Day 14 - Graduation

You just want to go home. You may be worried, but reaching this point means that you have the basic skills that will help this new guide team be successful. You have one thing left to do in class.

Doggie Grad

Graduation has very little to do with you. In fact, for you, this is more of a beginning. For the dog, however, this is a ceremony that celebrates all that they have done in the short year-and-a-half since their birth. In addition, graduation recognizes the hard work of the puppy raisers.

Graduation is emotional. Graduation is (for those that don’t like to speak into a microphone) stressful. Graduation is controlled chaos. Graduation is fun!

If your puppy raiser is attending graduation, you can expect them to arrive shortly after lunch. You may be asked if you want to have an after-graduation meal with them. Assuming that you are going home on Saturday, you will be packed and ready before the raisers arrive. Trust me on this, you WILL BE PACKED BEFORE THE RAISERS ARRIVE!

When you meet your raiser, you can expect your dog to break just about every rule. They will be very excited to see the raisers. The best option is to keep them out of harness, and immediately hand your leash to the raiser. Let them have their time.

Also, take some time Saturday morning to let your dog burn off some energy. Let them play a bit so that they have a better chance at being manageable through the afternoon.

Brush your dog’s teeth at least twenty-four hours ahead of graduation. Groom your dog on Saturday morning. Relieve your dog before lunch, then again before the graduation ceremony begins. Ask the resident assistant to help find lost items.

Most people will dress in business casual or better for graduation. True formal wear is not necessary. You will be taking professional pictures with your dog and, assuming that they attend, your puppy raisers.

I will not write to much about the graduation ceremony itself, but I will make a few recommendations:

First, think about what you are going to say. You will have a short amount of time to speak to the audience. Keep it short, keep it focused on the dog, the friends and family that helped you get to GDB, the GDB staff, and the puppy raiser. Remember, this ceremony is for them, not you. You’ve already said what needs to be said to your class, and no one else is going to get the inside jokes. Relax.

Second, carry tissues or handkerchiefs. Graduation is an emotional event. Even if it isn’t for you, it might be for your raiser or someone nearby.

Let people help you. This is not a situation where you will be working your dog, nor will you use a cane. Sighted guides are abundantly available.

Relax.

The End

As I finish documenting this two week experience, I want to thank my family, friends, and coworkers for allowing me this time away to train. The compressed class experience affords less down time in which to stay in touch. Your understanding has been great!

Thanks to the other clients in my class. May you all have long and successful travels with your new companions.

To the support staff and volunteers at GDB, you have my deepest thanks. You make a home base for us to work out of during a very difficult time. My particular thanks to those that worked over the Thanksgiving holiday during this class experience.

To the instructors of our class, thank you. You successfully showed me a new way of working a dog. My travels will be safer and more successful because of how you broke down my old habits and raised me up in the new psychology of dog handling. Here’s to positive re-enforcement.

And finally, to my puppy raiser family. Kincaid would not be here in the place where I need him without your time, dedication, and effort. I know from firsthand experience how sending off a dog for training can feel. Know now that your work was worth it and that you have changed at least one life.

And to Kincaid: Let’s kick ass, little man. Forward!

Day 13 - Wrap It Up

It is the last Friday of class. One last formal route and some “wrap it up” lectures. We have almost arrived. I will use this entry to provide some wrap-up information as well.

Packing Up

Early on I referred to saving luggage space for extra equipment. The list varies somewhat with each class that I attend, but what follows is a list of the new items that I can take home with me this time. Again, this may change.

1. Food – GDB provides food for the trip home and an extra few days. If you haven’t already ordered food, this can be a good bridge. 2. An approximately three-foot-by-three-foot rug that acts as your dog’s bed. 3. A fanny pack with grooming and tooth brushing equipment. 4. A pouch with dog booties intended for use with escalators or extreme weather. 5. A handful of pick-up bags for the trip and to bridge until you have your own supply at home. 6. A food measuring cup. 7. A one-year supply of flea/tick and heartworm preventative. 8. A travel cup with lid. (Always have a lid on hot beverages when around your dog.) 9. Three dog toys. 10. An approximately two-foot long cable with clips at each end that acts as a dog tie-down. 11. Training aids such as a clicker and head collar, in addition to your dog’s harness and leash. 12. A binder with various pieces of information.

Much of this will need to be packed. If you run out of space, you can arrange to ship clothing to your home. You can arrange this with GDB staff.

You may also have purchased items while on routes or at the on-campus GDB gift shop. The gift shop in particular is a great source of dog equipment. My special favorite being a small pouch that keeps your dog’s tags from clicking with every step. You can also purchase GDB-logoed clothing and other items. The gift shop prices are quite competitive, and they do accept credit card payments. (The gift shop is also available on www.guidedogs.com.) Remember to make room in your luggage for these items.

Friday afternoon and evening, as well as a significant portion of Saturday morning is open for you to pack, prepare, and say goodbyes to your classmates. Once puppy raisers arrive and graduation starts, time gets very chaotic. Expect that you will not have much of an opportunity to relax after lunch on Saturday.

At this point you have only one thing left to do.

Day 12 - Who Are You?

Assuming that there are no extenuating circumstances, you will have most or all of your training checklist complete by the last Thursday of class. Thursday is about polishing and overflow.

In this class everything has gone well. We have lost a minimum of time due to client illness or injury (yes, both chronic and acute problems should be expected). In addition, we had no dog changes. A mid-class dog change is uncommon, but can happen. This doesn’t mean that you should lessen bonding with the initially assigned dog. In fact, you can prevent some reasons for dog changes simply by quickly developing a relationship. In my four class sessions, I have had one mid-class dog change.

You should now be thinking about graduation, and what the first few days at home will be like. You might pre-order a bag of food to be delivered before or shortly after you arrive. Ask housemates to start dog-proofing. How will you introduce your new dog to friends and family? In many ways, you can equate this homecoming to leaving the hospital with a newborn baby. Plan it appropriately.

Puppy Raisers

My favorite part of the last few days of class is the introduction to the puppy raiser(s). GDB uses a large community of volunteers to start the training and socializing of puppies. Without these amazingly giving people formal guide training would not be possible. In most cases, this is the first opportunity you will have to learn about your dog outside of their formal guide training experience.

