[NAGDU] Seeing Eye

Cindy Ray cindyray at gmail.com
Thu Mar 14 21:01:18 UTC 2024 

I don’t know when they actually stopped having roommates, but the first two dogs I got I had a roommate. It was a pretty interesting experience! I was glad when they quit.
Cindy Lou Ray
Sent from my iPhone

> On Mar 14, 2024, at 3:57 PM, Brent Franklin via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hello Jessica,
> 
> Absolutely nothing wrong with being chatty.
> 
> This I admit is the first I've heard of having roommates, whenever I've been
> in class I've not had to share rooms with anyone.
> 
> I'm thinking if you do have roommates, that a fair amount of thought would
> go in to just who was sharing, otherwise training could be a very long time
> for some people...
> 
> Cheers.
> 
> Brent.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Jessica Sears via
> NAGDU
> Sent: Friday, 15 March 2024 5:04 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Cc: Jessica Sears
> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Seeing Eye
> 
> 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.
>>>> 
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> NAGDU mailing list
>>>> NAGDU at nfbnet.org
>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info
>>>> for
>>>> NAGDU:
>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/ps139.13%40gmail.
>>>> com
>>>> 
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> NAGDU mailing list
>>> NAGDU at nfbnet.org
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>>> NAGDU:
>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/jlsears86%40gmail.c
>>> om
>>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> NAGDU mailing list
>> NAGDU at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> NAGDU:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/joy.relton%40icloud.com
>> 
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> NAGDU mailing list
>> NAGDU at nfbnet.org
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> NAGDU:
>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/jlsears86%40gmail.com
>> 
> _______________________________________________
> NAGDU mailing list
> NAGDU at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NAGDU:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/bfranklin%40woolworths.com.au
> 
> --
> 
> 
> CAUTION: This email, links and files included in its transmission by
> Woolworths Group Limited ABN 88 000 014 675 and its group of companies
> (Woolworths Group) are solely intended for the use of the addressee(s) and
> may contain information that is confidential and privileged. If you receive
> this email in error, please advise us immediately and delete it without
> reading or copying the contents contained within. Woolworths Group does not
> accept liability for the views expressed within or the consequences of any
> computer malware that may be transmitted with this email. The contents are
> also subject to copyright. No part of it should be reproduced, adapted or
> transmitted without the written consent of the copyright owner.
> 
> _______________________________________________
> NAGDU mailing list
> NAGDU at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NAGDU:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/cindyray%40gmail.com

More information about the NAGDU mailing list