During her training, Hugger worked once a day, 5 days per week. Now she’s practicing routes with me through town twice per day, 7 days a week, and also working to and from meals and lectures. She’s one tired dog. I had to sort of lift her up to get her to go out to relieve at 8 pm last night. She sleeps (and snores) whenever possible.

 

As I mentioned previously, the “find” command was a big benefit for me when working with Whit. I could name a location, leave, and Whit would “find” his way back, whether it was a gate in an airport, a poster at a meeting, or our equipment van.

The Seeing Eye now uses clicker training to teach the dogs to find an object or place. I was a bit hesitant, because I knew it was necessary to carry a clicker in one hand (I like to have my right hand free to open doors, carry a drink, or tote my luggage), and to carry a treat bag. I don’t want my guide reliant on treats, and it would be too easy to let her get fat. And I’d have to get a dozen treat bags to match my outfits and shoes (just kidding, smile).

But I am now a convert. I have learned that the dogs can learn to generalize to similar objects. For example, they have been taught to target doorknobs on any door, anywhere. So I decided my first goal would be “trash.” No more wondering what to do with that used pick-up bag in a new city!

The training is based on ABC, just like CPR! But here A=association, B=back training, and C=completion. The A step involves putting a target (in this case a bell on a keychain) on the object or at the location, say a particular doorway. The dog “rings” the bell, gets a click, and then a treat. Repeat about 15 times. Then in part B, back away from the target a few paces, and repeat again. And continue backing away farther and farther. The final step, C, involves removing the target, backing away, identifying the location and praising the dog when they take you to it (no bell or treats). Then we’re done. There’s no need to carry a clicker or treat bag after the 10 minutes it takes to mark a location.

Hugger loves this game! She will ring the bell as often as I’ll let her. She goes up to it, rings it, gets a treat, and tries ringing it again unless I pull her away.

We clicker-identified our dining room seat, and hours later Hugger ran me over there. This is one happy dog! I am now imaging trash cans, crossing buttons, and our car (Whit always would find a car, usually a van which was his favorite, it just wasn’t our car, smile), as well as posters and locations in the field. Hugger will be excited to hear this plan.

The instructors have only 3 weeks to ensure we have all the fundamental skills for daily life: caring for our dogs, behaving at meals (or an extended time under a meeting table), and getting around our neighborhood and commuting to work. They also teach us the skills to adapt and extend the training to our specific needs once we get home and back to our jobs, which I’ll talk more about later. Meanwhile, its a busy schedule learning the basics:

• 5:30am Wake-up call (Reveille?). There are 1-way intercoms into our rooms. Take dogs out to the relief area to “park” on demand. We don’t want our dogs relieving at will (nor do you!) to avoid messes in high-traffic areas. So they’re taught to go only when told.
• 5:45am Feed kibble (1.5 cups for Hugger) and 2 cups water. If they don’teat or drink it, it gets discarded. The goal is to get the dogs onto a routine. And haven’t snacks been tied to obesity? Well, no mid-day snacking for these lean, mean pups!
• 6:45am Walk the perilous path down cat alley to the dining room. The Seeing Eye has 2 house cats, Crosby and Nash, who have free reign of the 1st floor, and Hugger has some cat distraction issues. These cats are skilled puppy taunters. They lay in the middle of the hall, and make the dogs go around. Or parade back and forth in front of the dogs noses, laughing because they know we won’t let the pups pay attention. Chasing after cats could be hazardous, as well as getting us lost!
• 7:00am Take assigned seats for breakfast. The food here is great, and we get a range of choices … but we only get about 30 minutes to wolf it down before we’re heading into town for morning training.
• 7:30am Back down cat alley to our rooms.
• 7:45am Trek to town (sometimes proceeded by exercises, such as obedience practice). The first route we’re practicing is a simple rectangle, going 4 blocks along Maple, one block to the left to South, 4 blocks up South Street, and one block back to the “lounge.” The crossings include 4-way stops, T intersections, and traffic light (controlled) intersections, sometimes with a turn lane (and separate signal). We need to learn these traffic patterns for our solo on Sunday. Along the way we have staged blockades across the sidewalk, barking dogs (dog distractions), and turning vehicles (traffic checks). We also have helpful locals who unwittingly provide additional dog distractions and traffic checks, as well as random obstructions (like the tarp across the sidewalk this morning!). The skills we learn will be useful going to and from WHOI, navigating cities when attending meetings and conferences, or getting around campuses when visiting colleagues.
• 11:00am or thereabouts relieve the dogs and provide 2 cups water. Usually followed by other drills or a lecture.
• Noon: The alley cat stroll again, followed by lunch.
• 1:00pm Back to town for more practice along our route. Sometimes followed by a lecture back at the Main House.
• 4:30pm Dinner-time! Another 1.5 cups kibble and 2 cups water. I have one happy lab at meal times!
• 5:00pm Another treacherous walk amongst the cats, followed by dinner.
• 6:00pm Evening Lecture
• 8:00pm Last cup of water followed by relief time.
• 8:15 – 10:00pm: Social time and playtime, with an optional glass of beer or wine (if purchased from the shoppers).
• 10:00pm Exhausted slumber ….

