Harness Up

Spring, 2003

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EDITOR’S NOTES
By Eugenia Firth

We would like to apologize for the lateness of Harness Up’s last issue. Due to circumstances beyond our control, we experienced a big delay. Reading and Radio Resource, the organization that has done a marvelous job of taping Harness Up, had some unforeseen problems putting things together. We certainly hope to avoid future difficulties.

As always, I am seeking articles for Harness Up. Many of you write all the time about your experiences on computer lists and elsewhere. As always, I will accept any format, except handwritten print.

President's Message
by Suzanne Whalen

Hello again, everyone! Well, it looks as if spring has finally sprung, in April when I am writing this. Especially for you folks living in the Northeast, I know spring came not a moment too soon.

Just a few housekeeping details about convention. We will have our business meeting on Saturday, June 28, beginning at 7 PM sharp. Our streamlined registration procedures seem to be working well, so we will have registration from 6:00 to 7:00. Please try to come as close to six o'clock as you can. The more people who get there earlier in the hour, the better.

I mentioned in the Monitor announcement that we would invite Dr. Marty Becker. Dr. Becker is a veterinarian. He has researched the human-animal bond, and his book, The Healing Power of Pets, is well worth reading if you have a scanner that reads print. I don't know if the book is available in alternative formats. When I called him about our meetings, Dr. Becker told me that he writes a syndicated column, hosts a national talk show, and does a daily pet update that is broadcast to over 1,200 stations. He said his children are at, as he put it, "a critical age," and he has vowed to take the summers off to be with his family. However, he said speaking to a roomful of guide dog users intrigues him, and he invited me to call him again next year. He said he just might do it, so I'll call.

Though I'm disappointed we don't have Dr. Becker, I'm excited at the topics we still have. Our seminar, "A Guide Dog in Your Life," will take place from 6 to 10 PM on Wednesday, July 2. A very special treat that night will be our own Mike Hingson. One of the things he will share with us is his escape during the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Mike is employed making presentations for Guide Dogs for the Blind. A sampling of other topics includes: what's going on in Iowa, first aid for dogs, follow-up, hotel and motel access, and much more. We are finalizing the list of topics for both meetings even as we speak. If you have any topic ideas, please either e-mail them to Gigi Firth at firthg@mindspring.com or call any of your NAGDU officers. Those meeting times once again are Saturday, June 28, from 7 to 10, with registration from 6 to 7 PM, and Wednesday, July 2, from 6 to 10 PM, with no registration on Wednesday night.

We continue to resolve discrimination issues. It's a shame that, despite state and federal laws, there is still so much public education that needs to be done to guarantee our access to public places with our dogs. Our most recent case came to our attention just last week. A lady called to tell us that a guide dog user had been discriminated against by a Houston restaurant. Since we didn't hear the story from the guide dog user directly, we couldn't accuse the restaurant of discrimination. We did, however, send the restaurant a polite letter. We informed them that a possible discrimination incident had been brought to our attention. We asked that they inform their employees that discrimination against guide dog handlers by places of business is illegal under state and federal law. We also sent a copy of this correspondence to the lady who called to report the matter to us.

As those of you who attended last summer's NAGDU meetings will remember, we discussed Irene McAlister, a Colorado woman looking for a successor dog. She contacted Guide Dogs of America, who gave her the number of a totally unqualified dog "trainer," Mike Dalton of Denver. It is very sad, but it came as no surprise that Rusty, the dog she got from Mr. Dalton, was totally unsafe and inept as a guide. What was so distressing about this situation is that the GDA instructor who gave Ms. McAlister Mr. Dalton's number knew virtually nothing about Mr. Dalton's qualifications, or lack thereof, to train guide dogs. They met him at a ball game, and he told me he had visited Mr. Dalton's facility.

Karla Westjohn and I spoke with Mr. Dalton, and it took us no time at all to realize he doesn't have a clue. The GDA instructor also told me that it's the consumer's responsibility to do her homework, and giving out a phone number doesn't constitute a recommendation or referral.

I am happy to report that Ms. McAlister has retired Rusty, the unsafe dog she obtained from Mr. Dalton. I am also happy to report that Guide Dogs of America has put this situation right by offering Ms. McAlister a home placement with one of their dogs. We commend Guide Dogs of America for taking this action. Gigi Firth spoke with Ms. McAlister last week, and it looks like she'll be getting her GDA dog in August. We hope to have an article about their progress in a future issue of "Harness Up."

I'd like to make just one more point about this incident. The GDA instructor is right in one respect. Consumers do bear some responsibility for what they agree to. Ms. McAlister did get a dog from someone clearly not qualified. She completed the "training" with him. On the other hand, we urge all our schools to remember that we take information provided by instructors very seriously. I consider myself a savvy consumer. But if an instructor gave me someone's phone number, I would assume he or she knew enough about that person's background and skills to endorse that person. If my primary care physician gives me the phone number of a specialist, in my mind that constitutes a recommendation. This is no different. We urge our schools not to give out numbers for trainers who are unqualified or whose qualifications they cannot verify. But apparently, all's well that ends well. I commend Guide Dogs of America for offering Ms. McAlister a home placement.

Remember Sally Sue Bradley, the former Executive Director of Canine Vision, the horrible "school" NAGDU played a leading role in shutting down in 2000? Well, as many of you know, she's back! She has founded another program, Georgia Guides. At the moment, she's not training guide dogs, yet. She's raising puppies which she expects to send for training as adults to guide dog and service dog schools. As you can see from the accompanying e-mails included with this article, she has always taken it for granted that Leader Dogs for the Blind will automatically accept adult dogs raised by Georgia Guides puppy raisers. Leader has not disappointed Ms. Bradley. You may remember that, in a previous "Harness Up," we stated Leader's position that it had never done business, nor would ever do business, with Georgia Guides. We had received assurances to this effect in an e-mail from Leader's CEO, Bill Hansen. That e-mail is included in this article. Despite this assurance, we have absolute proof that Leader has accepted three adult dogs (Duke, Midnight, and Perry), who were raised by Georgia Guides puppy raisers. In his most recent e-mail to us, included here, Mr. Hansen admits accepting these dogs. Midnight and Perry were rejected by Leader for elbow dysplasia, and last we heard, Duke is slated to graduate from training this May. In addition to Mr. Hansen stating that the dogs were accepted, we have contacts at Delta Airlines who verified the dogs' transportation to Michigan. We also have contacts from among Georgia Guides puppy raisers who verify attending Ms. Bradley's puppy raiser meetings and seeing these dogs there. Mr. Hansen states that Leader has accepted one of the Canine Vision puppy raisers into Leader's program. This puppy raiser would be, as is explained in the e-mail message below, Dixie’s puppy raiser. The other raisers, however, are Georgia Guide raisers. Does this mean that these people are now raising for both schools simultaneously?

Remember, when Ms. Bradley was Executive Director of Canine Vision, she provided her puppy raisers next to no guidance, and the same is still true at Georgia Guides. Of course, I am highly concerned about the obvious discrepancy between what Mr. Hansen is doing and what he said in his assurances of no business relationship between Leader and Georgia Guides. However, I think what disturbs me the most about what Leader has done is that because it is a large, reputable school, Leader is giving legitimacy to Ms. Bradley's operation every time it accepts one of her dogs, even if only for an evaluation. Ms. Bradley during her Canine Vision days made false claims about her instructors being certified by an instructor from another school. If Leader is not careful, its reputation could suffer through a continued association with Ms. Bradley. Leader has the resources to breed its own outstanding dogs and to purchase or receive donations from reputable breeders and individuals. Leader does not need Ms. Bradley's dogs. I apologize if I have offended any Leader graduates. I urge you to contact your school and let them know that you do not approve of their continuing to do business with Georgia Guides, its Director, and its puppy raisers.