You will receive the formal recall report from the puppy raiser(s). This will give some basic information about your dog’s experience in the raiser home. In addition, most puppy raisers provide a “Fun Things About My Puppy” form that gives more detailed or entertaining information about the dog’s early life. (Note: If you are a reading this as a puppy raiser, please know that the FTAMP report is greatly appreciated in class. You filling it out makes for some good entertainment and an otherwise impossible glimpse into the dog’s personality.)

Understand, however, that the puppy reports do not necessarily reflect your dog’s current behaviors. Dogs in the first two years of life mature rapidly. Behaviors they showed in the raiser home may now be gone.

You will also learn a bit about the puppy raiser. Where do they live? Did they have or encounter children or other animals? These can all be helpful in understanding how your dog may fit into its new life. Most importantly, however, you will learn if your puppy raiser(s) will be attending graduation. Raisers will often travel unexpectedly long distances just to spend a few short hours with their successful puppy. This is often the last time that they will see the dog. Remember this over the next few days.

Early in class you are asked if GDB can release your contact information to the primary raiser. I highly recommend this, as raisers usually have entertaining or heart-warming stories, and can be an invaluable source of behavioral information. It is in these last few days of class that you can expect a phone call from most raisers, even if they will not be attending graduation. Take the opportunity to ask questions, listen to stories, and generally get a feel for the kind of people that had such an impact on the formative time in your dog’s life.

Several years ago, my wife and I raised a puppy for GDB. I was given a fantastic glimpse into the other end of the training experience. I learned how the dogs grow and develop, but best of all I learned just how much work goes into that first year of the dog’s life. I also learned how difficult it can be to watch a dog go back to school, and how tense one can feel with every new puppy progress report. These raisers poured their heart and soul into your dog. You’ve seen the benefits of their work with every success over the past two weeks. Remember to thank them.

The Vet

Not surprisingly, GDB has veterinarians on staff. You will meet with a vet late in class. You will learn about your dog’s medical history, and will receive a final checkup. The output of this is a packet of information that you should take to your home vet, and a health certificate. If you are travelling to a home outside the United States, your dog may receive additional inoculations at this time. Listen well to the vet talk, as they provide invaluable advice on how to keep your dog in top condition so as to provide years of service.

Day 11 - Getting in the Groove

There is a point in class where each new team starts to feel comfortable. They understand the flow and pace that works best. They know the cadence of commands and motion that best communicates desired action. They start to understand what each other tolerates. They are not yet thinking together, but they have at least taken steps toward coordinated performance. And it feels good.

This is the primary purpose of the “standard route”. Back on the third day of class, a basic or standard route was introduced by the instructor. This route is meant to provide the team an opportunity to practice while working toward a purpose. We call it a standard route because the team will work it throughout class.

This is very similar to many at-home situations. I, for example, will walk a standard route to-and-from work every week day. My dog will become so good at this route that he will be able to do it with only minimal direction. Through walking this route, we will continue to build confidence in each other.

Building the standard route is fairly easy. The key is to keep the route positive and directed. There should be a goal (usually a destination). The dog will, like finding a down-curb after a block, feel a sense of accomplishment when the goal is achieved. The dog may not think of the goal throughout the route, but will be able to easily target it at an ever increasing distance.

We start learning the standard route by walking it ourselves. This is done to provide the dog the greatest level of confidence when s/he first walks the path. Walking a block, then trying to determine which way to go will cause the dog to lose confidence and a sense of purpose. Remember, the idea is to make the dog succeed. Dithering does not help.

Now that the handler knows the route, s/he walks the dog, with a cane or a sighted guide, along the path. The dog is not guiding at this point, and may not even be in harness. Yet we treat the trip as if the dog were working. We walk from corner to corner with purpose. We reward at proper points. We press toward the goal. The dog is learning that this is a path, not a social visit with friends along the way.

This patterning walk can happen one or more times. Once the handler is confident, the team works the route. This time it is real. The dog is guiding in harness. The handler provides an abundance of food rewards to impress upon the dog that each little piece of the route is a positive experience. The dog is learning that the route can be accomplished with him/her at the wheel. Confidence rises.

After a few times through the standard route (which may take several days), the handler starts to vary the food rewards. A down-curb that warranted a reward yesterday may only receive praise today, but tomorrow it gets a reward again. The dog learns that food rewards can happen at any time, so s/he attempts to do the best job possible each time. Meanwhile, the handler progressively reduces the amount of food rewarded. Praise is free, so is always offered for a job well done.

The general concept of establishing the standard route is learned in class. The handler learns the method, and quickly implements the theory with a route that means nothing except in the class environment. With the theory and some practical experience under their belts, the team can go home and establish routes in their own community. These routes, however, will have much longer impact on the team, and should be taught with care. They will show dividends in the future.

Again, it is on these standard routes that the team builds flow and coordination. Like learning to play an instrument, working through a basic practice regiment helps build muscle memory and confidence. After only a few weeks the team will work the most common standard routes with ease. This comfort will allow them to develop their own style and pace. They will be presented with problems in a known environment, which reduces confusion.

Should the team work outside the standard route during the formative early months? Most definitely yes. Stretching the team’s newly found abilities is the only way to keep them improving. Early on, however, they should expect that they will not have the same level of confidence in a new area.

Today, for example, my dog and I worked our standard route in the morning. We executed very well, with only a few small problems. I, and I assume he, felt like a functioning team. In the afternoon we visited a new location with heavy traffic and some difficult crossings. The change was apparent from the start, as we looked to the instructor for guidance and support. Our cadence was off. Though he performed very well considering the conditions, I did not feel that same sense of being part of a team. It was, in a word, more awkward. Could we eventually turn this new location into a standard route? Certainly, but it would take time just like any other route.

That sense of awkwardness never fully goes away in my case. I always try to push the bounds of my own abilities, and look to the dog to do the same. However, we will eventually build enough trust that we will overcome much of this difficulty in working new routes. Instead, we will seek out new paths to wander. For now, though, we are still learning just how to walk together.

It takes time.

Day 10 - Stress Test

In case I haven’t mentioned it previously, the class schedule is quite variable. Though today (the second Tuesday) reflects several testing scenarios, the next class may have today’s events broken up across multiple days, or they may be on a different day altogether.

