and his family welcomed Amos,
their 8th puppy, and a puppy from Hansel’s (a puppy raised by Rich) first
litter.
Happy 1st Birthday
The
following puppies and raisers are celebrating!
·
Patience, born on
5/14/06, celebrated her birthday with many hugs from Dianne.
·
Mr. Handsome, Ripley, celebrated his big day
with his raiser Rich Jr. He arrived in
the world on 5/15/06.
·
Doreen had a party for her puppy Diva who was
born on 6/21/06.
·
Sister & Brother, Fortune & Finley,
born on 6/28/06, were honored by their raisers. Fortune is being raised by Gail & Doug and Finley is being
raised by Tonya.
·
Goldie was the
guest of honor at a party hosted by her raisers Kathy & Sarah. She was born on 6/29/06.
·
Hillary had a party for Haiku who came into
the world on 7/5/06.
·
Murray
& Maxwell were born on 8/12/06. Murray is being raised by Denise and Maxwell is being raised by
Mary Ellen.
·
Brothers Nathan & Nugent were born on
8/14/06. Nathan is being raised by
Adam.
Upcoming Events
Please stop by to lend your support at these events!
However, unless you and your puppy are
scheduled to work at an event, please refrain from
bringing your puppy with you.
8/03/07 HSBC Mortgage Department Fundraiser
8/6/07 Erie Region Quarterly Walk ‘n Talks
(formerly Evaluations), LSFH from 1:30-7pm
8/6/07 Puppy Pre-Placement Classes 7-9pm
8/13/07 Erie Region Quarterly Walk ‘n Talks
(formerly Evaluations), LSFH from 1:30-7pm
8/13/07 Puppy Pre-Placement Classes 7-9pm
8/20/07 Puppy Pre-Placement Classes 7-9pm
8/27/07 Puppy Pre-Placement Classes 7-9pm
9/14/07 Southtowns Dog Training Club presentation with blind graduate
Lynnette and guide dog Quincy
10/24/07 Hamburg Continuing Education Program, Russ
and Audrey
11/14/07 Lancaster Women’s Civic Club informational
presentation, Mary Ellen
Contact
Russ or Mary Ellen with any Public Relations Events or Speaker’s Bureau
requests.
Web
Wise
The revised
Puppy Sitter Form is now available on the Erie Region website at www.guidingeyes-erie.org. Click on Forms to download the new document.
Puppy Jeopardy
Want to win
a Bonus Bone? Below is the Puppy
Jeopardy answer in the Eye & Vision category. The first class participant to provide the correct question at
the next class wrap-up earns a Bonus Bone.
Good Luck!
A dog’s average field of vision in degrees.