Here are copies of our e-mail correspondence. First, there is a copy of an e-mail from Ed and Toni Eames. Ed and Toni had received an e-mail from Mrs. Bradley, and it was forwarded to Gigi. I have not included here Mrs. Bradley’s private e-mail address. Otherwise, the letter is as received, except for format changes for Harness Up. Next is a copy of the rest. I leave it up to you to judge for yourselves.

From: "Ed and Toni Eames" eeames@csufresno.edu
To: "Gigi Firth" firthg@mindspring.com
Subject: Fwd: Georgia Guides
Date: Sunday, October 14, 2001 4:33 PM

From: "Sallysue Bradley
To: eames@iaadp.org
Subject: Georgia Guides
Date: Sun, 14 Oct 2001 15:43:58 -0400

Thought I would tell you about our new enterprise. I missed working with the puppies, so I have started a new puppy training school. We will not do any advanced training. Leader Dogs accepted and have graduated two of our dogs - Hera and Montgomery. And since you know that not every dog has the ability to be a guide dog, we will also socialize the puppies for wheelchair dogs and hearing dogs.

We are incorporated as a non-profit corporation in GA and have our 501(c)3 designation from IRS. Our first litter was born on October 3, so now I'm looking for puppy raisers and money. Second litter will be born October 24 and that takes care of our two breeder dogs for at least a year - so we should have 17 puppies in our program.

I would appreciate your help in finding schools to take our puppies when they are 15 months old, already spayed/ neutered, and have a good hip x-ray. Leader Dogs would be my first choice for the guide dog candidates, but where do I go for the wheelchair and hearing dogs?

Any suggestions would be appreciated and if you can spread the word that in January 2003, we are going to have some excellent dogs for some schools somewhere, it would be appreciated. I just like working with puppies.

"Gigi Firth" 12/18/02 09:01PM

Dear Mr. Hansen:

To refresh your memory, I asked you if Leader intended to have a relationship with Sally Sue Bradley and Georgia Guides. Here is the e-mail you sent Gigi Firth addressed to me in direct response to that question.

Hi Suzanne, I appreciated the information. At the time Canine Vision closed, we were offered two adult dogs. Hera had been returned to the raiser who then offered her to us. Montgomery was offered at the time Canine Vision closed. They were screened by us, selected for the training program, required to meet all of our standards in the process, and subsequently graduated.

In addition, we accepted a six month old puppy named Dixie as part of our puppy raising program. We do not normally accept puppies at this age, but given the circumstances we made an exception. Dixie was subsequently career changed and returned to the raisers. The raisers have since become part of our puppy raising program with puppies from our own breeding stock.

As to the other issue, we did not then, nor do we now have any affiliation with Sally Sue Bradley, the former Canine Vision or Georgia Guides, and any suggestion that we do is incorrect. Let me re emphasize that the dogs in question met all of our training standards prior to graduation.

Please call me at (248) 651-9011 if you wish to discuss further or have any additional questions. Thanks.

Sincerely,
Bill Hansen

Imagine, therefore, my shock upon learning that Leader Dogs has accepted three adult dogs from Mrs. Bradley's Georgia Guides. Specifically, Duke, Perry, and Midnight arrived at your school via Delta Airlines on Wednesday, December 11, 2002. Please explain this apparent discrepancy.

Sincerely,
Suzanne Whalen, President
National Association of Guide Dog Users

Dear Gigi,

My response remains the same. We have no official affiliation with Georgia Guides, Canine Vision or Sally Sue Bradley. Through the puppy raiser previously mentioned we became aware of three adult dogs that appeared to meet the physical and temperament standards that we seek. These are the same standards that we apply to any dog, be it from our puppy program or as a donated adult, as is the case here. As you may be aware, all dogs in our program pass through a one month obedience program and a four month training program conducted by our obedience and instructor staff members. All are subjected to the same set of standards. If successful, they then become eligible for assignment in class. If they do not meet these standards, they are career changed.

Please bear in mind, our graduate and student body is from the international community. We believe in equal opportunity. We also believe in equal opportunity for dogs that meet our standards.

Bill Hansen, President

I feel I need to say this again. NAGDU values its relationship with all the schools. Their presence at our meetings and at the convention means a lot. In my two articles in this issue, I have used what some might consider to be criticism of Leader, Guide Dogs of America, and Pilot. It is never easy to criticize any guide dog school. We understand in NAGDU that every school has graduates fiercely loyal to it, and we don’t want those graduates to feel that we are picking on their schools for no reason. However, one of our duties as a division is to point out to the schools when they are doing things we cannot support and do not agree with. We always try to do this privately before presenting the situation publicly in NAGDU meetings or in Harness Up. But we told the schools that if the disagreement continued we would call them on it publicly. We wouldn’t be the Federation if we didn’t.

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone at convention. Remember, if you need dog sitters for the banquet or tour days, NAGDU provides this service. The more notice you can give us, the better. Also, please stop by the NAGDU Information Table to chat.
Suzanne Whalen, President
Back to Table of Contents

IT PAYS TO COMPLAIN
U.S. Department of Transportation

Editor’s note:

As you may recall, Gaylen Kapperman, a blind professor traveling with his guide dog, had a terrible experience at the airport which was described in the last issue of Harness Up. Gaylen received the letter below in response to his complaint. He has asked for it to be published in Harness Up so that others can be assured that strides are continuing to be made in the everyday educational process concerning our dogs.)

TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
400 7th Street, SW.
Washington, DC 20590-0003

NOV. 21, 2002

Mr. Gaylen Kapperman, Ed.D.
Professor and Coordinator
Programs in Vision
Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, IL 60015

Dear Mr. Kapperman:

This is in response to your electronic message to the Department of Transportation’s Aviation Consumer Complaint Division detailing your experiences with security screening at Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWJ) on September 20th. We are sorry that you are unhappy with your traveling experience and sincerely apologize for the treatment you received. We hope that the following information is helpful. On February 17, 2002, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) assumed responsibility for security at all airports in the United States. One of our key objectives is to ensure that all passengers consistently receive professional and courteous checkpoint processing while maintaining our high level of security. Each airport security screener undergoes 40 hours of classroom training and continuing on-the-job training once he or she arrives at the assigned airport. Included in the training modules is instruction on the proper screening of persons with disabilities and medical conditions. We monitor the number and nature of complaints we receive to track trends and spot areas of concern that may require special attention. This ongoing process enables us to ensure prompt, corrective action whenever we determine that security screening policies need modification or specific employees or screener teams are the subject of repeated complaints. All of the points you make about the proper way to interact with persons with disabilities and service animals are covered in the training presented to our screeners. This information is also available to the public on our web site at http://www.tsa.dot.gov along with many other tips for travelers. Based on the recent experiences of you and others, TSA is preparing a screening bulletin that will be circulated to all of our screeners. The issues have been raised with our Federal Security Directors requesting additional emphasis on the appropriate screening techniques to be used in processing persons with disabilities. TSA is also conducting remedial training at selected airports where these incidents are reported.

Again, TSA offers sincere apologies for the discomfort you experienced. We also appreciate the fact that you have brought the issues to our attention so that we can address them. We are hopeful that the training that we provide to the new Federal workforce will result in a courteous and professional staff of security screeners so that your unfortunate experience is not repeated.