Class instructors and supervisors appear to maintain a checklist for each client. In addition to some mandatory items, the client can request optional training opportunities that suit their particular needs. Mandatory items are intended to provide the client information about how their dog works, or provide essential skills that are necessary for all teams. For example, teaching your dog a standard route is a mandatory item, while working escalators is optional. The entire class will work some mandatory items as a whole, while others are worked with only a few at a time.

One of the most common reasons that people seek the assistance of a guide dog relates to traffic. The handler is expected to read his/her own traffic while standing at a street corner. However, automobiles may, like pedestrians, threaten to impede the team’s line of travel at unexpected times. These are called traffic checks.

The team’s first traffic check can happen any time after they first hit the streets. My earliest traffic check with a particular dog involved a delivery truck that overran a corner on my first ever route with my second dog. It should be no surprise that he and I started bonding fairly early in the class experience.

Traffic checks exhibit a trained behavior called “intelligent disobedience”. The dog, who we normally expect to obey commands, may refuse or even perform a completely opposite action as to the one asked. For example, telling a dog to step into the path of an oncoming vehicle should result in no reaction from the dog. The dog recognizes the safety hazard, and waits for the handler to acknowledge that the correct decision was made.

Again, we don’t always encounter traffic checks at street corners. . They can occur at any time, and do not always involve a moving vehicle. With my current guide, we encountered a running vehicle blocking our line of travel on our second route on the streets. The driver was attempting to turn left out of a parking lot, and my dog, properly, refused to closely approach or circumnavigate the vehicle. Why is this a good reaction? Because I can’t see the driver. I have no idea if the driver has seen me, and I don’t know when they might start moving. Why not just travel behind the car?...Which end is the front, and which is the back? We did the safe thing and waited until the obstruction was out of the way, then continued with heaps of praise.

GDB does not expect that we will encounter all forms of traffic checks during class. In fact, I expect that they hope that we don’t, as some of them, such as the overrun curb, could be quite dangerous if encountered “in the wild”. Therefore, a route is planned during which the handler gets to see how their dog reacts to a variety of traffic incidents. This route is not intended to frighten or disrupt either the dog or the handler, although I can admit that it can be stressful to all involved. It features a number and variety of traffic checks, each of which exhibits a different behavior.

If You Can Dodge A Wrench…

One of the primary objectives of class is to gain the dog’s attention. This means that, if presented with a distracting situation, the dog will turn to the handler for guidance and support. The end goal is to have the dog work past a distraction in order to reach the destination. We do this through the use of positive re-enforcers like food and praise. If a dog is truly distracted (and it is safe to do so) we can use a negative re-enforcer called a “time out”. Finally, there are situations where a traditional leash correction may be appropriate.

Yet the first option is the positive re-enforcers. Over the days since receiving the dog, the handler has been developing the dog’s recognition that the handler will, if a distraction is ignored, provide the positive re-enforcers. Again stealing a phrase from the instruction staff, we have “built a bank” of trust with the dog. And today it’s time to test that out.

Pet stores in general are extremely distracting for dogs. A normally well-trained dog may have trouble maintaining composure when exposed to so many distracting opportunities. A guide dog must overcome these distractions to safely move his/her handler through the store. Although we are not at the end of class and we do expect to continue learning and bonding, we can view the pet store as a major test of our abilities and time. I should specify that this is an internal test. GDB expects that working in a pet store, at this point in the process, should have some level of success. In other words, this is a kind of proof to the handler that the re-enforcement techniques and concepts work. Not to mention the fact that it displays the level to which the relationship between dog and handler has already grown.

With the growth of Internet shopping, it is now possible that a guide team will not have to work a pet store outside of class. On the other hand, how many stores could possibly pose as many distractions as a pet store? Perhaps a butcher that is nearing a health code-related shut down. In other words, if the guide team can work successfully in a pet store, we can expect that they will be able to work in just about any other building.

Shake It Off

Teams could be excused from feeling a bit stressed after a morning of traffic and an afternoon trip to the pet store. The reality is that this kind of day might not be uncommon for some teams. And so we find ways to blow that stress away. Dogs, like humans, like a bit of stretching and relaxation to decompress.

In my experience, we stretched it off with our first real long blocks and a quick trip through a suburban trail. For me, and hopefully for my new dog, this opportunity to get some speed and distance was exactly what was needed.

And then the harness comes off and we play. Because at the end of the day, he’s still a dog.

Day 9 - Night Moves

So you are now a week into the guide dog experience. You think you know what commands the dog will perform for, how it reacts in many situations, and how it is going to fit into your life. And then the night route happens.

Everything changes for a dog at night, just like it does for us. A route the team has followed successfully for months may cause the dog to react completely differently if run at night. Lighting and shadows, different traffic flows (both pedestrian and wheeled), ambient sounds, and other key markers will most likely change when the sun goes down. Dogs react to these changes in a variety of ways. One dog will speed up through the route, while another slows down. They may be more jumpy, less able to focus, or hypersensitive. You may even find something new that the dog fears.

Yet your handling can not change. It is the one anchor that the dog has when exploring this similar, but not same, environment. In many ways, the night route is the point in the class experience where the dog starts to depend on the handler for solace and the constancy that they crave.

Add to this the fact that many handlers with low-vision are uncomfortable working at night. They depend on residual sight during the day, and build up coping mechanisms that fail in the dark. The night route can be scary for the handler as well. For me, on the other hand, it’s usually just something else that needs to be done at the end of a long day.

When you encounter the night route, I recommend that you try to relax. Close your eyes if possible. Before starting the route, mentally review all the great travel the dog has enabled over the past few days. Remember how, just a few hours ago, you started to feel that you were finally becoming a team. Depend on the trust and skill that you have developed.

In short, having a guide dog means retaking the night. Throw on some reflective clothing and get out there.

Day 8 - Starting Life with a Dog

The second Sunday of class features no scheduled guide work. The intention is to give the instructors something of a weekend, and allow the clients time to relax and maintain. That being said, Sunday is a good introduction to the guide dog lifestyle.

Many people refuse to get a guide dog because they don’t want to handle the extra responsibility. Working as a member of a guide team brings many benefits, not least of which is safer travel. However, as the handler you put many things back into the relationship.

