Intro Where do I even begin? I first created this blog shortly before attending class at The Seeing Eye back in 2021. My intention with it was to write about many topics, not exclusively guide dogs, but I feel like I’ve done a less than stellar job of keeping up. It is now March of… Continue reading A Life Update
Category: Guide Dogs
A Year And Three Months In!
It’s hard to believe that I’ve already spent a year and a quarter with my guide, Arwyn. Let me tell you, it’s certainly not been easy, but it’s been a grand adventure. I wanted to blog about our year as we were experiencing it, but it was a whirlwind, and I never felt that there… Continue reading A Year And Three Months In!
Guide And Service Dog Denials
On Wednesday, July 20, I had a shocking experience at a local Chinese restaurant that I’m sharing here in hopes that it may raise awareness about the laws concerning guide and service animals, and to shed some light on the blatant misconduct that is still all too common among business owners regarding the reception of… Continue reading Guide And Service Dog Denials
The Seeing Eye, Week 3 and 3.5. The Last Hurrah
Friday, May 14. A New York State Of Mind. This is the day that every handler looks forward to if they plan to work their dogs in the city at home. It’s the ultimate test for the team to see how effectively they’re working together in a busy environment. The traffic, the people, the smells…… Continue reading The Seeing Eye, Week 3 and 3.5. The Last Hurrah
The Seeing Eye, Week 3, Part 1, Fast And Furious
Monday, May 10. The Last Solo With each of the dogs I worked with, I was required to travel a couple of pre-planned roots before moving onto free lance work. The two dog changes set me back a bit, because I had to rework the same roots over with each one. This morning was our… Continue reading The Seeing Eye, Week 3, Part 1, Fast And Furious
The Seeing Eye, Week 2. Three Steps Forward, Three Steps Back
Monday, May 3. Intro To Elm Street “Left. Stop sign light, stop sign light light. Left, Stop Sign.” This is the mantra I kept repeating to myself over and over. The first week of class after we get matched with our dogs is spent learning specific roots that we can then solo to demonstrate our… Continue reading The Seeing Eye, Week 2. Three Steps Forward, Three Steps Back
The Seeing Eye, Week 1. First Impressions
Monday, April 26. Arrival On my last possible day to sleep in a little, of course I woke up early. I was up around 6 AM and couldn’t fall back to sleep. Resigned, I went through my usual morning ablutions and went about packing the rest of my toiletries I’d left out. I was ready… Continue reading The Seeing Eye, Week 1. First Impressions
Thoughts Before Class, Plus Quarantine Details…
Sunday, April 25 I read a couple of books in elementary school by a Canadian Author by the name of Jean Little. The first one was called Rescue Pup and the sequel was Forward Shakespeare. They were children’s books that followed the journey of a young seeing eye dog in training, the first one being… Continue reading Thoughts Before Class, Plus Quarantine Details…
One More Week
Monday, April 19 When I was a child, I had several experiences with guide dogs. There was a lady named Susan who lived a few streets over and was a puppy raiser for one of the local schools in my area. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the process of guide dog training,… Continue reading One More Week
The Final Countdown
Sunday, April 11 There are less than 24 hours until my flight leaves and I still haven’t put a single thing in my suitcase. I’m frequently a last minute packer, so there’s still time to make some magic happen. The question is, what to pack? I’ll be gone for the better part of six weeks.… Continue reading The Final Countdown
Random Acts Of Blindness 