Sincerely yours,
Shelly L. Myers
Assistant Director
Consumer Outreach and Education
Back to Table of Contents

 A Man with a Mission
By Toni and Ed Eames

On that warm summer day in 1967, Toni glowed with a sense of achievement as Golden Retriever guide dog Charm smartly guided her up a driveway and around what she perceived to be a car blocking the sidewalk. Anticipating Guide Dog Foundation Director of Training John Byfield's praise for Charm's brilliant maneuver, Toni was chagrined when he laughingly burst her bubble of pride. There was no car, and Charm had simply seized the opportunity to take a furtive sniff at a garbage pail at the top of the driveway! Many years later John commented on Charm's uncanny ability to snatch a brief sniff of something enticing while continuing to do outstanding guide work.

Toni and John first met earlier in 1967 at Guiding Eyes for the Blind in Peekskill, New York, where she was in training with Charm, her first guide dog. John was at Guiding Eyes visiting his friend and mentor Geoff Lock, GEB's Director of Training. Intrigued by these two Englishmen whose personalities and styles were so different, Toni learned they first met while serving in the sentry dog unit of the Royal Air Force. Geoff, the perfect stereotype of the hearty and boisterous Englishman, was discharged three months before John. Immediately employed as a trainer by Guide Dogs for the Blind Association (GDBA), Geoff recruited John immediately after his discharge for the only guide dog training program in the UK. Thus, in 1958 at the age of 21 following a two year stint in the RAF, John began his three year apprenticeship as a guide dog trainer. Shortly after commencing this part of his life, he married Pam, his fiancée of two years.

John credits his experience of working with blind students in the UK with a fundamental change in his life. Before joining GDBA he had not known a single blind person. As his career began unfolding, John began appreciating the greater impact he could have by expanding his vision from the training of dogs to a more global mission of training dog/blind person teams. That has remained the driving force in his life and energizes him to this day!

Learning that Toni lived and worked near the Guide Dog Foundation located in Smithtown, Long Island, New York, John extended an invitation to drop in whenever she was in the neighborhood. Toni and Charm became frequent visitors at the Foundation and always felt welcome. Intrigued by John's background, Toni set out to learn as much about him as possible.

In contrast with many guide dog trainers, John was not directed to this line of work because of an early childhood infatuation with dogs. It was not until his graduation from high school and decision to join the London police force that he became exposed to the unique bond created between person and dog. As a cadet in training for a law enforcement career, he met officers whose lives and safety depended on their working police dogs. John volunteered to care for dogs while their police handlers went on vacation and he frequently became the decoy in the continual training of these German Shepherd dogs. Thus began a lifelong love affair with canine familiaris!

Reaching the age of 19 and completing his cadet training for police work, John had a change of mind and decided this line of work was not for him. Resigning from his cadetship, he was immediately drafted into the Air Force and with his background in police dog work, assigned to a canine security unit. That's where he and Geoff met and this meeting laid the foundation of more than 40 years in the guide dog movement.

After completing training and being certified as an instructor/trainer by GDBA, John helped develop a new training center in Bolton. In 1964 he was contacted by a former GDBA instructor, Neil Connelly, Director of Training at Guide Dog Foundation in Smithtown and offered a job. Pam, now the mother of two children, was reluctant to leave her friends and family, but John saw this as a great adventure and career opportunity, and the Byfield family moved to the United States.

Dressed in typical British woolen attire and arriving in New York in the midst of a heat wave, John had serious doubts about the wisdom of his transplantation. However, he and the family quickly settled in and for the next two years reveled in the life of a trainer/instructor. In 1966 Neil resigned as Director of Training and John assumed that position. For the next 15 years he shaped the policies and directions of the training program at the Guide Dog Foundation.

High up on the list of achievements during this period, John emphasizes the establishment of a comfortable and hospitable atmosphere for students going through the training process. Many had been sheltered, and being away from home and family for a month of intensive training could be a fairly traumatic experience.

Under John's direction, several training and breeding changes were made. The ratio of students to instructors was decreased permitting more individualized instruction. To reinforce the education received at the Foundation, a regular follow up program was instituted in which trainers were committed to working with graduates in their home communities. Dogs going through the training program were given more time to master the various tasks they were asked to do. John speaks with pride of the training staff he recruited, many of whom have stayed with the Foundation to this day. Although a breeding program had been initiated earlier, it had faltered and most dogs being trained were donated or rescued from animal shelters. John quickly addressed this problem after taking over as director, and within a few years the Foundation was breeding all the Labradors and Golden Retrievers needed, with German Shepherd Dogs being provided by the Connecticut-based Fidelco Breeders Foundation. John also turned his attention to developing a corps of puppy raisers to help socialize the future guides by introducing them to a variety of situations they would face in their working careers. Despite his increasing administrative duties, John managed to keep his hand in the training process and always views this as a source for rejuvenating his commitment to the field.

In 1981 a new path was followed by this man with a mission. Approached by Robie and Charlie Kaman of the Fidelco Kennels, he joined them in developing a vision of a unique guide dog training program. The distinctive features would be training blind people in their home communities, placing only German Shepherd Dogs and centering their efforts on the northeastern region of the United States. Robie and Charlie had observed in a recent visit to Germany the effectiveness of a guide dog trainer who focused his efforts on training teams in their home environments. It was also believed that more individualized and concentrated training could decrease the time needed to guarantee an effective and safe team. In this new vision, the usual month long training period would be reduced to three weeks for neophytes and two weeks for experienced handlers and those returning to train with a successor dog.

The Kamans, noted breeders of GSD’s, had been donating dogs to many guide dog training programs in the United States. However, they now wanted to launch a guide dog training program of their own and recruited John to fulfill their dreams and his. As noted earlier, he was sensitive to the problems faced by taking individuals out of their home settings and bringing them into a facility where they had to share their lives with strangers for approximately one month. In the projected Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation model, fully trained dogs would be brought to the student who would continue living at home. The instructor would then be instrumental in working with members of the household in accepting the new canine family member in their midst. In addition, it would be the instructor, not the student, who would reside in unfamiliar places! This approach would meet the needs of an underserved segment of the blind community, those unable to leave home because of employment, familial or other obligations.

Beginning in February 1981, John joined the Kamans in a fund raising effort. Within a few months the necessary financial resources were acquired and the Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation was off to a flying start! By the end of that year, John had trained and successfully placed five teams.

From this early initiative more than 20 years ago, the program has shown tremendous growth. Fidelco currently employs five apprentices, a training director two senior instructors, and 5 qualified trainer/instructors. In 2001, 56 teams were graduated. When John stepped down as Training Director, Fidelco was an extremely popular and well-respected guide dog school and had one of the longest waiting list of applicants in the country.

Looking back over his 20 year career as Training Director at Fidelco, John points with pride to his many accomplishments. Dogs in the program go through a six to eight month training course before being placed with a blind handler. Even this period can be lengthened, if the staff feels a particular dog needs more time to mature. In fact, flexibility is one of the hallmarks of the program. Initially established to service the needs of residents in the Northeast, as graduates have moved to other parts of the country successor dogs have been provided if at all feasible. Last year John brought successor dogs to graduates living in Minnesota and Oregon.

Anticipating John's retirement, Pam moved to Florida several years ago and they now spend much of the year in the Orlando area. Taking advantage of this move, John placed several dogs with graduates living in Florida, and now does all the follow up in that state and will continue working with Fidelco by placing dogs wherever there is a need. Thus, John has given up his administrative and leadership role in his announced retirement, but has returned to the role he loves best, the hands-on training of teams in the field.

To this day, John retains his wonderment about the phenomenal intelligence and cognitive qualities of the canine mind. He recounts the following story.