Whenever we get short breaks between activities, we practice skills we learned in lectures, including brushing our dogs, brushing their teeth, and dog massage techniques. After this weekend, we’ll be allowed to play with our pups in a fenced run, and take them out onto the 1/3 mile walking loop. This boot camp comes with stress relief!

Its definitely boot camp for the dogs, but the humans do get some perks. While we’re out in the morning, our comfy double beds are made for us, and our rooms are cleaned and towels replaced. Linens are changed and washed for us weekly. There are volunteer shoppers who will get us snacks (and beer or wine, no hard alcohol), which we can store in our mini fridges. And classes usually are only 6 days per week. We’ll get some Sundays to catch up on work from home, to work with our dogs around the walking path, without an instructor, and to do chores (we have to do our own laundry, can you imagine? smile).

But, first, this Sunday morning is our first solo “test”, walking a route we’ve been practicing “on our own” (meaning the instructors lag a 100 feet behind, rather than giving us hints and tips).

After breakfast we had a lecture on praise and corrections and dog fears – the instructors were doing their best to distract us while our new pups were being bathed and prepped for their new life. Then Hugger was brought to me in our room.

Our first lesson was to heel down to the dining room to practice putting our dogs under the table – it was amusing as the 4 students at my table tried to place their new pups next to our seats, laying down with heads out. One would swivel to nose a neighbor, then the next would slither out to meet a passerby. But eventually all the dogs were settled. It was great practice before lunch, when staff came in with their guide dogs, creating a few extra distractions. Eating while keeping an eye on an excited pup in a room full of dogs is not as difficult as watching a toddler, but there were quite a few interruptions.

By dinner, the dogs were amazingly quiet. Maybe partly because they got their energy out during our first walks … After lunch, we put on harnesses and had our first outing. Hugger and I were last to get out in our group, and we were both getting anxious as we waited. But the trip went perfectly! We even passed a couple dogs on a leash without much distraction. It was amazing to fly down the street again. One of the new instructors tailing us commented that she wished she had a golf cart to help keep up. (I know my husband is remembering the days of jogging to stay with me and Whit, hi Steve, better start getting ready to jog again)

The instructors are our matchmakers. Tonight they decide which dog I will receive tomorrow morning.

Before class begins, the instructors gather information about the activity level of the handlers, whether the dogs will be worked in the country or city (or both), and which types of public transport we use. They visit first-time applicants to assess how fast they walk and how strong a pull they want from the guide dog. For re-trains like me, they review notes from our prior class and conduct phone interviews.

Meanwhile, each instructor is training a “string” of about 8 dogs. After about 2 months of training on town routes, they determine preliminary matches between students and dogs, mostly based on pace and pull. Their description of this process reminds me of 1st-grade vocabulary tests with pictures on one side of the page and matching words on the other side in random order, so lines can be drawn connecting the pairs. Our instructors have photos of us, and photos of the dogs, and pencil in our connections. I often hear that owners look like their dogs (or vice versa), but the instructors claim they don’t try to match our pictures. Still, I might look into botox treatments if I get a bulldog (The Seeing Eye used to train bulldogs, but today they told us they no longer do, so I’m safe in this regard).

During the 3rd and final months of guide-dog training, as the instructors begin training the dogs in a wider range of environments, including NYC and country roads, they continue to refine these potential matches. Some dogs are country dogs who prefer a nice, quiet life, and don’t get distracted by roaming animals. Some are city dogs who enjoy crowds and cultural events, busy sidewalks, and cars whizzing by. My dog needs to be happy with both, given the time I spend traveling to meetings, conferences, and rural field sites.

When the instructors are confident they have identified a good match, the student gets a confirmed class date. I heard on May 20th that I was accepted into the June 27 class, which has 24 students and about 6 lead instructors.

But decisions are not final until they work with us in person. So yesterday and today were devoted to “Juno” walks in which the instructor acts as the guide dog “Juno”. We work over town routes, giving the instructor the basic commands, “Juno forward”, “Juno right”, “Juno left.” And we practice basic obedience commands, “Juno heel,” “Juno come,” and “Juno sit.” Praise is an important part of working with our dogs, so we also must praise Juno when she responds correctly. My instructor, Victoria, usually received a “good girl.” But Whit was male. I think I got a few glares when I threw in a couple of “good boys” by mistake. I sometimes wonder what a passerby who doesn’t know about the school must think – oh that poor girl wants a guide dog – lucky for her she has a good friend who will play pretend.

So tonight I wait, and wonder. I’ll probably have dreams with a parade of labs, golden retrievers, and shepherds streaming by. Tomorrow I’ll send a photo.