First, you help the dog with its basic needs. Dogs are typically on a twice-a-day feeding cycle. They are usually offered water four to five times a day. And, of course, all that food and water has to come out eventually. Dogs will usually be offered a bathroom break at least four times a day. While none of these are particularly difficult tasks, they do take time and dedication. You can expect that all of these tasks combined will take approximately thirty to forty-five minutes a day to complete. Every dog is different, and an experienced team may be faster than these projections.

Beyond the basic needs, dogs need other kinds of care. Keeping your dog happy means dedicating time to play, either with a toy or in a safe off-leash area. Additionally, you will need to keep your dog clean through grooming, teeth brushing, nail trimming, ear cleaning, and very infrequent (at most monthly) baths. Some of these tasks count toward relaxation for the dog as well, particularly grooming.

And, of course, the dog is not a machine. They will have health issues that need both preventatives to maintain wellness and emergent care for real problems. That being said, a well-cared-for dog will have very few emergency health problems throughout their working life. Keep the dog on weight, give it flea, tick, and heartworm preventatives, monitor its behaviors and environment, and you can expect your dog to stay healthy.

All of this, by the way, does not come without a very real monitary cost. You will be buying food, preventative medicines, toothpaste, nail trimming services, pick-up bags, and potentially other items on a reoccurring basis. You will also be buying durable items such as bowls, a food bin, toys, beds or crates, and replacements for most failed or lost equipment. Many of these count as tax deductions, but in the end they are real money coming out of your bank account.

There is no doubt that you dedicate resources, time, and energy into the animal that is now both a mobility aid and a companion. Only you can decide whether the improvements in your life are worth the added responsibility. I can tell you that all these tasks, seemingly extremely complicated in the beginning, become second nature. Will you have the occasional morning when you don’t want to get out of bed to feed and relieve your dog? Most certainly yes. And yet you do, because of two things. First, because everything that the dog gives into the relationship without fail is more than you will ever give. And second, because most dogs (particularly Labradors) won’t let you get away with not feeding on time.

Day 7 - checking Boxes

The first Saturday of class can be considered the divide between basic and advanced guide techniques. Instructors and clients continue to re-enforce the basic techniques throughout the rest of class, but the foundation is now laid. The Saturday sessions are somewhat more relaxed, with teams checking boxes on basic skills that they have not yet encountered.

In my case, this included two items. First, we closed the gap on obstacles. Second, we started to learn more about the personality of my dog.

In Day 4’s obstacle discussion, I described moving and vertical obstructions. I also introduced the concept that curbs are considered obstacles. While I mentioned that another form of obstacle (horizontal) exists, I didn’t talk to much about handling them or the impact they have on travel. The reality is that they are extremely difficult to work, particularly for me.

When walking, how often do you look above your head to see what is passing? I don’t mean the sky, I mean the tree branch that overhangs? I would bet that if it’s over a foot above, you don’t pay it much attention (aesthetics aside). Now, think about a dog who travels with its head at about twenty-four inches from the ground. Pair that perspective up with a creature that walks on its hind legs. Let’s put our tree branch at average human head height of sixty-seven inches. You might start to see the perspective problem.

I am not average height. In fact, I have to worry about anything under seventy-six inches, more than four feet above my dog’s head. Yet they are expected to identify risks that I might encounter. It should be no surprise at this point that I have never had good experiences with dogs working “overhead” or “horizontal” obstacles. What typically happens is I encounter the obstruction, bleed, and then teach my dog that this is something to avoid. It’s generally not a happy time.

In previous experience, the result is that the dog starts finding a point in space, and then pauses. It is not so much that the dog is seeing the obstacle, but they have learned that at this certain point they should be extremely careful. Being careful is exactly what we want, but we need to translate that into a continuous effort. The dog needs to not just know that this one horizontal exists, but change its perspective to the head height of the handler. I can’t say whether this new dog will be any different, but I can say that he was almost perfect on the overhead obstacle course. Here’s to spilling less blood over the next ten years.

Friends and Benefits

If you’ve read this deep into my experience, you are either really interested in the guide dog lifestyle, or you truly have nothing to do. You have read pages upon pages about building a working relationship with a dog, and how the team operates while the dog is in harness. I have tried to cover the work aspect of the team relationship in detail, as it is an obvious emphasis during class. At this point, the dog and the handler have a budding coworker-like relationship. They have proven that they can work together successfully using a core set of skills. Yet we don’t know each other yet.

Think about your own relationships. How many people that you work with have ever become true friends? Do you intentionally seek them out in off-work time? Do you know them well enough to say that you understand their beliefs and motivations? In my entire professional career, I think I could say this about less than two handfuls of coworkers.

A dog, of course, is not going to have political or religious viewpoints. The dog will realize that he often sees two people together, but probably can’t comprehend that they have an emotional bond. The dog builds his own relationships, but probably thinks very little about the fact that others have those bonds as well. His relationships, though probably less complex than those between humans, is still definable.

For the guide dog, the relationship starts with work. As handlers, we build trust, confidence, and pleasure in the relationship through a process of rewarding and discouraging behaviors. Each dog is as different in their work as your own coworkers. This means that all guide dogs can be expected to know a certain skill (i.e., the “right” command), but each may implement that skill in a different way. One may be more forceful in turning the team to the right. Another may be more tentative. Yet another may refuse to turn right if the resultant line of travel would get its paws wet in a puddle. It is this particular point, by the way, that makes training with a successor dog so difficult. The new dog will perform the commands that the previous dog did, but undoubtedly in a different way.

The personal part of the team relationship is hardly begun during the two weeks of class. The dog may, like your coworkers, choose to spend its personal time always within reach of the handler. When the harness is off, the dog still likes to be in the handler’s presence. Others (I’m looking at you, dogs number 1 and 2) may choose another person with whom to spend its personal time. Some dogs even display some level of introversion. These dogs, when out of harness, will quietly take themselves off to a quiet corner where they can relax.

Changes in the GDB philosophy will undoubtedly result in more dogs intentionally seeking off-work time with their handlers. After all, these dogs have learned that their primary motivational goal (food) is provided by the handler. It’s likely that the dog will attempt to build a non-working relationship with the handler simply because it is still seeking that reward it receives when the harness is on. This is not to say that one's dog won’t appreciate some time off, but the idea is that they will always return to the handler as their default.