"Generally, when two guide dogs work in tandem with one following the other, the dog following mimics the lead dog. On one occasion I observed a remarkable divergence from this pattern. On a busy New York City street, a truck blocked most of the sidewalk. The lead dog with a slim handler, smoothly guided him through the narrow gap between the truck and the building. The second dog with a stockier handler, noted the narrow gap and chose to go into the street and around the truck. I never forgot this display of canine ingenuity!" As John is quick to point out, dog training, and in particular guide dog training, is a never ending learning experience. In returning to his first love, training effective guide dog/blind person teams, John will be enmeshed in the life-long continuing education course enrolled in by every enlightened guide dog trainer.

The article below has been circulated on several guide dog computer lists.)

Dancing with Dogs
By Cris Anderson

In the late 1980's while an Instructor at Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc. in San Rafael, California, I was introduced to a blind Italian gentleman whom I will never forget. He was a student in my class, prepared to receive his first guide dog. He went by the friendly nickname of “Chato”. Italian was Chato's primary language and even though he could carry on conversations quite well in English, he did have some problems with certain concepts that came up during training. Some of the guide dog training included technical fine points that Chato was unable to understand. Also, being newly blinded in the previous year he was nervous and scared, consequently he was stiff and awkward while traveling with his guide dog.

His progress was slow, and after just the first week of a month long training class he began to fall behind. I needed to do something to help him understand the concept of following his dogs' body movements in a more relaxed way. Everyday presented a new opportunity to help Chato work smoothly with his dog, to feel the pull of the harness, the subtle cues that say "follow me, I'll take you safely home". Yet, my inability to speak Italian and his limited understanding of English slowed our progress.

During the quiet evenings in the campus dormitory Chato and I talked frequently about himself and his loving wife. How they met in Italy, their travels, and their mutual love of dancing. I could imagine him, sleek and elegant, joined in a waltz with his beautiful, graceful wife. Dancing.!! Dancing! Could I teach this wise Italian gentleman to dance with his dog? It was worth a try!

The very next evening I asked Chato to meet me in the dormitory dining room after dinner and to bring only his empty guide dog harness. He expressed his confusion, understandably ­ I had never asked him to do anything like this before during our short training time together. I asked him to trust me, he agreed.

We sat together in the now vacant room and I reminded him of our talks about his love of dancing. Just the mention of it brought a sweet smile to his face. I asked him if he would dance with me, he beamed. "I would love to dance with you Cris", he said in his thick Italian accent, "but we have no music".

"That's alright", I boldly countered, "I'll hum". So, to an impromptu rendition of Starlight Waltz we danced around and around the enormous dining hall. Chato's delight was obvious and his dancing skills were finely tuned. He was light on his feet and highly sensitive to our synchronized moves. After a short break I reminded Chato that he had agreed to trust me, then I asked the impossible. "Chato", I said, "I want to dance with you again, but now I want you to let me lead". He was awe struck, stately Italian gentlemen never have the lady lead! I had to plead ­ "trust me Chato, trust me".

Another chorus of Starlight Waltz and we were off. It took only a few moments for him to learn to follow me. We went left and right, forward and back, he being responsive to my every move with the grace and lightness of the skilled dancer he was.

"Now", I told Chato as we slowed to a stop, "I want you to do one more thing for me". As I took up the empty harness and placed it by his left leg where his guide dog usually stands, I asked him to hold the harness handle in his hand and imagine himself waltzing with his dog. "But, Chato", I said, "You must let him lead!"

Around the room we went again, this tall elegant gentleman stepping ever so lightly to the moves of the empty harness as I first lead him one way and then another, forward then back. It was at this point that our unusual evening lesson became clear to Chato. With a glow that took over his entire being, he said, "I now understand that you want me to follow my guide dog as if we were dancing"! "Yes, Chato", I beamed sharing in his delight, "but you must let him lead"!

Well, from that day forward Chato followed his dog with the elegant, light steps of a talented dancer. Chato's pride and delight at this newly understood concept was thrilling to see. He and his guide dog progressed quickly through the remainder of training and no less than once a day he thanked me for teaching him to dance with his dog.
Back to Table of Contents

REVISITING THE DOGHOUSE
By Julie Acton

It has always morbidly fascinated me that people seem to inevitably leap to the assumption that blind people must, by default, be model citizens constantly consumed by philanthropic pursuits and placed on the face of this earth for the express purpose of inspiring others and giving them something other than peak hour traffic to look at. It has always made me want to begin smashing pane glass windows in shopping malls and ripping plants out of public flower beds or something. Oops, I think that's enough about my personality for now.

Such thoughts, however, get me to thinking about an incident, which ultimately I suppose could be construed as another doghouse ticket for my Usha, which, although quite different from being presumed to be a serial killer, still involved a serious case of mistaken identity.

Usha had begun displaying some protective behaviour and sporadic mild aggression towards other dogs and some people, factors which ultimately escalated to bring about her retirement. On the day in question, she and I were standing on a railway platform waiting for a train, while a woman and her young son, aged approximately 7 or 8, were standing nearby waiting for the same train. A neighbourhood dog had the audacity to stray onto the opposite platform, with the result that Usha began to hackle and growl for the brief time it took for the dog to move on. When the train finally pulled in, a man stepped from it onto the platform, spied Usha and I beginning to move towards the doors, and assumed, as all well-intentioned members of the public do, that I was in desperately urgent need of his help in getting on. He charged towards me, seized me energetically by the shoulder, and boomed into my face, "here you go love, I'll help ya!"

This extremely outlandish invasion of our personal space, however, was too much for Usha who spun round and let loose with two deep-throated barks of protest, leaving both the gentleman and I in no doubt as to her opinion of his actions, with the predictable result that he jumped quickly away, apologized meekly to me as though it had indeed been I who had just voiced my displeasure, and rapidly exitted the scene. Usha, for her part, seemed dissatisfied that he had gotten the message sufficiently at that point, leapt snarling after him and attempted to pursue him from the platform, obviously escaping only as far as the end of her leash. No comments about my dog's behaviour are necessary by the way.

Needless to say I was, given that that had been her most overt display to date, reeling with horror as I finally got myself and my dog onto the train and sat down to try to wrap my mind around what had just happened, but we won't go into that.

Not surprisingly, therefore, the last thing in the world I felt I could deal with at that time was the approach of the child from the platform who came over, threw himself down casually on the seat beside me and exuberantly chirped, "G'day, how ya going?"

As someone who finds children irritating at the best of times, I was not particularly relishing a conversation with the little darling at this point, and so responded, "hi", in my most dismissive tone whilst frantically praying that he would get the hint and go away. Children, however, are remarkably resilient, and he did not seem the least bit deterred by my low-key response.

"You've got such a cool dog!" he exclaimed in barely contained jubilation, peering downwards to where Usha was curled up under the seat.

"Thanks," I replied in an even more dead-pan manner than before, beginning to wonder if maybe I wouldn't just get off at the next stop to get away from him.

"My daddy's got one of them dogs," he continued brightly, "it's really cool too."

Ok, so who cares, so maybe his dad had a guide dog, or more likely, his dad just had a Labrador, or maybe just a dog, or maybe his dad had had a dog twenty years ago, or maybe his neighbour's 2nd x-husband had had a dog... you can never tell with people these days.

"Yeah," he continued in spite of my silence, "I know that you don't touch one of them dogs when they're working, I'm always telling people that."

Hmmm, so perhaps his dad really did have a guide dog after all. Still, I was busy feeling sorry for myself and didn't really care that some strange man I had never met had a dog. Still, I supposed that the kid should at least be praised for his knowledge, and so, mustering up all the good-will that was left in me, I replied, "that's great mate, good on ya for doing that."

