[NAGDU] Looking for an instructor who has left the Seeing Eye

[Tara Briggs]

 Hi all! I am hoping for some help if possible. In 2009, I attended the Seeing Eye  for the first time. I received a beautiful black lab named emerald. She was an absolutely amazing dog! Emerald was born to be a blind person’s eyes, and I was the incredibly lucky person who got her.
 Emerald’s instructor was a phenomenal lady,  Chriss Schmidt. At that time, when we received our dogs, we had a leash in our hands, and we were to call the dogs to us. When I called Emerald to me, she ran over, jumped on me and started licking my face. In the nine years we were together, she never did that again and she never did that to anyone else but me. I have always wondered, how much does a dog actually know. But I felt then, and I still feel, that emerald knew I was her person.
 Chriss did a beautiful job training her! Among other things,  Emerald was taught to remember where I had gone and take me back. It wasn’t until 2018, when I returned to the Seeing Eye, that I realized there were several doors that led in from the area where we took our dogs for park  time. It was absolutely glorious, having a dog who remembered to take me back the same place where we had been before. In the beginning of my training with Emerald, she walked slowly. It drove  me crazy! I like to walk fast!  When I asked Chriss about it, she said,  “ just wait until she knows she can trust you.” I remember when that day came.  Our group of students was walking to the train. Emerald and I left everybody in the dust! If I hadn’t been following her perfectly, I would’ve fallen down a very long flight of stairs and been badly hurt. But emerald knew what she was doing, and instead, I stopped on a dime right in front of those stairs. I felt like Chriss trained the dogs, and worked with the students, with so much empathy. She really was a phenomenal instructor! 
Chriss has left the Seeing Eye after her husband‘s job took her to a different state. I would love the opportunity to reach out to her and just say thanks. I have been working with dog guides for 23 years now. Most of the time, it’s just the way I navigate. But there are moments when I am truly amazed by not just the relationship that I have with my dogs, but the skills they are taught.
  Emerald lived to be 15 1/2 years old. During her time with me, my husband and I were trying, for five years, to have a family. That really was the most difficult experience I have ever gone through! emerald was a huge help during that time!
  Upon retirement, emerald lived with a phenomenal couple in Park city Utah. She had the kind of dream retirement she deserved. She went on vacations with the family, got to sniff anytime she wanted, and even had a senior dog walker walk her three days a week.
  I would really love the opportunity to reach out to Chriss and simply say thank you. I have have loved all my three dogs deeply. But my emerald was something special! I think a big part of that was Chriss and the incredible training emerald received from her.
If any of you have reached out to a former instructor, or no, how to contact Chriss I wouldIf any of you have reached out to a former instructor, or no how to contact Chriss, I would really appreciate any information. Thanks so much in advance for any help!   
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Tara Briggs
Check out my podcast, Crip Parenting on your podcast platform of choice.