GDB intentionally holds back access to dog free time to help this personal relationship take root. Will a dog recall to a new handler if allowed to roam off leash? Maybe, but more likely they will allow distractions to override the command. Instructors in my current class refer to the concept of building a bank with the dog. This means that the dog, through identification that the handler provides the primary goal (food!), is an anchor that the dog wants to use. They may, if presented with the opportunity to roam free, wander and explore. However, they will (with a properly started bank account) return to the handler both upon command and at will.

Both GDB campuses include a fully fenced safe off-leash area. Students are introduced to, and allowed to use this area late in the first week of class. The area allows a dog to run and play in a controlled environment. The area is available to one team at a time. The idea is not to build a relationship with the other dogs in class.

After a week of class, dogs are usually very cautious about the off-leash area. They will usually stay very calm for a few minutes after being introduced to the area. And then, as if the switch has been flipped, they realize that they are completely off-duty. Usually with an explosion of movement, the dog will finally release the stress of the week. It is at this point that the handler starts to learn just who their dog is in normal life.

At the end of the day, a dog needs its doggie time. It is not a robot. It experiences emotional, mental, and physical stress just like humans. Dogs need to decompress just like us. Cementing the personal relationship begins when both parties can relax.

Day 6 - Building Day

The first time I worked a dog into a building was in 1994. It was some kind of grocery supermarket in San Rafael California. My dog made a bee-line for a display of pies and stopped.

When you work with dogs, it’s important to realize two things. First, they each have an individual personality. Though I don’t want to completely humanize them, dogs are definitely people too.

The second is that they are dogs. This may seem contrary, but pointing it out allows us to investigate our reactions to what dogs do, and examine why they do it.

A dog will, no matter how much training it’s had, always be a dog. That means that they never lose the instincts and motivations of dogs. My first grocery store experience highlights this. It’s possible that the dog had worked that store previously, and he was just working to where he had success. It’s also possible that he was just hungry, and those pies smelled the best of anything short of the butcher counter.

Yet we, as humans, try to anthropomorphize the dog. We put our own perspective into their bodies to try to understand motivations and instinct. Here’s a tip: Just because humans do a task one way doesn’t mean that way will make the most sense to a dog. Just as no two people are the same, the two species in question have deep differences that we still struggle to understand. Of course dogs, being long-term domesticated animals, don’t make this easy. They have adapted to show the behaviors that we expect.

This series of blog posts is supposed to be about a specific guide dog training experience, so I will set aside the psychology discussion. Instead, we’ll talk more about working in buildings.

The first significant work that a team performs is related to travel on the street. Block by block, intersection by intersection, they learn about each other’s methods, abilities, and technique. Think about that. Instead of working first in a comparatively safe environment (say, a building), the team kicks off with work that includes two-ton vehicles traveling at thirty miles-per-hour. Remember the previous discussion about obstacles? The next time you walk a city block, take a look at the different obstructions to your line of travel. Next, walk through a building. Are there more or less obstacles on the street? Four words: “Malls at Christmas time”.

But what about those cars? When you reach the corner, and prepare to cross the road, remember that the human in the guide team has previously used a cane or other mobility aid. This means that s/he is capable of managing traffic, walking in a relatively straight line, etc. Independent travel is a crucial pre-requisite to adding a guide dog as a mobility aid.

The standard city block is three-hundred feet. This gives ample space between intersections for the team to establish a line while coping with any obstructions. In addition, the team can work contiguous blocks without a turn, thus allowing staging of different handling tools.

The typical building doesn’t exist. Hallways may branch at any moment. An aisle is probably only thirty feet in length. There may not be an actual line to travel (think of a clothing boutique’s typical layout). And of course, there are a lot of distractions (pies) at the dog’s level. Buildings, to a dog, contain nothing but surprises that can impact guide performance.

To reduce risk to the team (not to mention other building occupants) some changes are implemented when a dog walks through a door. First, everything slows down. This reduces “closing time”, which means that an oncoming moving obstruction (person) will take longer to reach the team. There is no substitute for providing the dog and handler time to make a decision. Next, the handler will undoubtedly start using something called a moving turn.

In standard travel, a dog will be “halted” before making a turn. This is done most often at street corners, or when particular emphasis is needed to direct a dog in a particular direction. Once the team is stopped, the dog can assess where the new line of travel will be once the turn command is given. Again, time is on the team’s side.

A “moving turn” does not require the halt. In this case, the handler starts directing the dog into the turn before the desired opening is present. It allows the team to move more fluidly, but it requires good handling and environmental understanding to achieve. For example, if a handler wants to turn into aisle 6, s/he may start asking the dog to turn at the endcap between aisles 5 and 6. Any earlier and the dog is likely to turn down aisle 5. Later and there is probably not enough room to make the turn before the endcap between 6 and 7 becomes an obstruction. Timing and pace are everything, and the new team is simply not coordinated enough to pull off the maneuver with much hope of success.

The moving turn is important in buildings for a few reasons. First, it helps flow. The team continues to work without impeding travel, which can be handy in highly populated areas. It allows the dog to bear some more of the navigational load. Remember that the handler most likely can tell that their turn is coming, but not exactly where. It focuses the team on travel, while slowing pace. And finally, it opens the door to following another person, which is common in buildings, while preserving the integrity of the guide experience.

All of that is a really long way of saying that streets come before buildings. It could also be noted that one must navigate some level of street travel to reach a building, but we’ll leave our excuses behind now.

Once a handler has gotten a taste for building travel, s/he rarely wants to do anything else. Walking alone, with a cane, or even while heeling the dog in anything but the best known building environments pales in comparison. Suddenly the person can move with some confidence of not bumping into things. Doorways in seemingly continuous walls are findable with ease. The entire experience changes.

However, the handler, either new or retraining, has to build up to buildings. Instructors will emphasize that dogs should not be worked inside until expressly permitted. For those that have done this before, the intervening days between Dog Day and first being allowed to work inside can seem like an eternity, but it’s all for good reasons.

And then the second most glorious day of class…The day when building travel is introduced and teams are permitted to work inside. This typically happens after a short lecture and some practical experience in…a grocery store.

