[nagdu] 9-YEAR-OLD BOY AND HIS GUIDE DOG

Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC Inc) REBECCA.PICKRELL at tasc.com
Thu Feb 4 18:14:00 UTC 2010


Very interesting. Thank you for sharing.

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Charlene Ota
Sent: Thursday, February 04, 2010 3:27 AM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Subject: [nagdu] 9-YEAR-OLD BOY AND HIS GUIDE DOG


  Well, all the comments about 9-year-old kids and guide dogs got me
curious
to get more of the details from my friend Tim about his experience. So
I'll
do my best to relay his story. I've known Tim for many years. He's had
his
own business as a heating and refrigeration mechanic and has always been
a
real self-starter.
 
In about 1957, Tim's Mom had gone to a meeting and met Dr. Ford at
pacific
Lutheran University and heard about a program she was interested in
starting
using collies as guide dogs for kids because they were such gentle dogs.
She
came home and told Tim about it and asked if he would be interested in
participating. It was completely his choice and he jumped at the
opportunity. He understood that it would be his responsibility to care
for
the dog and work with it.
 
In 1957, he received a 1-year-old Collie named Thunder and he was to
teach
her obedience. during that first year, he entered her in 5  dog shows
and
took champion with her in all 5. Then, in april of 1958, she was sent
back
to Pilot to be trained as a guide and in June, he went to Pilot to train
with her. They were a team for 9 years after that. 
 
Collies had some problems that couldn't be resolved, like they can walk
and
poop at the same time, no stopping, no letting you know. They often had
eye
problems and other issues as well. Tim was fortunate in that Thunder
never
developed the eye problems. The main reason she was retired at about 11
was
because she was beginning to have a leaky bladder, another common
problem
with spayed collies.
 
Tim couldn't take Thunder to school every day but after school when he
was
very involved with the YMCA youth program and things like that he always
had
her with him and he was just a very active child in the community. He
told
me he just was really tired of having to hold another person's arm to
get
around and was very glad to have his dog and for him it was a way to
gain
his independence. Maybe cane travel wasn't offered to him at that time.
I
know when I was growing up I knew nothing about the white cane until I
was
in high school.
 
In 1964, when the group of kids were given their collies to raise and
then
be trained to work as guide dog teams, Tim was asked to come participate
in
that program as a peer with the other kids.
 
When it was time for Tim to graduate and go on to the University of
Washington, that was about the time that Thunder had to retire so he
went to
Pilot for his second dog and since then he's always had Dobermins. As
Tim
grew up it got a little difficult to work with the Collie, too, because
that
dog didn't pull at all and when holding the harness it was almost
verticle
and so when he got his second dog, it was more comfortable then to have
a
dog that pulls a bit more like what most of us are accustomed to. 
 
Just thought you guys might like to know more of the details since it is
a
unique situation.
 
Charlene
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