[nagdu] Just saw this: Guide dogs and athletes

Sat Aug 22 10:34:10 UTC 2015

I am quite amused by this.  First the guide dog programs said that running 
was dangerous with a guide.  Now they have a special program for it. 
Hmmmm...

Julie
Courage to Dare: A Blind Woman's Quest to Train her Own Guide Dog is now 
available! Get the book here:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QXZSMOC
-----Original Message----- 
From: Buddy Brannan via nagdu
Sent: Friday, August 21, 2015 8:58 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Cc: Buddy Brannan
Subject: [nagdu] Just saw this: Guide dogs and athletes

Pasted below is the article from PR Newswire. While Guiding Eyes claims the 
first guide dog "certified" to work with an athlete, I think Pilot would 
take issue with that claim, having trained a guide to work with a high 
school cross country runner several years ago. They were on ESPN even, so 
it's kind of hard to dispute. Seriously, if you're going to do PR, it would 
be really great to actually use factual information.

First Ever Guide Dog Certified To Assist Visually Impaired Runners

YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, N.Y., Aug. 19, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Klinger, a two 
year-old German Shepherd, will make history this week by becoming the first 
professionally trained running guide dog to assist an athlete who is 
visually impaired. Klinger's placement marks the initiation of the Running 
Guides pilot program at Guiding Eyes for the Blind—an internationally 
accredited nonprofit that provides guide dogs to those with vision loss. 
With this, it is hoped a new expansion of the organization's commitment to 
increasing independence for people with visual impairments will follow.

The Running Guides program, still in the developmental phase, was 
established to support the underserved community of runners who are visually 
impaired. "This pilot program is focusing on the feasibility of selecting 
and specially training dogs for their partners on approved exercise routes 
prior to being issued in class," said Benjamin Cawley, class supervisor for 
Guiding Eyes for the Blind. "We will continue to build our techniques and 
hope to one day shift from an experimental pilot to a fully-implemented 
program."

Following a graduation ceremony on Saturday, August 22 at Guiding Eyes for 
the Blind's campus in Yorktown Heights, Klinger will join his new partner, 
Lt. Richard Hunter of San Francisco. It was while serving in the United 
StatesMarine Corps that Hunter was diagnosed with degenerative vision loss. 
Now an accomplished marathoner and triathlete, his work with the United 
States Association of Blind Athletes led to his collaboration with Guiding 
Eyes in organizing a panel of blind runners to identify the specific needs 
and challenges that a running guide dog program should address.

The challenge with training a guide dog to work at a running pace is the 
speed at which they are working, which is why the Running Guides curriculum 
utilizes specialized training techniques to ensure dogs are able to provide 
clearance and guide work tasks reliably at higher speeds. The program has 
specifically addressed these and other concerns with training that has seen 
Klinger login over 200 miles with sighted trainers as well as those with 
vision loss.

For Hunter, Klinger's graduation will mark an upgrade in quality of life, 
offering him a new sense of independence. "Being active and pushing myself 
to the max is a passion of mine. Having Klinger by my side to help in 
training will be a tremendous help," says Hunter. "And the best thing about 
having Klinger as a running buddy is that he can't cancel on me at the last 
minute." The two will begin training for the California International 
Marathon upon their arrival in California.

For more information on Klinger's graduation, the Running Guides program or 
Guiding Eyes, visit https://www.guidingeyes.org/.

Guiding Eyes is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides superbly 
bred and trained guide dogs to men and women who are blind or visually 
impaired. Dogs not suited for guide work may become service dogs for 
children on the autism spectrum. All Guiding Eyes dogs expand horizons for 
people to achieve life's goals.

SOURCE Guiding Eyes

RELATED LINKS
http://www.guidingeyes.org

--
Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
Phone: 814-860-3194
Mobile: 814-431-0962
Email: buddy at brannan.name

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