For this latest class experience, the building was a Fred Meyer on Thanksgiving afternoon. Yes, it was more busy than I expected. My dog walked right past the butcher counter and the bakery with no problems.

Day 5 - The Low

The fourth day after Dog Day is tough. Dogs and humans alike are losing the excitement of the first meeting and routes. Meanwhile expectations continue to rise. Minor health issues may crop up. Everyone feels a bit low.

In my class’s case, day 5 included a change in the weather, with the threat of worse to come. The Pacific Northwest isn’t exactly inclement, but no one likes to learn in the rain. We may even get some measurable snowfall before the class is done.

The key is to look for ways to break up the low. This is the point where the handlers need to learn that their dogs are fun, as well as mobility aids. Much like a human-to-human relationship, both partners need to give when the times get tough. In many ways, this re-enforcement when your partner needs it is where the team’s foundation is truly formed. It will definitely pay dividends later.

Staying consistent, however, is essential. Dogs, like humans, like to receive the same feedback every time they look for it. It’s now that the dog starts to comprehend that the new handler isn’t just another trainer that will be on for a week then gone. Instead, this person seems to be staying with them for a while. All the changes experienced earlier in the first week are sinking in. They are tired and not yet feeling fulfilled by the relationship, but we keep asking them to work.

For my class, an added struggle with the end of the first week is Thanksgiving Day. Everyone wants to be home with family and friends, but we made a decision to be here training with a new dog. We are tired and homesick, but we have to push through for ourselves and for the dogs.

At least the food was excellent!

And now, my dog and I are exhausted. I’ll leave this entry a bit short. It’s time for some much-deserved rest.

Day 4 - In the City

City travel provides fantastic training opportunities for budding guide dog teams. Extra traffic, strange and often loud noises, lots of sidewalk obstructions, and the bane of the guide dog…pedestrians.

In general, any kind of obstacle requires a “clearance”. Obstacles, or obstructions, can be categorized into three general groups. Standard vertical clearances are unmovable objects rooted on the ground. With the dog on your left side, these will commonly hit the right side of your body. Next, horizontal obstructions extend across the “line of travel”, but may not be directly rooted, such as tree limbs, hanging signs, and the like. Finally, we have the moving obstacles such as people and cars. By far, they are the worst!

A guide dog will try to find the straightest line from point A (usually a street corner) to point B (the next street corner). The problem is, that line is rarely perfectly straight. Let’s walk through the typical block:

The team has just finished crossing a street. They are lined up and ready to walk down the block. The magic begins with a forward request from the handler. The dog assesses the first steps of their chosen line down the block. They start walking.

The first obstacle, on the right, is a light post. The dog can easily avoid the post as the rest of the sidewalk is clear. Vertical obstructions with plenty of room to maneuver are easy for the on-track dog. With the slightest jog to the left, the team avoids the post at their usual traveling speed.

Next, the team passes a café on the left with outdoor seating. Tables and chairs obstruct a significant percentage of the sidewalk, but there’s still some room along the street. The team heads slightly back to the right to avoid the first of the tables, but the dog slows as the narrower walkway requires greater care and attention.

Before leaving the café, the team meets a pedestrian coming the opposite direction. The fun is about to begin. The dog has to judge where the moving obstacle will go, and how s/he will impact the line of travel. The person could turn right into the door of the café before reaching the team. In that case, the obstruction is cleared by default, and the dog had to take no action. Instead, however, our friendly pedestrian continues to walk down the block toward the team. Now, the dog has to make a decision. It most likely slows further to provide processing time. The dog is hoping that the obstruction goes away, so that a further move to the right is not necessary. The dog does not want to approach the curb, which is now only about two feet from the right side of the handler. Unfortunately, our moving obstruction doesn't go away, and the dog makes a decision to trade space to make the clearance. The team moves further toward the street on the right. The pedestrian, not realizing that s/he has been reduced to something mentally equivalent to a moving garbage can, passes by the dog’s left side.

Once clear, the dog moves back to the left to regain the safe distance from the curb. The handler, who heard the pedestrian pass, provides praise for the excellent work. The dog still knows, however, that the line of travel has not been re-achieved. That won’t happen until the team passes the café’s seating. Once the line is available, the team speeds up to its normal pace and drives for the next intersection.

The light pole, tables, pedestrian, and curb to the right of the team count as an obstacle, as neither member of the guide team wants to come into contact with them. In fact, guide dogs require special training exercises to find a particular obstacle. For example, a bus stop (commonly marked with a post) counts as an obstacle. The dog will avoid it, unless otherwise directed. The handler uses special techniques to say, “Yes, all those posts are not happy places for us, but this particular one is this block’s version of Disneyland.”

My example may lead one to believe that a guide team swerves and dodges its way down a block. In reality, the dog will try everything possible to maintain the line for as much of a block as it can. Dogs love consistency. They will attempt to generate it by maintaining a behavior that they know gets them to a reward. A consistent block with a reward at the end makes the dog feel comfortable, while giving them a form of fulfillment (food, praise, etc.) when the goal is achieved. The handler, through attentiveness, provides contextual rewards such as praise when an obstacle is successfully bypassed, which supplies immediate re-enforcement for a behavior. Then, with the major goal (walking down the block, in this case) achieved, the handler provides additional re-enforcement.

Of course a primary objective could be the up-curb after crossing a street, our previously-designated “happy place” bus stop, or any number of other concrete spots. The trick is to get from where I am now to that point. The dog needs to successfully navigate obstructions, while dealing with distractions (more on those another day), to achieve the primary goal.

And cities provide lots of opportunities for the new guide team to practice this very point. It was a focus today, and will continue to be throughout the rest of class; not to mention the rest of the dog’s career.

Day 3 - Juno Wants Food Rewards

On the second day of class we started some actual in-town guide work. This is truly where the newcomer and retrain experience deviates. For example, I received only pointers on how to better position, command, and gesture to make the dog comfortable and responsive. Others received deeper instruction based on their previous knowledge, ability, and aptitude. The point is that everyone receives what they need, instead of trying to force all clients through the same process.

The Client

Another notable difference from previous classes (or perhaps gap in my memory) is the term used for class members. Classes are now made up of instructors, clients, dogs, and a class supervisor. The difference between the terms “student” and “client” may be subtle, but they continue to emphasize how GDB now views student involvement and interaction. “Client” sets a tone of customer service, instead of teaching. It changes the mindset of all involved.

