So far, a Whinner!

December 2, 2011 • Posted in Beth Finke, blindness, guide dogs, Seeing Eye dogs, travel, Uncategorized by

Guest blogger Mike Knezovich back. Thanks again to Chuck Gullett for his great post.

Now, back to New Jersey and Beth and The Seeing Eye: With all apologies to people named Whitney, everywhere, I think that Whitney sounds a little too preppy, a little too much like a girl who would hang with girls named Paige and Madison and the like. All perfectly nice names, they just don’t pair well with Knezovich, if you know what I mean.

And so, as far as I am concerned, her name shall be Whit, forevermore. And here she is:

There she is on a commuter train platform during training. Next stop, Chicago!

When she saw the picture, our friend Nancy described Whit as a cross between Harper and Hanni. Can’t argue there. Early reports have it that Whit loves to work so much that she doesn’t always know when to stop. Yesterday morning, anytime Whit approached a quiet intersection, or one where there was no traffic at the time, she’d slow down a bit but then blow right past the curb. She was so excited to see more sidewalk ahead to guide Beth on that she didn’t want to stop.

Part of the three-week training at the Seeing Eye is to remind Beth and the 18 other blind students in her class what they need to do when their new dogs make mistakes. Every time Whit blew a curb, Beth had to give Whit a quick leash correction, tell her “Pfui!” and take a few steps backward to the curb Whit missed. After commanding Whit to “sit,” Beth would tap the curb with her foot and say, “good girl,”  indicating that’s where she wanted Whit to stop. They’d step back a few steps then, rework the curb, and Whit always, always got it the second time around.

Later that afternoon Beth and Whit went on that same route with their trainer. Whit stopped at every curb, traffic or no traffic. Way to go, Whit!

Beth reports that Whit walks at a fast but not reckless clip, and that Whit is, umm, regular, which is a real plus for the partner of a working dog. And for the guy who takes the working dog out occasionally for its constitutional.

Lori K. On December 2, 2011 at 12:18 pm

Can’t wait to give some of my Demeter’s Treaters to Whit!

penn nelson On December 2, 2011 at 2:25 pm

Great looking dog, Whit fits her perfectly. Hope to meet Whit sometime when you are visiting in Urbana.

Penn

Audrey Mitchell On December 2, 2011 at 4:06 pm

She’ beautiful. She reminds me more of Hanni. Glad she is working out so far. Can’t wait to see her.

Audrey

Judy Spock On December 2, 2011 at 5:56 pm

I love hearing how a ‘seeing eye dog’ learns to turn her natural LOVE for her owner into CARE for her owner…dogs are magical beings who evolved WITH human beings around the same primordial campfire! Both species are incomplete without each other…they serve each other… save each other.

Ray Vegter On December 3, 2011 at 11:31 am

One word- Awesome!!

Heather Holahan On December 3, 2011 at 12:40 pm

Welcome Whit. I do see a little bit of Harper and Hanni in her.

Maria On December 3, 2011 at 2:03 pm

Whit is a beauty and does remind me of a cross between Harper and Hanni….wow…the best of both!

Carl On December 3, 2011 at 2:04 pm

Good looking dog. Like her coloring.

Maureen Naset On December 3, 2011 at 3:09 pm

Beth – Whit looks like a beautiful dog! I anxious to read about your future adventures with her!

MaryEllen Schneider On December 3, 2011 at 4:14 pm

So exciting! Count me among Whit’s admirers–she is gorgeous. Sending lots of good wishes to you all.

Jenny On December 3, 2011 at 4:45 pm

Can’t wait to hear lots more about Whit. I will keep thinking she’s called Harper for the first while though.
Your doing a great job as a guest blogger.
Jen

Milt On December 4, 2011 at 11:45 am

I kind of think Dragoslava Knezovich would have a nice ring to it. Is it too late to change?

bethfinke On December 4, 2011 at 12:57 pm

Milt: It’s me, Mike. I’m just playing Beth on the Internet. Beth says to tell you Dragoslava is taken already. Drat.

Benita On December 4, 2011 at 3:32 pm

Beth, you ought to tell the folks at The Seeing Eye that the next batch of “D” puppies should mos def contain a Dragoslava! Way to go, Milt!

Whit is a charming girl, from the looks of her, and I cannot wait to read the further adventures of the two of you.

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