[NAGDU] Seeing Eye

Fri Mar 15 05:53:57 UTC 2024

The instructor who made the wooden maps, which do show most of the current routes minus the one that now has a roundabout., were made by G. William Debatez (approximate spelling of his last name). I'm not sure if he was retired by the time I trained in 1982, but he enjoyed working with wood. So there are at least two maps that are normally hung up on the wall that are the wooden ones that he carved. At some point, there was also a to scale model of the building as it looked back then. He may have also carved that. The maps that are just outside of the elevators to get between the floors in the building were probably computer created. They certainly were not there in 2004. Nor were they there during the first five months of 2013. But they were probably added as a part of that 2013 renovation. at some point down the road, since I was one of the folks who was in one of the hotel classes, I'll tell you how neat that experience was and what things were brought back to The Seeing Eye from that experience. But in just a few minutes, I'm gonna head downstairs  hang out with my hound otherwise known as virtue. Right now, I'm on the couch up in the living room snuggling with the cat. 

Vanessa and the zoo  
Sent from my iPhone

> On Mar 14, 2024, at 7:11 PM, Jenine Stanley via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Great conversation.
> 
> I’d been hearing about and then meeting various people mentioned here from Seeing Eye since I thought about getting a guide dog in 1987. For various reasons I got my first 2 dogs at Pilot Dogs. Then, when it was time to change schools, I put in an application to both Seeing Eye and GDF. GDF got me in first and had my heart for almost 30 years
> 
> I went to Seeing eye, again for various personal reasons in 2022. We’re coming up on our 2nd anniversary and it’s hard to believe.  One of the things that really got to me when exploring the building and getting to finally experience some of the things my friends and talked about for years, was the display of maps. Some of these maps, possibly all of them now, are out of date but they were made by hand, of wood in which you can still feel the grain. I can’t even try to spell the long-time instructor’s name, who made these but he has a statue on the grounds and was one of the first instructors there.
> 
> I have to say that walking through the front doors and being greeted by the staff was very humbling. The sense of history is very strong but not, unlike what some people told me, overbearing.
> 
> Oh yeah, and I appreciated the training and the dog I received. He is smart, steady and fun, plus being a Golden. What more can you want, right?
> 
> 
>> On Mar 14, 2024, at 6:31 PM, Joy via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> Hi, they were all cool guys, but Booke was pronounced "Booka) he was, I believe Dutch.
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: NAGDU <nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Vanessa Lowery via NAGDU
>> Sent: Thursday, March 14, 2024 11:33 AM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Cc: Vanessa Lowery <val4dogs at gmail.com>
>> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Seeing Eye
>> 
>> I never met more Frank, but my best friend in North Carolina (my home state) did get to meet him. Did Krokus was there when I was in training with my first dog in 1982. So was Dan Booke pronounced Booker). I never worked with Roger Taylor in class. Nor did I do so with Gary Matoon. But I did get to know both of them. Gary was a hoot, and I must confess, I never was one of the victims of a Roger Taylor prank, but I'm sure that he could be quite ingenious about it. An and then there was absolutely sweet, gracious ROBERT Woodstock. What a gentleman. and David Loux. And for us dinosaurs, how many of you remember the person on the housekeeping staff, zilla husbands. She had the most wonderful laugh, so we would all do anything to get her to laugh. And then there was Paul Parsley, the school mom! You either loved her or hated her, but you grew to respect her.
>> 
>> 
>> Vanessa and the zoo
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> 
>>>> On Mar 14, 2024, at 1:57 PM, 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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>>>>> com
>>>>> 
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>>>> om
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