Clients are paired with dogs to make teams. Teams are assisted by instructors, who are monitored and assisted by a supervisor. (Note: The term “instructor” is used in legal certification of an individual trained to train guide dog service animals. I don’t expect that particular term to change until the certification changes.)

I hope to see more of this concept of servicing clients as my time here progresses.

Juno, Where’d You Go?

Another way that GDB can compress the schedule is through the use of “Juno” guidework and handling practice. Juno is an instructor that holds the harness (guidework) or uses a rolled up carpet with a collar (handling) to simulate the actions and reactions of a real dog. In other words, Juno is an empty harness held in proper fashion by the client and by the back-strap by the instructor. Using Juno, GDB can give clients experiences that either happen to infrequently, or only under extreme circumstances.

Today, for example, Juno was prone to “going off line” in street crossings. This means that, somewhere in the middle of a street crossing, Juno decided it was time to take a sharp left. This is a reaction that a dog will have at least once in their working life…Guaranteed. However, there is no certainty that it will happen in class. Juno allows the client to gain practical experience with this situation in preparation for the time when it occurs at home.

Juno has been a part of class since I received my first dog. Now, however, Juno and actual dog work happens throughout the day. Both are extremely valuable experience-gathering tools, and each offers different opportunities for on-the-fly instructions and spot improvements.

That being said, Juno is not a real guide experience. Besides the fact that my Juno is much taller than my real dog, he also does not get confused by my fumbling for the right course of action in response to a situation. Juno, despite his gaseous or rug-like form, does not have the same psychology as a normal dog, which means I can make mistakes without impact to the bonding and trust-building process.

Some classmates are already reporting growing levels of mental fatigue. If anything, the saturation of experience and information may be the greatest detriment I’ve so-far identified with the latest GDB methodology. I, as a retrain, am no exception. In many areas I can skate through, as I can rely on my previous experience. Yet in other ways I am trying to break down old habits and build up confidence and competence with new methods and philosophies. For the dogs, we are just another handler at the end of the leash and harness. They have seen this all before. It’s up to the human side of the team to ramp-up as quickly as possible.

Tomorrow is Portland. The big city, on just the third day after receiving our dogs.

Day 2 - The Dog Days of November

Dog Day. The reason we all come to class. We want to see what dogs are issued, how they are matched, and…oh yeah…we want our own dog.

Mystique is key to the Dog Day experience. The one thing that I haven’t seen any change in over the past twenty years is the restriction of any dog information prior to issuing. This means that students know nothing about their own dog, or any other in the training pool, until they receive their own. This is frustrating, but is founded in good practice.

As mentioned earlier, an admitted student will have more than one possible partner in a training string. Instructors may have a pretty firm idea of which dog will be issued to a particular student, but the final decision is not made until class. The instructors use an ever-shrinking period to form their final judgments. This is mostly attributable to the improved admissions process. All those interviews and mobility examinations pay off by bringing Dog Day earlier in the class cycle. For example, when I first attended a GDB class in 1994, Dog Day was four days after student arrival.

Today I received my dog in the early afternoon, and after only one instructor workout.

We’ll examine other methods for compressing the class schedule as the days progress. In short, it certainly seems that the time of the four-week first-dog classes are gone. This is undoubtedly better for everyone involved!

Issuing Time

The private bedroom pays off again on Dog Day. Imagine the awkwardness if an instructor dropped off your dog, but your roommate has to wait for another fifteen minutes. The first impression is so very important in making the bond quickly. Being concerned about a waiting roommate is not where ones mind should be.

To mitigate this, GDB used to issue dogs elsewhere in the building. This caused all kinds of logistical problems as new teams walked past each other in the halls with a minimum of bonding and skill. Add to this the fact that a large amount of equipment is issued with the dogs. Holding everything and handling an excited dog…Yeah, it was difficult.

Excited? Of course. The dogs are just as interested in you as you are in them. They like being in a building, they like you, they like to sniff EVERYTHING! How excited is your pet dog when they get to go in the car? Take it from someone with three guides-worth of experience; a ten-year-old guide dog is still excited to go somewhere new. Always remember, underneath all that training they are still dogs, and they never lose their personalities.

Let’s get back to Dog Day.

The private room concept wins again! In my case, my dog was issued in the privacy of my own room. Having the transfer in a place where I was one-on-one with an instructor and where I was comfortable made a huge difference. My dog and I had uninterrupted bonding time, until it was our turn for our first bit of guide work. This relaxation combined with immediate work started solidifying our relationship immediately.

The rest of the day was a blur of practical experience and information sessions. For the first-dog students, this was probably quite overwhelming. Enough of the tidbits from these lectures were unchanged that I wasn’t terribly lost. If you are preparing for a class, read and re-read your pre-class materials. They have most of the key points, which allows you to focus on detail during the actual sessions.

One more comment before signing off for the night. An instructor-to-student ratio of 2:1 like I am experiencing means that GDB can implement another philosophy change. Previous classes included the idea of paired teams, where two like-paced teams would, at times, work with a single instructor. Now, I and another student are bonded as a team. We have a single assigned primary instructor. I am interested to see how this consistency changes the experience.

Tomorrow we get off campus for the first time…Is it really only day 2?

Day 1 - We're Here!

Your personal GDB first day is going to be highly dependent on your travel situation. I am lucky enough that my family was able to drive me to the campus. This is highly recommended, if you can swing it. You can pack more, experience less stress, and the return home is so much better.

Regarding packing, remember that this isn’t going to be like a normal vacation. You need clothing that you will be comfortable walking and working in. You will want layers (especially in the Pacific Northwest). You will want good, broken-in shoes meant for walking. Think about creature comforts, technology, etc. This is a two-week experience, so plan accordingly. And remember, you are coming home with extra equipment. You’ll somehow need to get all this new stuff home.

And Soon Enough, You’re Here

When I started with GDB in 1994, students shared rooms. Classes had anywhere from twelve to twenty-four members. Arrival day was chaotic, busy, and a bit confusing for the newcomer.

Now things seem remarkably quiet. The dining hall, meant to feed up-to three dozen, had six students. The place feels big and more solitary. In particular, the individual bedrooms mean that one has plenty of personal space (which was at a bit of a premium previously).

