[NAGDU] Seeing Eye

Thu Mar 14 18:26:20 UTC 2024

Same location. Just slightly altered configuration in some parts of the building. When I started out in 1982, I had a roommate. But from 1993 Forward, I did not. My roommate in 1982 and I happen to both live in Maryland and we're on the same flight. We became very good friends during that flight. When we arrived at The Seeing Eye, we had not been slated to be roommates, but we pushed to have them let us be roommates, and they granted our request in some respects, having a roommate was great. But I also like the fact that we do have privacy in our own rooms where we in our dogs can just chill out, particularly if we've had a bad trip. Sometimes that privacy is just needed. 

Vanessa and the zoo  
Sent from my iPhone

> On Mar 14, 2024, at 2:05 PM, Jessica Sears via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hello,
> 
> Wow. Love it. In 1976 were they located at the same place? Was the bldg
> laid out the same? Did you like having roommates? I think I would've loved
> that part but I am chatty. I also love how they just seem to respect us as
> independent blind people also. That is the vibe I atleast received. So
> blessed I went and Jane was my instructor.
> Jess
> 
>> On Thu, Mar 14, 2024 at 11:57 AM Joy via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> Hi Jessica,
>> 
>> My first class was in 1976. I didn't meet Mr. Frank. I did meet Mr. Crocus
>> and Mr. Debeta. Of course, I also got to know Mr. Gary Mattoon. Please
>> forgive my spelling in the names. Mr. Mattoon trained my second dog Zenith
>> but Lucas Franc trained Zenith and I together. Lucas used to call him
>> Atoshi.
>> 
>> Mr. Roger Taylor my first trainer with Vicki (my first Vicki) was a story
>> teller. Since my dad was also a story teller I was right at home. He was
>> also a practical joker. He once swopped the harness of a 1 hundred pound
>> shepherd for a 40 pound shepherd during dinner. In those days, I can't
>> remember if we still do this, we hung our dogs' harness on the back of our
>> chair during dinner when we first started using them because they were
>> stiff and hadn't yet gotten enough softening by the saddle soap. Anyway,
>> the man who used the larger shepherd was a very tall man from Louisiana and
>> he has the wonderful slow southern accent. The woman who had been matched
>> with the smaller shepherd, and my roommate, was a smaller woman from
>> Canada. When we got up to leave after dinner and began to put on our dogs'
>> harnesses I can still hear Joe say "something sure is wrong here because
>> there's no way this is gonna fit on my dog."
>> 
>> In those days everyone was called by their last names. It was to maintain
>> an atmosphere of respect.
>> 
>> Once when I was walking down the street with Vicki a man came up to me and
>> told me that he was with the police and  wondered if I had a license to
>> operate my dog. I sputtered for a while and then asked "do you know Mr.
>> Roger Taylor?". The man started laughing.
>> 
>> There are some things which have changed and become more modern at The
>> Seeing Eye, but, to me, the one thing that remains the same is the emphasis
>> on quality of breeding and training of dogs. In my experience, if you come
>> with an attitude that you want to learn how to work with your new partner
>> and ask lots of questions you end up with a partner who will work with you
>> for years. There are going to be some partnerships which don't work, but I
>> believe that it is the minority of the partnership. Of course, that isn't
>> much comfort if you are the one experiencing the issue at the time.
>> 
>> Also, in 2005 I collapsed with a burst aneurism in my brain and was in
>> intensive care for a month and then in rehab for another month before I
>> came home. My husband called The Seeing Eye and got advice as to what to do
>> to help Belle adjust to the new situation. The support was incredible.  I
>> was not aware of anything for about a month but my husband had the support
>> that he needed. Once I began to recover The Seeing Eye was there to support
>> Belle and I as we began to work together again.
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Jessica Sears via
>> NAGDU
>> Sent: Thursday, March 14, 2024 6:54 AM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users <
>> nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Cc: Jessica Sears <jlsears86 at gmail.com>
>> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Seeing Eye
>> 
>> I am so fascinated by old Seeing Eye stories we are sharing. I would love
>> to hear more from people on how things really have changed from early 80's
>> to now. I wonder if anyone is here that met the real Morris?
>> Jess
>> 
>> On Thu, Mar 14, 2024 at 12:49 AM Suzette May via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> wrote:
>> 
>>> Hi Everyone,
>>> 
>>> I went to The Seeing Eye in September/October of 2022 for my guide, a
>>> large, long, male Sable German Shepherd named Boden.  I had Lukas
>>> Franck as my instructor and Joan Markey was our class manager.  Anyone
>>> remember the high school route? Well, Lukas was quite fond of that one
>>> and I think I did that beast about 3 or 4 times. They haven't had that
>>> as a route for years but we did it.  I think that thing was uphill
>>> both ways.  It sure felt like it.
>>> 
>>> As far as retirements go,  I know Lukas retired at the end of September.
>>> Lee Johnson retired earlier in 2023, I think. I was sad to hear Jeff
>>> McMullen retired. Joan Markey started at The Seeing Eye within a few
>>> years of Lukas so that might happen in a year or two.
>>> 
>>> Nice to see all the different schools on here.  It's interesting
>>> hearing everyones stories.
>>> 
>>> *Suzette May*
>>> *PS139.13 at gmail.com <PS139.13 at gmail.com>*
>>> *512-564-0152*
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> On Wed, Mar 13, 2024 at 1:00 PM Julie A. Orozco via NAGDU <
>>> nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> 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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