He seemed nothing short of ecstatic at my response. "I love watching my dad and Tiger together, Tiger is so cool, he gets people ya know, chases them and bites them... everyone is scared of him, it's so sooo cool!!"

Excuse me? My interest was suddenly peaked. Your dad's guide dog chases and bites people? Everyone is scared of him? Geez, and I thought my dog was a problem!! Ok, so it was none of my business, but I couldn't help asking, "Is your dad's dog a guide dog?"

I can just imagine him having stared at me with reproachful incredulity before exclaiming, "no, silly, I told ya, he's a cop dog, like yours!"

Ah, deep patient tolerant sigh of resignation. I have to say that this was not the first time Usha had been called a police dog. One very bizarre and really quite disturbing misconception I found during my time with Usha, was that many people automatically assume that a working dog in a public place who vocalises for any reason, is in fact a police dog. Hmmm, very, very interesting.

Needless to say, the, "no, she's a guide dog, not a police dog," line had become about as old hat to me as the, "no, she's not in training" line, and so I replied, "Oh no, my dog is a guide dog."

I would not have been the least bit surprised if he had then started down the, "what is a guide dog?" path, another personal favourite of mine, but his response, when it came after several contemplative seconds, really caught me off guard.

"Yeah right!! She is not!!" he cried triumphantly as though he had just caught me trying to steal dog biscuits from the chasing biting police dog. But then, before I had had a chance to respond, he leaned closer to me and whispered confidentially, "It's ok though, I know you aren't allowed to tell people, I won't tell anyone."

I sat in stunned silence, and found myself, for one of the too few times in my life, to be quite speechless and absolutely unable to think of anything the least bit witty to say in response.

"No, really," I finally resorted to, "she really is a guide dog, that's the harness that she wears so she can guide me." Yeah Julie, that was very convincing, you sounded like a scared toddler telling her mummy that the Simsons' dog really can understand everything that people say, really...

"Nah, she is not, she's a cop dog," he responded with decisive finality, as though the issue was suddenly beyond any further discussion.

"No, she's not," I retorted, beginning to feel somewhat defensive, and then, in the next second, realising with sudden disgust and embarrassment that I was now engaging in a "Is too, is not!" argument with a 7-year-old. Very, very mature Julie, congratulations.

The child then shuffled over even closer to me as though settling in for a bedtime story, the difference being that this time at least, he intended on telling it himself. "Mum and Dad are always fighting about Tiger you know," he commenced, and I had the bizarre urge to stop him and inform him that he'd missed the "once upon a time" part.

"Are they?" I responded with what I confess was at least partial interest.

"Yep," he continued happily, "Mum says that Dad loves Tiger way more than he loves her. He's always playing with Tiger and he always says he's too tired to do things with Mum."

Things? Oh boy, bad, bad Julie for expressing interest, this was rapidly turning into the sort of story I did not need to hear. Thankfully, he seemed quite oblivious of my growing discomfort and launched on, luckily in a direction somewhat different to that which I had initially feared.

"Mum says she's sick of this whole cop dog thing and that he should get a sensible job. Dad says he does have a sensible job and she just doesn't understand. That makes Mum mad, and she says that Joanne probably understands. Joanne's dad's cop dog partner, she's got a cop dog too, but it's not as cool as Tiger. Dogs are better than people though, don't ya think? I agree with Dad and Joanne."

Hmmm, well I was suddenly aware that my answer to this question should be thought out very, very carefully, especially given that the woman who had been with him on the platform, his mother presumably, was potentially very nearby and probably even listening. But then, would any sane human being sit by and let their child engage in such a conversation with a complete stranger?

"Well," I finally replied, "I guess it's kind of different for everyone."

Bingo Julie, the perfect example of the answer you give when you don't give an answer... I should be a politician!!

"Your dog's cool anyway," he said soothingly, as though I maybe needed to be convinced of this fact. Well, who knows, maybe I did. "The way she went for that guy at the station was really cool, Tiger does that sort of stuff. And that guy? He was really, really ugly so it's good that your dog scared him away."

Great, so now we were back to Usha hey, and just when I was beginning to not think about it. But hey, the guy was really, really ugly, remember? so everything was ok. From that moment forward, I found myself half wondering every subsequent time Usha growled at someone, if they too were really, really ugly!

In all seriousness though, I figured that this little fantasy on his part really wasn't good. Maybe I am a philanthropist after all, but I just couldn't bring myself to terminate this conversation with him still thinking that what Usha had done was indeed a good thing. I never got a chance to do anything about it though, as suddenly the woman, his mother presumably, appeared beside us and exclaimed, "Oh Kevin, don't tell me you've been annoying this nice lady have you?"

Oops, busted Kevin! "He hasn't been annoying you has he?" she asked concernedly.

"Oh no, not at all," I replied hastily and with this bizarre, 7-year-old feeling that I was lying to my 2nd-grade teacher about having done my homework. Kevin, for his part, seemed thoroughly satisfied by the whole experience, and proudly announced, "We're mates, aren't we? and you have the cooooolest dog!" before his mother shepherded him away and apologised to me for his intrusion once again.

They got off at the next station and left me sitting there with a ridiculous grin on my face which lasted almost the rest of my journey into the city. Ah Kevin, I never did convince you, but wherever you are out there, cheering on Tiger the biting chasing super-cool cop dog and siding with dad and, ahem, Joanne, whenever possible, you'll probably never know that you actually brightened up my very black day and left me with the very distinct knowledge that I had just been soundly and decisively outwitted by a 7-year-old. Fifty bucks says that dear Kevin will probably have a cop dog of his own some day.

Ok, so Usha's growling problem was not the least bit funny, but sometimes, when it all became too much for me and I just had to find a way to smile about it, I would give her a hug at the end of the day and tell her she was such a coooool dog!!

So everyone give your cool cop dogs a pat for me and never let your guard down around those little kids.
Back to Table of Contents

Checking Out the Traffic Check
by Suzanne Whalen

During the "Guide Dog in Your Life" seminar in Philadelphia, the topic of traffic training came up during Pilot's update. Some of our members were trying unsuccessfully to convince the instructor making the presentation about the essential role of traffic checks as a component of training. This discussion caused me to do considerable reflecting on my own experience over my years as a guide dog handler.

This article is the result of my reflection. All five of my dogs have been bred and trained by The Seeing Eye. I obtained my first dog in 1975. I went to class for my second dog in 1981, and for my third dog in 1985. When these three dogs were being trained, I believe that instructors sometimes drove in such a way as to force the dogs to practice taking evasive action such as stopping suddenly, backing up, or pulling sharply to the left or right. But this was only part of the dog's pre-class training. During class, the staff did not provide this opportunity for students to practice these skills. They would tap us on the shoulder to signal us to command our dogs to go forward when the light was not in our favor. Also, they sometimes convinced a driver to turn in front of us, cutting us off. This would force our dogs to stop. However, I don't remember ever having to practice backing up or swerving with my dog. I also don't remember having my dog be forced to stop so quickly that, if I were not paying attention, I would have stepped in front of him or her, putting myself in danger of being hit.

Until sometime in the early 1990's, all of the schools relied exclusively on the general public to provide the students' only exposure to aggressive tactics by motorists. However, things had really changed by the time I got my fourth dog, Iliad, in 1995! Throughout several days of that class, instructors drove cars to confront us in ways similar to the driving habits of the most discourteous members of the general public. They cut us off in narrow driveways and alleys. They turned close in front of us while we were crossing streets. Repeatedly, I learned what it felt like when my dog abruptly stopped, swerved, and backed up. I had numerous opportunities during class to practice understanding and following these signals with split-second timing and accuracy. This kind of systematic training, where instructional staff are driving the cars so as to set up a variety of traffic situations, is called the traffic check. To my understanding, with the exception of Pilot, all the schools in the US Council of Guide Dog Schools now utilize it as a routine part of dog and student training.

