It’s only been one week since Mike met Whitney and me at O’Hare, and in that short time my new 58-pound bouncing bundle of Golden Retriever/Labrador energy has successfully guided me to:
- the bank (three times!)
- the UPS store
- Hackney’s (three times!)
- my hair salon on Wabash
- Walgreen’s (once inside, she led me right to the pharmacy window, how’d she know?)
- Sandmeyer’s (Mike and I love Ulrich and Ellen, the owners of this wonderful neighborhood independent bookstore)
- Dearborn Park for a leisurely walk
- a succulent Solstice dinner party at our neighbors Jim & Janet’s groovy loft apartment (she turns into their doorway every time we pass it now, smart girl!), and
- the pool where I swim laps.
For the first weeks at home, we're inseparable. Literally.
None of our walks have gone without a mistake or two (or five, or nine), and we are still working on our choreography, but we’ve been getting where we need to go, and returning home safely. “Good girl, Whitney!”
Whitney has never been to Chicago before, of course, so I am the one who tells her what direction to go to get our errands done. We travel one block, she stops at the curb. “Good girl, Whitney!” I say, then give her a direction. “Whitney, left!” She turns left, I tell her how smart she is, and we proceed to the next curb. “Atta girl, Whitney! Good girl!” I say, then give a direction. “Whitney, right!” Whitney turns right, and we’re off again.
Whitney loves getting outside and going to work. She is so enthusiastic, though, that sometimes when I command “Forward!” she forgets to stop when we get to the next curb! That’s when I step into my role as teacher. I give her a correction, either verbally or with the leash, then show her where she made her mistake.
Next, I bring her back to the curb, tell her to sit, tap the curb with my foot and praise her. “Good girl, Whitney! Here’s where you stop. Good girl!” We take a few steps backwards then, maybe two dog lengths, and we re-work the approach to the curb. Whitney almost always, always gets it right the second time. And when she does? I praise the bejeezus out of her. “Good girl, Whitney! Attagirl!” I rub her up. Her tail wags. “Good girl, Whitney. Good girl!” Whitney eats it up, and she rarely misses that curb again.
Praise is really what it’s all about for Seeing Eye dogs, and to that end, one thing The Seeing Eye urges graduates to do during our first two weeks at home is keep our new dogs attached to us. Literally. 24/7. So picture me now, working at my computer. Whitney is chewing her Nylabone, her leash looped around my ankle. Any time I stand up to head to the kitchen to warm up my coffee, Whitney looks up, stops chewing, and drops her beloved bone. “Whitney, heel.” Whitney walks at my side to the microwave. “Good dog, Whit.” When we get to the microwave, I give her another command. “Whitney, sit!” Whitney sits. “Good girl, Whitney!” I want her to stay there while the coffee warms up. “Whitney, rest.” She does. “Atta girl, Whitney. Good girl!
Having a dog on leash 24 hours a day is strangely exhausting, and it sure is tedious. Understanding the method behind the 24/7 attachment madness makes it easier to execute: having them at the end of the leash all the time gives us plenty of chances to tell them how great they are. If Whitney sits when I tell her to, I praise her. When she heals, lies down, rests on command, she is praised. On the other hand, if Whit misbehaves (sniffs inside a garbage can, nibbles at crumbs on the kitchen floor) I can feel her movement through the leash and catch her in the act. We can’t see our Seeing Eye dogs, but if they are only a leash away while they’re being naughty, we can correct them.
All of this transfers to our work outside, too. I praise, and often pet, Whitney anytime she stops at a curb, or at the top of the stairs to the subway. If she messes up, I correct her and give her a chance to do it right. And if she succeeds the second time, guess what? She gets praised!
And so, as much as we Seeing Eye graduates would like to think it’s clear sailing after our three weeks training in Morristown, the work continues, and in some ways really starts, once we get home. I’m looking at the months ahead of us as a ten-year investment in Whitney, and in our work as a team. So while having Whitney on leash all the time has been tedious (for both of us!) it’s well worth the investment. The first week at home has really flown by, and before you know it, it’ll be December 29, and then watch out, world, Whit and I will be unleashed (at home, at least)! Right now, though, it’s time to warm my coffee. “Whitney, heal. Good girl!”
Cheering you on! Atta girl, Beth.
Hugs, Barbara
Thanks, Barbara — your hugs are always very much appreciated!
I am glad you have eyes again! You and Mike have a great Xmas!
Dean
Aw, shucks, thanks — Merry Christmas to the Fischer clan, too —
Praise is lovely for all of us. How about a little for you and Mike, too? Whitney is beautiful. And so are you. Both.
Lauren
Back at ya’, Lauren — happy new year to you, Tom and your wonderful family. Who knows, maybe 2012 will be the year we all meet in person?!
Three times to Hackneys??? I am somewhat dubious of that low number…
Happy Holidays, Beth! And I hope to see you soon (at the office or around the hood).
Okay, busted. Maybe it was more like four times. Five?
Welcome home Beth–and Whit looks darling by your side. Sounds like a great start. Merry Xmas!
Well, Whitney must always look darling, then, because she is *always* by my side. Merry Christmas to you and yours, too…
Hi! I’m a volunteer puppy raiser for a Canadian guide dog organization. I happened across your blog, and have been thoroughly enjoying it! Thanks for posting! It’s great to read how things happen after we pass over the leash.
Oh, Kris, how cool that you found my blog –thanks so much for commenting here. You puppy raisers teach our guide dogs so MANY, many THINGS!
I’ve said it before but worth repeating: you guys are the most giving and caring volunteers I know, what generosity of spirit to raise a puppy and then give the pup away to help someone else.
Your volunteer work is oh so important to all of us who get around safely with guide dogs. THANK YOU so much.
