[NAGDU] Seeing Eye

Thu Mar 14 05:55:02 UTC 2024

Hi Julie,
Congrats on your first Seeing Eye dog!
I've been going to TSE since 1990 and worked for the school for ten years.
My first dog was an extremely hyper female golden, and we only lasted six months, but sometimes these things happen.
I was young and a firsttimer so didn't share my concerns.
All my successor dogs have been outstanding.
I live in New Zealand now, and even though we have a guide dog school here, I will always go to TSE.
There are good and bad dogs and handlers from every school, but I appreciate the professionalism and dignity TSE affords its students, and I like the training methods.
Currently, I'm working a female black lab/golden cross, Eclipse. She's a sweetie and a great worker. 
We just started a new job and are now working in a typical downtown highrise, and she's handling it great.
Best of luck and can't wait to hear about your new partner. 
Cheers
Bonnie 

-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Al Sten-Clanton via NAGDU
Sent: Thursday, March 14, 2024 8:24 AM
To: Julie A. Orozco via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Al Sten-Clanton <albert.e.sten_clanton at verizon.net>
Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Seeing Eye

Hi, Julie!

I'm on my fifth Seeing Eye dog.  I got my first in july of 1979, when we still had traffic checks for dinosaurs.  (In 1989, when I got my second, there were wooly mammoths.)

I've been very happy with Seeing Eye.  When I decided abruptly that I wanted a guide dog, it didn't matter to me which school I'd go to:  the first Federationist I hung out with had one from Guiding Eyes for the Blind.  My mom insisted that I should apply to Seeing Eye, and I had no problem with that, other than the old-style formality I saw and that was in effect for my first two classes.  I learned later that it was the only school from which you graduated with outright ownership, and I became very glad indeed that I'd gone there.  (I understand that this is no longer true, but I don't know the ownership policies of the other
schools.)

I've had five good dogs and a good instructor to help with each one. Sometimes, thinking about my mistakes over the years, I've wondered if I was a bad match for my poor dogs, but I think they were all good matches for me.  I will admit that my third instructor paid such close attention to detail and seemed to find so much I was doing wrong that I worried about flunking out, but that dog came home to mostly work well, cause mischif often, and let me know if my wife was locked out or something else was amiss.

I wish you the best in your class.

Al

On 3/13/24 13:59, Julie A. Orozco via NAGDU wrote:
> 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.
>
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