I don't have information about the schools that are not members of the Council. I believe that my experience is indicative of why every school should include traffic check training during class. There is a marked and discernible difference between the way my first three dogs handled themselves in traffic and the way my fourth and fifth dogs have done so. My first three dogs were much bolder in traffic, to the point of being almost overconfident and cocky. They brought me closer to moving vehicles than my last two dogs have. It seemed as if they "bluffed out" drivers, sure that they would stop. Of course, usually they did. On the rare occasions when motorists didn't stop, my dogs took appropriate action. Fortunately for me, even though I didn't have the benefit of the extensive traffic safety training I have now, I was able to react quickly enough to what my dogs were doing to avoid being hit.

By contrast, my last two dogs have given moving vehicles a much wider berth. I appreciate this added caution. The increased distance my dogs now maintain between us and moving traffic gives them more time to judge what the drivers are doing and act appropriately. More importantly, because of instructor traffic checks, I believe I now have an added margin of safety. I have learned in class to follow my dog, where my instructor was there to pull me out of the way if I didn't react fast enough.

I want to make a few critical points here; to be sure I'm not misunderstood. I'm not saying that my first three dogs were unsafe, or that they were poorly trained. I'm also not saying that Pilot's dogs are unsafe. If I am stating one aspect of Pilot's position correctly, they feel that the handler is responsible for judging traffic. In one sense, of course, I agree with them. Independent travelers, whether they are guide dog users or cane users, need to do our best to judge traffic to determine when it is safe to cross the street. But I think if we will be honest with ourselves, one of the reasons many of us continue to use dogs over the years is that we believe that our dogs give us an added margin of safety which, for whatever reason, we didn't feel we had as cane travelers. For one thing, I think we can all agree that traffic has become faster and more congested in recent years. For another thing, cars are quieter today than they used to be. I'm sure I am not alone in having the experience of hearing an approaching car only after my dog has refused to obey the "Forward" command. There is one final point to be made concerning the state of affairs of traffic today. Motorists as a group have become more rushed, more distracted, more discourteous, and less attentive than they were twenty years ago. In my opinion, this trend toward not paying attention will increase, now that people have in-car theater systems and e-mail and video games on their cell phones, to name only a few examples of driver distractions. I'm also not saying, of course, that the additional skills training provided by the traffic check will guarantee that guide dog users will not be hit. But speaking both personally and as NAGDU President, I commend the overwhelming majority of the schools in the Council for doing whatever they can to keep their graduates as safe as possible. NAGDU urges Pilot and any other schools not currently employing the planned traffic check as a part of class to begin doing so.

The issue of skills development cannot be overemphasized, either for the individual teams or for the school. Gigi Firth told me that when she was in class to get Bianca, her instructor had to pull her back during a traffic check because, without knowing it, she had stepped out in front of Bianca. Gigi is an experienced handler. Bianca was her fifth dog. However, that class, in 1993, was the first time Gigi had experienced traffic check training. Learning to interpret and respond to a new dog's signals takes time. It also takes time for a new dog to trust that the handler will respond quickly to those signals. If Gigi had continued to step out in front of Bianca (which she did not), instructors could have set up additional traffic checks specifically targeted to solve this individual problem. When I was in class at The Seeing Eye in 1999 to get Caddo, one of the supervising instructors cut us off in a driveway. I thought I felt Caddo back up. But the instructor driving the traffic check didn't think that Caddo had given me a strong enough signal. So he tapped Caddo on the nose with a rolled-up magazine and drove on. Two days later, in the same location, the same instructor repeated the maneuver. This time, Caddo's backup move was strong, definite, and unmistakable. The schools also learn. Over time, they refine their traffic checks. When I obtained Iliad in 1995, I was one of many in my class who expressed concern that the dogs seemed too slow, too hesitant, almost fearful in the street. The Seeing Eye figured out the ways in which it might have been overdoing the traffic training just a bit. By the time I arrived in 1999 to work with Caddo, I noticed the difference. The Seeing Eye was producing dogs who demonstrated enough caution to give the added margin of safety in traffic but who also had enough confidence to maintain a good pace in the street.

Following our NAGDU meeting in Philadelphia, I wrote a letter to Jay Gray, CEO of Pilot, outlining the advantages of routine traffic check training. Ray Byers, Pilot's Director of Training, sent me a courteous response. His response is the most recent communication I have had with Pilot. In his response, Mr. Byers said Pilot would take the points raised in my letter under consideration and ask its graduates for their input. By the way, Pilot has an outstanding method for graduate input, their annual conventions. I mean no disrespect to Pilot graduates. I understand, as some Pilot graduates have pointed out to me, that Pilot is located in an industrial area of Columbus, Ohio, and so there is a lot of truck traffic to contend with. Obviously, it's a great thing when a school values the input of its graduates. But with all due respect, I suggest that any school not exposing its students to traffic checks by instructors should seriously learn why those schools who have added this component to their training are doing so. Again, with all due respect, I suggest that, unless a Pilot graduate has attended another school after traffic check training became the norm, he or she cannot understand the increase in the intensity and the level of training afforded by instructor traffic checks. He or she also cannot appreciate the difference it makes in the way the dog approaches traffic. I know I was shocked and surprised by the difference I saw between my dogs trained in the seventies and eighties and those trained in the nineties.
Back to Table of Contents

A NOSE FOR NEWS
By Toni and Ed Eames

In early November we invited the local Guide Dogs for the Blind puppy raisers to our home to learn more about blindness and working with fully trained adult guide dogs. Ed enjoys showing off our talking computer and Toni demonstrates Braille, talking books and many of the kitchen devices she has accumulated over the years, particularly helpful as aids for blind cooks! It is always great fun and we admire these dedicated families.

Later that month we took a trip to Washington, DC. We stayed in a hotel near the airport, so we'd be close by for our presentation to Delta Airlines staff. We premiered our video focused on air travel completed just in time for the trip. Although the session was scheduled for an hour, it lasted almost two with lots of questions about the work we are doing with the National Council on Disability for the Federal Aviation Administration. Everyone was delighted to hear our committee had recommended the barring of service animals such as snakes and rodents from the cabin!

Friends Jane and Pat Sheehan with Jane's guide dog Xenon met us for dinner at the hotel. To our collective astonishment, the hotel did not have one of the basic ADA requirements, Braille and feelable print markings on the floors at the sides of the elevator. Since we had a bell person escort us when we all arrived, there was no problem getting to our room initially. However, on the way down after the bell person left, we weren't quite sure we were at the lobby when the elevator stopped. Jane solved our problem when she sniffed the air and said we must be at the lobby floor because she smelled the restaurant food. Turns out she was right! When we spoke with the manager the next day, he was appalled that the company he used to make the hotel ADA compliant had goofed and promised to take care of the lapse as soon as possible. He immediately understood the problem when we told him we had no way of knowing which floor the elevator stopped at without such markings. It's funny what such chance encounters can lead to! It turns out the manager's son had been in a diving accident two years ago and was considering getting a service dog. We gave the manager lots of material about the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners (IAADP).

A major reason for the trip was to get acquainted with our grandniece Sophia. Her mom Pam works for the National League of Cities and husband Alex is an attorney. As foodaholics, we were impressed with this 13-month-old who ate Indian food one night, Thai food for lunch and pizza another night! The way to go, Sophia!

