Category: Animal House
Just a brief report. First I want to thank the zoners who shared their thoughts on dog
schools. You helped me get started
Saturday I officially became a guide dog user. Guiding Eyes Fleming is asleep next to me
here in Yorktown Heights, NY. We go home in the morning, a team ready to face
whatever may lie ahead. GEB is simply incredible! The staff, from the kitchen to the CEO
have been loving and supportive beyond my wildest dreams. The balance between
learning new material, in lecture and on the streets is carefully crafted to help insure
success and excellence in dog handling. The trainers have been totally committed and
incredibly adaptable to whatever came up with us. The class camaraderie was fantastic,
helping each other cope with the high stress level of learning on the go. All the dogs are
superb. My day to day, moment to moment confidence has risen sharply.
We worked every imaginable route from garden paths to shorelining, all sorts of street
environments from Victorian neighborhoods horrified urban downtown, to Macy's,
escalator and all, to trains, subways, and busy Manhatten streets, Fleming and I
pounded down Third Avenue from 94th to the 60s at a rapid, long stride pace, slowing
only when pedestrian traffic clogged our way. He is quick to pass slow sidewalk traffic,
just as soon as he spots a safe gap. He backed me away from a down curb just as a bus
slipped into the slot, inches from the curb (it might have taken my head off with the
mirror had I been cane travelling.) he never missed a curb, nor got sidetracked by
construction noise, sirens, oodles of people, or s double track platform with two moving
trains at once. As Sinatra sang, "If you can make if there, you'll make it anywhere.."
He is a cool dude, relaxed and confident, yet at play time he is all dog, mixing it up with
great joy. Fleming anticipates, even freelancing, offering to point out things like where
the toilet paper is in the mens room independently. He points to dropped objects like my
ear buds on the floor, etc. He loves and serves his daddy happily.
GEB is simply awesome.
I seen the youtube vedio and it sounds like you have a great dog.
Congratulations! Sounds like you found a great match!
Ahh, there's really nothing like your first dog. Congratulations to you both and best wishes for a long happy partnership.
Way to go! Guides are wonderful, at doing things canes can't. Wish I'd got in, before they stopped training for wheelchair users that are blind. Oh well. Glad to know someone has a good match!
Travel and have fun!
Sarah
I'm so happy for you and Fleming, congratulations! Wishing you many great years ahead as a new team.
Thanks folks. Yesterday, first full day home , we had snow. With a cane I'm pretty
screwed until things are cleared, so wouldn't have gone out. but Fleming handled
sidewalks, no sidewalks, clear or not. He found buried curbs I couldn't detect. All on a
route he had never seen. Awesome!
What a heart warming report on your first experience as a guide dog owner. Almost makes me want to go back and get another guide dog for myself. Haven't had one for years, but it was truly a wonderful experience. Congratulations and wishing the two of you many years of happy traveling together.
So why is Guiding Eyes choosing for some returning students to train at the school and others to train at home?
I imagine it depends on the students' situation. if they just don't have the time to train at the school due to work obligations, family life, etc, then the option for training in the home area with their new guide is a viable one.
They don't choose, the returning student requests home training, and depending on your circumstances, they determine whether they can accommodate that request. I haven't done it, myself. Some people are in class for a short time, and transition to home training after that.
Oh, and congratulations, Northcountryguy, on your new buddy Fleming! What color lab is he?
He sounds like a pro, and a sweetheart, too. *smile* Be patient with him, though; all three of my pups sort of tested boundaries, once we were home. We got past it soon enough, but the first couple of months home can be a challenge, though it's a short time, in your over all life with him.
I understand what you guys are saying but I am asking a little different question. I have afriend who was told they had to do home training, and my friend want to go to NY. So why would this be? Other students have gone from their same area recently so why I wonder they say he will be doing his at home. But IDK...
That's great that you did so well with your dog, and you seem to be continuing to do great with your dog.
congrats!