[NAGDU] Seeing Eye

[Julie A. Orozco]

Hi everyone,

 

Thank you for all the comments about Seeing Eye. It is great to know I will
have an excellent class manager who will answer questions and listen to
concerns. I'll tell a little more of my story below in case more
reassurances are forth coming. 

 

I retired my second dog in the fall of 2021 shortly before my daughter was
born. I did not complete the application process for my third dog for a
while after that because well, motherhood. So I haven't worked a dog in
almost 2 and a half years, which is the longest I've gone without the
harness in my hand since 2008. I only had to wait like 5 months between my
first and second dogs. 

 

My life has changed completely in the last several years. I am a mom of a
toddler now, and I feel like I need a unicorn of a dog. I live outside of
Washington DC and take the metro a lot, walk a ton, and definitely deal with
plenty of chaos and crowds. But I need a dog that will be gentle and
forgiving of my toddler and tolerant of young children in general, since it
looks like we'll be taking her to day care on a daily basis. 

 

I am so nervous. Not only do I feel like I'm looking for a dog that might
not exist, but I also fear a mismatch. I know everyone has them, but I
haven't had one yet. My first two dogs were great matches, and my second dog
in particular was an amazing worker and could pretty much read my mind. So,
I'm not sure I can get that level of awesome in a dog again. The Seeing Eye
is a new school for me, and although I've seen great dogs come out of there,
I'm still nervous. I will be spending three weeks away from my family to do
this, and I want that time to count. 

 

There is truly nothing like working a dog though. Even with the rideshare
denials and the airline forms, I have to do it. I have to try and do my best
to make it work. I do plan on asking lots of questions when I'm there, and
I'm not shy. So hopefully that will help. 

 

I'm so glad there are so many happy Seeing Eye graduates on this list.
Hearing about your experiences is definitely helping. So thank you, and
thanks for reading.

 

Julie

Julie A. Orozco J.D.