Later that week another treat was in store for us! We had lunch with Jack Ward, a retired American Kennel Club obedience judge, we haven't seen since 1992. At that time, we were competing in Bermuda obedience trials with our former guide dogs Ivy and Kirby, and Jack was one of the judges. Since that time, he has gone blind, but it hasn't slowed down this 86-year-old bundle of energy! He's learned Braille, has continued as a ham radio operator and works with a speech reading computer, similar to ours. Jack received lots of help from the computer gurus at the NFB National Center in Baltimore. It was wonderful to see Jack again and experience his enthusiasm for life.

On our last day, we were up early for a fabulous limousine ride to do breakfast presentations for Nutramax Cosequin, one of IAADP's Veterinary Care Partnership sponsors. Dr. Barbara Eves arranged for two presentations and a wonderful East Coast bagel breakfast. It was great meeting the people behind the grant! We began negotiating another relationship with this caring organization to extend their support of assistance dogs. After several months of discussion, Ed announced that IAADP assistance dog partner members would be eligible for free supplies of Cosequin from Nutramax Laboratories, a nationally recognized product helping to maintain healthy joint functions. Not only are Echo and Escort and our four cats on this product, but we use the human equivalent to help us stay limber. For further information about IAADP and its membership benefits, check out www.iaadp.org or call 586-826-3938.

Our limo driver then whisked us to the Baltimore Airport for another presentation to Delta Air Line staff. We were in for a special treat when Rochelle Lesser joined us for the talk and helped while away the time before the first of three flights home. We had never met Rochelle, but were connected by our mutual love of Golden Retrievers and Jewish food! Rochelle maintains a web site, Landofpuregold, featuring many of our articles and stories. She baked the most fabulous miniature Danishes called rugalof for us. Not wanting to leave out Escort and Echo, she brought along home made goodies for them too.

Delta treated us very well on the way home. We flew first class and were even served a meal! At Atlanta, usually a nightmare airport, we were met by a cadre of escorts and driven in a van to a grassy area where Escort and Echo could relieve! A fellow passenger accompanying us was extremely impressed with our VIP treatment.

Arriving in Salt Lake City prepared to board the final flight to Fresno, passengers were informed the flight had been canceled due to fog. Despite the stress of not getting home, we were given royal treatment, and taken to a nearby hotel. The staff were extremely friendly and we spent a very comfortable night. Arriving home before noon the next day, we didn't miss much.

An early highlight of December was a visit from our Boise, Idaho friend and NAGDU board member, Dana Ard with Golden Retriever guide dog Fringe. We had a wonderful six days and were able to introduce Dana to many of our Fresno friends. After Christmas breakfast with Bobbie Mayer, Dana played the piano and Bobbie the cello. We quietly sang along, since neither of us can carry a tune!

Sadly, two months after this wonderful visit, Fringe was diagnosed with a brain tumor to which she quickly succumbed. Two other friends lost their guide dogs to cancer within weeks of Fringe's death. It gives us pause, since Echo will be 10 in May and Escort will be 11 in September. For those of us who have transitioned from one guide to a successor dog, the grief we experience is a shared emotion. Although still grieving, Dana will return to Guide Dogs for the Blind in late April to train with a successor dog.

On January 2, we met our new Fresno veterinarian, Dr. Richard Kahn. Dr. Bob Larsen, our vet for the past 10 years, retired, and we did not want to stay with the new practice owner. Dr. Kahn is personable, knowledgeable and good with the animals. Kizzy, our very temperamental Siamese, never stopped purring WHILE BEING EXAMINED. We couldn't believe it, but Dr. Kahn scaled Kizzy's teeth without a growl or hiss or temper tantrum! Wow! This man is a keeper!

After a travel hiatus of 7 weeks, we were off and flying on January 8 to San Antonio for the IAADP annual conference. We shared a two room suite with NFB relief worker Debbie Prieto, new IAADP board member Jill Exposito with Golden Retriever hearing dog Uriah and Canadian friend Devon Wilkins with yellow Labrador guide dog Oak. The four dogs got along famously, and Jill was amazed when the usually calm and unplayful Uriah got turned on by young and exuberant Oak. In fact, Uriah even barked, a rare occurrence since he and Jill were teamed four years ago.

The suite worked out great because we had a combined dining room and living room, where we and members of the IAADP board had several of our meals. The suite was also the site of the IAADP hospitality and welcoming session where more than 80 guests showed up to munch on snacks and enjoy great conversation! Debbie and board member Carol King hosted the event and helped set things up. As usual, Lynn Meenen, husband of former board member Quint, drove all over the place getting food for the evening event.

The actual conference day went off without a hitch and we are so pleased with the growth and depth of IAADP. Board chairperson Joan Froling put together a great program. Our keynote speaker, Dr. Bob Taylor, of Animal Planet fame, set a wonderful tone for the rest of the day. Attendance was up once again, after last year's low, and 120 participants were registered.

Ed had the bitter/sweet job of presenting the Ed Clifford Unsung Hero Award to Lynn Meenen. He eulogized Ed Clifford, deceased husband of board member Mimi, as the epitome of a mensch. Ed noted this word in Yiddish translates into person, but means much more than that. It means one who exemplifies humaneness as well as personhood. Lynn Meenen was the perfect choice for this honor! Like Ed Clifford, Lynn has always been willing to go that extra mile to lend a hand or a vehicle at IAADP board meetings and conferences.

In addition to door prizes, attendees had the opportunity to win a vast variety of dog-related raffle gifts skillfully organized and run by Arlene Dickinson and her colleagues at Florida Dog Guides for the Deaf. This spectacular raffle raised more than $700 for IAADP! Way to go, Arlene!

Tuesday evening the 14th, we flew from San Antonio to Miami for the conference of the Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality. We were hoping to warm up from the cold Texas temperatures, but Miami was just as cold! With no major work commitments to this group, we could enjoy sessions and socialize with friends in the evenings. NFB guide dog partner Betty McNally with chapter members Ray and Denise, kept us company on Sunday until our return to the airport.

Our three flights home were uneventful and, of course, lacking in meals! In Atlanta, Delta staff met us and we again drove to a grass area where the dogs were able to relieve. At the T terminal, we again met Buck Buchanan, a retired military officer now working for Delta, and he reintroduced us to a wonderful airport pizza place selling New York size slices! When we arrived at Salt Lake City, we thought we would have to spend another night there because of fog in Fresno. However, the fog lifted enough for the plane to take off and land, and it sure felt good to be home!

On the 25th of February we welcomed friend Ayesha Vernon back to Fresno. Ayesha is a British guide dog partner, who traveled to California to present several lectures at the University of California, Berkeley. Wednesday evening, Linda Haymond, convention volunteer coordinator at the NAGDU table, joined us for a meal at a Japanese restaurant. Ayesha is an incredible woman who has overcome many obstacles in her early life in India to achieve a Ph.D. by age 30. Her visit was cut short by our need to fly to Albuquerque, New Mexico to speak at the conference of the Emergency Nurses Association.

With all the traveling we do, waking up at 3:30 for a 4:30 A.M. pick up to the airport is getting easier. However, our flight from Fresno to Salt Lake City on Friday, Feb. 28 did not go smoothly! The officious flight attendant on SkyWest insisted we had to take bulkhead seating. When we refused and settled Echo and Escort under our assigned seats, she attempted to intimidate Ed by threatening to have him removed from the plane if he didn't behave and change his attitude!