Remember your well-packed personal effects? The now single-person rooms have an almost insane amount of space. What formerly worked for two is now all yours. Go nuts, but remember that you’ll be packing it all back up after two weeks.

In my case, check-in started at about 2:00 PM. Our first lecture (mostly introductory material and equipment handout) was at 4:30. If you are arriving on via your own travel arrangements, plan to be at the campus by 3:30 so you can acclimate to the dormitory. If you normally need extra time to relax in a new place, arrive earlier. Families are, of course, welcome into the dorm for drop-off. Just try to be respectful of your fellow students who might be homesick already and/or are trying to deal with an abrupt and possibly dramatic change.

Of course, if GDB arranges your travel, all this will be taken care of. Relax, they have everything planned out. Be aware that you may need to pay for any luggage check fees. In my class, these costs were reimbursed.

Unpack, Unwind?

After dinner the group finished off the lecture with a brief dormitory tour. You are going to live here for the next two weeks. Pay attention to the tour, and ask questions or for more detail. Especially those that are receiving a first dog may feel overwhelmed with information. Rely on the resident assistant and the nursing staff. These people are there to help make your time successful.

With all lectures done I…returned to the room to work for a couple of hours. This combination of GDB and employer focus is going to be my personal cross for the next couple of weeks. The new class sizes and structure will help this significantly, as I will have far fewer distractions. Others, on the other hand, might feel more comfortable unpacking, getting to know other students, or reviewing the lecture material for the next day.

Previous experience says that class life can be categorized into three buckets. Hurry-up, wait, and eat. I’m interested to see if the same applies in this new class philosophy.

Tomorrow is a very important day. Getting a guide dog is not an easy commitment. Coming back for a successor dog allows you to settle in more quickly, but you are probably still coping with the transition away from your previous partner. I know I am. In fact, the habits and assumptions made with one dog probably won't work with another. The class instruction helps to restore your technique and understanding, while giving you time to accept that this new person is in your life.

And that all starts....tomorrow.

Day -2 - The Prologue

Well hello blog...We haven't communicated in a while. I'm still around and kicking. I'm surprised to see that you are as well. I would have thought that my words of 2010-2011 would have been wiped away due to inattentiveness, but here we both are.

So why am I writing again?

In short, because it's time.

Goodbye, Berta

My faithful guide of more than 6 years passed away in late August. In a series of remarkably intense and rapid events, we found that she had liver cancer, and the prognosis was not at all pleasant. It was a difficult, heart-rending, and personally enlightening day. I know that those days are inevitable for any dog handler, but this was my first time experiencing the process first-hand.

I started using a cane the very next day, returning to my daily schedule as a coping mechanism. But it didn't make the next decision any easier.

Commitment to Admission

After several weeks, I finally made the decision that I would be seeking another guide dog. Besides field labeling issues (ironic) the application process was easy until I reached the "submit" button. Could I click it? Would it diminish Berta's memory if I took steps to get a new dog? Did I really want to have another dog in my life? The cane travel was going alright, perhaps it was enough?

I clicked the button.

Lead-Up to Leading

The GDB application process includes multiple interviews, a medical questionnaire, possible updates to inoculations, and an in-person visit with a GDB field manager or trainer. The intention is to confirm that you are physically able to work a guide dog successfully while providing the school with valuable information about your lifestyle. Accommodations are made for individuals that have disabilities in addition to vision loss.

Examining your lifestyle, pace, gait, environment, and other factors allows GDB to identify potential new partners. In most cases, class instructors have at least a couple of potential dogs in mind for each new student. Final decisions are made when the students arrive...More on that later. In my case, there are two potential options being examined. In general, students have no information about the potentials. Name, breed, personality, these are all held back for a very special day.

As I sit writing this, the dog that I will be partnered with is finishing his/her training in preparation for next week.

Blog Revival

Training with a new dog is an emotional rollercoaster. Many students come to class with baggage related to previous guides, recent changes in vision, or other personal concerns. The faster that the student becomes comfortable with the class environment and schedule, the sooner they will be able to focus on the real work of building a new relationship. This is the primary goal of the two weeks one spends in class.

The process doesn't get easier with successor dogs. Much like wearing a pair of broken-in shoes, a guide dog user becomes familiar with their partner's quirks and capabilities. Receiving a new dog means learning about a new person; one that will spend a significant amount of their and your lives in near proximity. Think about the last time you thought about going on a first date. To improve the analogy, imagine that it's a blind date...You have no idea who this other person is. Remember, you can't easily turn around and leave the restaurant when you see what the new person looks like. A very high percentage of guide dog pairings work successfully. This, despite an admittedly small sample of your life being investigated during the admissions process. I’d rank GDB’s success rate higher than any match-maker website.

I last trained with a new dog in 2008. Since then, the class philosophy, structure, and makeup have significantly changed. No more roommates. A class of six, instead of my accustomed twelve-to-twenty-four. An emphasis on redirection instead of correction. The process will look very different from my last experience.

Which leads us to the next two weeks. Today is, hopefully, the last time that I primarily commute using a cane for several years. On Sunday I will head to the GDB Oregon campus to meet my new partner. I will receive, and hope to graduate with, my fourth guide dog.

In preparation, I looked to the Internet to find accounts of others who have gone through the process recently. I found very little, and what I did find is mostly outdated. Therefore, I plan to spend the next two weeks blogging about my experience. I hope these words will help someone learn more about the guide dog lifestyle, but my primary goal is to help future students feel less anxious when walking into this life-changing experience.

And Now, a Disclaimer

I am not writing on behalf of Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB), Inc. My experience and opinions are my own, and only reflect my personal experience. Changes in GDB policy, execution, and mission can occur at any time, and may invalidate part or all of my opinions and conclusions.

It should be noted that I have twenty years of working dogs provided by GDB. My personal background undoubtedly biases my words. Additionally, I can't reiterate enough the physical and emotional impact that guide dog training can have. This means that over the next two weeks this blog will be full of puppy pictures, descriptions of moments of awe, and apprehensive excitement. On the other hand, there will be low days with posts about failed clearances and stressing about the team's success.

It's going to be a wild ride. Come along with me and we'll see how it all works out.