Before heading to The Seeing Eye, I traveled to the west coast for some meetings, which reminded me again of the many reasons I want a guide dog.

There are times that canes are great. For example, for finding landmarks. And its easy to probe to the side to find the third doorway. Or to find the 2nd path cutting across the park to the right. Its also easy to find every parking meter, garbage can, lamp post, store sign board, sidewalk cafe chair, tree, and bicycle on the sidewalk! I had forgotten how many obstructions there were on city walkways. I hadn’t even noticed how many things Whit must have been weaving around.

When using a cane, I also find the people who stop silently upon seeing me approach, as if frozen in the headlights, unsure what to do. Of course, we all laugh after I smack their ankles with my cane and I apologize. For anyone who is approached by someone with a cane, or at least if approached by me: Noise is your friend. If I hear you, I’ll avoid you.

With all the obstructions, and my tendency to veer away from the car noises, it takes me almost twice as long to get where I want as it did with Whit. I thought having a dog meant getting up a little earlier, to have time to feed and relieve him. But I was wrong. If I used a cane for years, I might get faster. Or more bruised. For now, my slow cane-pace comes with an early wake-up call.

Of course, there are some benefits to traveling dog-free. My carry-on is half the weight without 5 days of dog kibble, dog bowls, a dog brush, a toy, and dog relief bags. And the Horizon Airlines (commuter) prop plane seems spacious, with room for me to put my feet on the floor. But I also didn’t have my trusty foot warmer, and the plane was cold at 6am! Nor did I have the friend to say “its all right, don’t stress” when our next plane was cancelled late that night.

Bottom line: I’ll choose the warm nose, and fast pace, of traveling with a guide dog anytime.

Many years ago, as I was losing my vision rapidly, a colleague convinced me to consider getting a guide dog. A dog is not the answer for everyone, but it turned out that a guide dog was the best thing that could happen for me.

After losing my 1st guide, Whit, on March 14, 2016, after 11 years working together, I am on my way back to The Seeing Eye to train with my 2nd guide. In February, at almost 13 yrs old, Whit was still hiking up mountains, running up and down stairs, and zipping through Washington DC. But then a tumor ruptured on his heart and he was gone 36 hours later.

Anyone who has owned a dog, knows how hard it is to lose them. I miss Whit. He was my companion exploring new cities, cuddling in lonely hotel rooms, and working in the house and office. He loved toys – he could fit 5 stuffed toys in his mouth at once. He made friends with all sorts of animals – our neighbor’s cat would follow him around the yard, he played tag with a semi-tame fox – trading off chasing each other, he sniffed noses with a wild fawn in West Virginia. He was a mascot for many of our students and colleagues.

He also made my work as a scientist easier. I travel often, going to the shore to make field measurements and to science meetings.

Airports are a nightmare without sighted assistance. Whit learned the sound of TSA, and he almost always could “hear” his way to the security line. He would weave through crowds, while continuing on a straight course, enabling me to ask directions to a connecting flight, and then head off on my own. Arriving at our destination, often after 10-12 hours in airports and planes, a highly motivated Whit would follow the alluring scent of fresh air to find outside, passing everyone who exited the plane ahead of us.

The “find” command that we were taught was a tremendous benefit in my work. I could name our location as “posters” in a huge meeting hall at the American Geophysical Union with 20,000 scientists, leave to go to a presentation in another building, then tell Whit “find posters”, and we’d end up back where we wanted to be. When I needed to leave a meeting for a few moments, I’d sit Whit down, pat our chair, tell him “seat,” and could be confident that he’d bring me back to our place. In the field, our gear often is scattered around the site, but I could name the “equipment” container, the “office” trailer, and “home” (where the dog food is), and Whit would guide me from place to place, even amongst cranes and heavy equipment on the oil-rig-servicing docks in Louisiana.

Whit was a great traveler, and enjoyed exploring new cities, which worked wonderfully for me. He flew to meetings in Hawaii, London, and South Korea. He guided me across the Incheon mud flats, even though he didn’t get to wear any fancy yellow hip waders to keep the mud off. He put up with all means of conveyance, including the usual trains, planes, and automobiles, but also the hovercraft we used on the Skagit tidal flats, and even our waverunner survey system. When I would scuba dive off small boats to deploy instruments, Whit would peer over the side – I always though he was lamenting “Oh no, dinner is sinking, come back and give me dinner.” He seemed to find a comfortable spot just about anywhere, even on the muddy instruments we just recovered. And as soon as we got to shore, he went right back to guiding me where I needed to go.

I will always miss Whit, and will always be thankful for his guiding me through my career, and showing me how I could continue to do my work. My new guide may have some similar experiences, and we’ll find a new route together to continue learning about our beaches and coasts. I am sad to have lost my friend, nervous to start over again, and excited to get a new guide with whom I will continue to explore.