The rest of the trip was uneventful and we got settled into the hotel without difficulty. We seem to have a magic touch about meeting people on the internet who live in the cities we are about to visit. Guide dog users, Ron and Lisa Brooks warmly invited us to come to their home for dinner. Their friends, Paul and Judy with Judy's guide dog, rounded out a wonderful evening of storytelling, laughter and good food. Six month old Casey Brooks cooperated by falling asleep early allowing her parents to enjoy adult company. Toni was in her glory when one of the two family cats shared his affectionate purrs with her.

The next day, our presentations, Is Your Hospital Going to the Dogs, were well received by a group of dog-loving nurse administrators. We met some super people and were pleased to be asked back in the future. By the time we left the hotel, the snowfall of the previous night had melted and the temperature was quite pleasant. We feel like jet setters making an overnight trip!

We didn't want to forget the Skywest incident and filed a formal complaint, as soon as we returned home. The flight attendant was reprimanded and we received vouchers of $400 for future flights.

Of course, wee celebrated Ed's 73rd birthday, March 7, with several eating events! On March 6, Helen and Beth Shea baked a turkey and brought it with all the trimmings to us. What a wonderful treat! The birthday boy celebrated his special day when Linda Haymond took us to a new Indian restaurant and the food was fabulous! On the 8th, we had our local NFB meeting at a Basque restaurant known for plentiful food! NFB president Shirley Harper surprised Ed with a delicious sugar-free birthday cake! How are `we ever going to lose weight before our South African trip in April?

We have been working through teleconferencing with the National Council on Disability to establish policies for assistance dog relief areas at airports. This is a complex problem involving coordination of airlines, airports and security. Our previous discussions with NCD setting up guidelines to identify legitimate assistance dogs will shortly be finalized and appear as a guidance document on the Department of Transportation's web site. Since the relief area working committee will be meeting during the next 12 months, if any of you have suggestions, comments or experiences to share, please contact us.

With the convention coming up soon, we're on a roll to recruit volunteers and set up suitable relief areas. Since the Galt House underwent some renovation, we're not sure where the designated areas will be. When you check into the hotel, be sure to sign in at the NAGDU table to be eligible for a cash prize, pick of Advantage flea control and other goodies. See you there.

Toni and Ed Eames
can be contacted at:
Ed and Toni Eames
3376 North Wishon,
Fresno, CA 93704-4832;
Tel. 559 - 224-0544; e-mail:
Contact Ed and Tony Eames
Back to Table of contents

FOLLOW UP
by Eugenia Firth

Follow up services is an area which every prospective guide dog user should carefully evaluate, but few people who have no prior experience with guide dogs do when deciding where to go for a guide dog. I know I didn't, and I have talked to others who didn't either. I have heard people say that they chose their school for geographical reasons or a whole host of other reasons that have nothing to do with follow up. One person I recently spoke with said she was considering a certain school so that her family could visit during class time. While those things might be an interesting consideration, some of the recent people I have spoken with knew absolutely nothing about their chosen school's follow up services. Indeed, these people had no inkling of the importance to them of those services until later.

I believe it's an issue important to all guide dog users. However, there are some people for whom success as a guide dog user may depend upon their school's follow up services. These groups of people include, but are certainly not limited to, those with special needs, those with some mobility problems, and first-time guide dog users. Retrains and others without additional difficulties may need follow up services because unanticipated problems can arise. However, the above-mentioned groups should pay particular attention to whether a school has such services that meet their needs when choosing a guide dog school.

Several years ago, a friend of Suzanne's and mine, who also lives in Texas, decided to change schools. She is difficult to match with a dog. On the one hand, she leads a very active lifestyle, and therefore needs an energetic dog. On the other hand, she walks quite slowly and, because of back problems, can't tolerate the hard pull and fast pace that are characteristic of many energetic dogs. When our friend applied to the school, she was told that if she had not been a retrain, they wouldn't have taken her, because at that time Texas was beyond their normal radius for follow up services. Confident of her dog handling abilities, she went to the school anyway. She was matched with a dog, and it has ultimately worked out; they have been together for many years. But she ended up getting into a battle with the school over follow up, which they eventually provided. The dog had some unusual fears that our friend could not resolve. She also walked too fast and pulled too hard, and our friend couldn't slow her down without help. Again, follow up was eventually provided and they've had a good relationship. But suppose that hadn't been the case.

I think that experienced handlers sometimes think we ought to be able to solve any problem on our own and that there should never be a need for intervention by an instructor. I've seen some posts on guide dog lists where people have said they don't mind that their schools don't provide a lot of follow up, because they feel it makes them better handlers to figure things out. I disagree with this view. Each dog is different, and the chemistry between each dog and handler is unique. Techniques with which we've succeeded in the past may not work with this dog, even for the same problem. Instructors train hundreds of dogs over a long career. Therefore they see many more dog personalities than we will ever see, no matter how many dogs we work with over a lifetime. I don't care how many dogs a person has had. There's no shame in calling the school for help, and it may salvage the relationship.

I'm not saying we need someone to hold our hands every time the dog chews up a leash. But some problems are clear emergencies. Being hit by a car is an obvious example. In my opinion, a school should not accept a person living far away if its resources do not permit it to have an instructor visit that graduate promptly in an emergency. Then there are other problems that are frightening, like the perception that you may be having too many close calls in traffic but you're not entirely sure. Still other problems, if they persist long enough over time, can be so frustrating that without help the graduate may just decide to throw in the towel and return the dog. Replacing a dog, though done for good reason, is a wrenching, heartbreaking experience best avoided if possible.

I've been using guide dogs since 1969. Suzanne has been doing it since 1975. We pretty much agree on a plan of action when problems arise with our dogs. If it's a traffic situation, we call the school that day if we can. If it's something less serious, we'll work on it for a week, maybe two weeks at the most. During that one to two week period, we'll seek suggestions from friends who are experienced guide dog users. We'll see what problem solving techniques we can figure out, and we'll try them. If there's been no significant improvement by the time that week or two is up, we'll call the school. Sometimes telephone advice does the trick, sometimes not. When it doesn't, it's comforting to know that an instructor will visit us when he or she is in our area, and sooner if the situation warrants it.

Because we're dealing with living things here (the dog and the person), both are unpredictable. It's true that many of us have worked with dogs for many years and never needed to see an instructor until we returned for our next dog. But serious problems do happen for first-timers and experienced handlers alike. For this reason, my own opinion is that, regardless of how many dogs a person has had, a school should not accept a student if it cannot provide timely follow up beyond a certain geographical area. Short of that, regional schools do the responsible thing when they explain to applicants that timely follow up most likely will not be available. If I were applying to any school, I would ask questions such as the following. What does the school consider "timely follow up?" In a truly emergency situation, how long will I normally expect to wait for an instructor to visit? For less serious problems still requiring instructor intervention if telephone advice doesn't resolve the situation, what's the average length of time I will expect to wait? About how often during the year do instructors visit my area? Of course, the answer to this last question depends on variable factors, including the need to visit other graduates in the area and the need to do home interviews with applicants, and obviously the goal here is not to commit the school to an exact number. But they should be able to give you a ball park idea based on recent experience. "We get to your area on average about once every four months" is different from "It's been three years since we've had reason to come to your state. We just don't get many graduates or applicants from there."

To sum up: Nobody wants serious problems when working with a guide dog. But they can happen. When they do, the availability or lack of timely follow up services can make or break the relationship. Follow up services should not be overlooked or considered lightly when choosing a guide dog school. This is true whether a person is choosing a school for a first dog or considering changing schools.
Back to Table of Contents

 DIVISION OFFICERS

You can download a copy of this issue in ASCII Text by selecting the link below:

Download This issue in ASCII Text Format