Oh, Kris, how cool that you found my blog –thanks so much for commenting here. You puppy raisers teach our guide dogs so MANY, many THINGS!
I’ve said it before but worth repeating: you guys are the most giving and caring volunteers I know, what generosity of spirit to raise a puppy and then give the pup away to help someone else.
Your volunteer work is oh so important to all of us who get around safely with guide dogs. THANK YOU so much.
So nice, I had to say it twice!
Ha ha! Oh, technology…
As for puppy raising, I have to say that I can’t believe how much we’ve learned through puppy raising, and not just about dogs! Our circle of friends has grown tremendously, and we have learned a lot about society in general. I can’t believe how many people more people we get to interact with on a day-to-day basis because the dog is with us all the time… we’re a bit like a walking public service announcement! Puppy raising has been an INCREDIBLY rewarding experience- it has enriched my life tremendously, and really changed the way i look at the world, and interact with others. I truly feel very lucky to have been able to be a puppy raiser! I certainly don’t feel like I need any thanks- I’ve gained more than I’ll ever be able to give back by puppy raising!
I wonder if a children’s book has ever been written about puppy raising. Maybe from the puppy raiser’s point of view? This is giving me an idea….
Thank you for sharing your life with us! I found your blog through a Facebook post. I’m “catching up” by reading your past posts as wellas the new ones. You are an inspiration and you show everyone that a disAbility doesn’t have to keep you from doing the things you love!
I’m in the process of training to receive a service dog. Although the training is slightly different, the basic concepts are the same. This post, in particular, reminds me of how powerful a motivator praise can be!
I’m gaining both training tips and life lessons with each post. I can’t wait to see what lesson I’ll learn next!
Delighted you found my blog, Cara — tell me, what sort of work will your service dog be doing for you? Would love to hear about the training, how it is similar/different to training a guide dog goes through. And in the meantime, thanks for reading my blog!
Beth,
Thanks for writing back! My dog will be doing a lot of retrieving for me. Both picking up dropped items and bringing items from another room. He/she will also help with doors, carry laundry downstairs, (I wish the trainers could teach dogs cooking! Lol),
Oops! I hit “post comment” by accident.
Other tasks that my dog will do for me are to carry items such as my purse, grocery bags, place items on counters if I’m in a scooter and can’t reach it, take items to another person, turn off lights, etc.
The difference in training is that service dogs are trained for at least 4-6 months in basic obedience as well as tasks such as fetch, hold (or carry), push, pull, under, etc, that can be used in various situations.
Some programs are similar to The Seeing Eye where clients go to the training facility for 2-3 weeks where they are matched with a dog, then train there with them.
The program I’m in, trains the dogs, then sends them to a prison program where they continue training in many of the specialized skills I mentioned before. When they come back, they train both at home with a trainer and at our facility with various clients twice a week. This way, the trainers can see the dogs work with the clients and determine which pairs work best together. After a minimum of 30 training hours, we are eligible to be matched with a dog. Then the pair trains for a minimum of 30 more hours, out in the world (home, work, stores, etc) one on one with a trainer. We do a series of overnight stays so the dog gets used to his/her new home and house routine. We continue to train with the dog at the facility and once a year the pair
Ummm….would you believe I did it again….I’m posting from my phone which makes it more difficult to avoid hitting the “post comment” box. {sheepish grin}
One a year, the pair recertifies. They can continue to train at the facility and go out with the group to do demos and/or info booths.
We have service dogs, hearing dogs, and therapy dogs. I love going to training and the people and the dogs. We become like a little family. It’s nice to be able to ask other clients questions and having access to the trainers.
I think I remembered everything! Lol
Kara, no need to apologize for hitting the “post comment” button by mistake, I love all these comments of yours –so interesting to hear the different methods of training these magnificent dogs.
I’m in San Jose California enjoying a visit with my daughter Liz and granddaughter, Tobi.
good to hear of Whitneys progress. How good that you have reliable dog. And she sounds like fun too and is certainly good looking.
She you in class (classes) in January
Myrna
Yes, looking forward to starting those memoir-writing classes again in January — Whitney and I are going to take some time out next week learning our way to/from the Chicago Cultural Center, where (as you are well aware, Myrna!) I teach one of those classes.. Wish us luck!
Hi Beth;
What a touching story of you and Whitney being tied together for your first time together after school. From the photo, it looks like she is totally devoted to you. And what a beautiful girl she is! I wish you many years of happy trails together. Happy holidays too!
Warm regards, Hava and pack
Glad to hear she looks devoted to me in the photo, Hava — maybe being “tied together” is working!
Sounds like a good match to me. (You sure lead a busy life and Whitney has her work cut out for her.)
Yeah, for these first couple weeks I’m trying my best to make my life a little less busy for Whitney’s sake — let’s see how that works!
It sounds like you are both getting along great together. You are constantly an inspiration to me Beth. I remember you way back when..drinking Tab and eating Nilla Vanilla wafers! Whitney is as lucky to have you as you are to have her.
Oh, Terri, what fun to hear from you here. And what a fantastic memory you have — Saccharine-ridden Tab and those nilla vanilla wafers were a big treat to a kid with diabetes back then. You were such a good friend to me during those teen years, Terri, I am thankful to be back in touch. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
I was going to say “tumultuous” teen years but wasn’t sure I had the spelling right. Still not sure about the spelling, but one thing I am sure of is how thankful I am for your friendship then, Terri, and again now.
“praise the bejeezus out of her!”
Being Irish, I thought that was one of the funniest things you’ve ever written here! 🙂
I know, I’m easily amused!
As my friend in Portaferry likes to say, “Wee silly grins all ’round!”
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