didn't think I was going to be able to update

I really did not think I was going to be able to update this blog for some reason. When I tried to log onto the website directly the computer would not open the web page for some reason. I had to get to the site a different way. I am down in the computer lab by myself and its nice and quiet. In other news the plane ride was ok, I am not a real fan of flying, but I made it all right. I landed in Newark airport on time thank goodness. I got here around lunch time and have not had much time for anything. If I have not returned phone calls or facebook messages I will get to it I promise. We got to work with a few dogs that are class ready which was allot of fun. Dog day is tomorrow and I am getting excited. I got to work with three and my favorite was a female golden, she was very happy and sweet. She reminded me allot of Muffin who I am missing all ready, I really needed a dog fix. The food is amazing andThe the people are so nice as well. I did get to tell my trainer what I wanted as far as my next guide dog is concerned. When I find something out I will post. When I got here it was cold as crap. I thought North Carolina was cold, but 16 degrees is too much for this North Carolina girl. There are a few football fans in this class which is a wonderful thing. At least I will not be watching the super bowl alone thank goodness. Sorry this post is not organized at all, I am in a real hurry and can't really think. I will write later when something else happens. If you want to know anything just ask. GTG Wine and cheese party, have to get upstairs fast.

Crazyness

This is some of what I posted in my journal yesterday with some more throne in from today.

1/30/10
To say the past two weeks have been crazy is an understatement. I've got a few minutes and need to post like a week ago.
I am all most packed thank goodness. Some of my clothes are washing as I type this, and aside from cleaning my house and throwing the last few things in my suitcase I am set on go for the most part. I called yesterday and confirmed my flight leaving tomorrow morning at 8:45, which means I will have to be at the airport around 6:30, which is pretty early. I had to go and get a new ID, because mine had expired and I did not know about, I don't keep up with that crap. No it’s not a driver’s license on the back it says not for vehicle operation thank goodness. When I walked into the DMV, the person helping me asked if I had my permit. I couldn't help but laugh at that one, do I really look that young. I'm 25 not 15 and I can't see. I would not even want to think about me driving on the road. They have this new thing now where you don't get your ID card that day, you get a receipt and the card is sent in the mail. I had to call the airline yesterday to make sure I was going to be able to board the plane. Hoping my flight want is delayed because of the threat for snow, sleet and ice. I just hope I have all ready landed in New Jersey before all that crap decides to happen.

1/31/10
My flight after all was canceled. Because of all the snow/ice. I found out last night after I had all ready printed my boarding pass. The snow came in around 5 in the afternoon and this morning it was snowing/raining according to the weather forecast. I’m glad the flight was canceled because I don’t know how I would have made it to the airport safely. I’m not sure exactly how much snow we got, but it’s enough to not want anymore for a while. Last I checked my new flight was on time when I went and printed out my new boarding pass. My plane is supposed to leave tomorrow morning at 9:05 A>M. I’ve done nothing today but relax which was really nice. Hopefully I will be able to sleep tonight, I am starting to get excited. If not there is always something on TV and the Internet. The next time I post will hopefully be from New Jersey sometime tomorrow. This snow/ice needs to go away like yesterday.

Muffin

Meeting and training with my first guide dog is an experience I will always remember.
I was somewhat nervous going to a place I had never been before, not knowing anyone, and flying on a plane for the first time. I arrived at Southeastern Guide Dogs campus on June Third 2002 not knowing at all what to expect. I knew I was going to get a dog, with know idea of what dog I would get. I remember the first night talking to one of the trainers and asking about the dogs that were ready to be matched in this class. Each class there are about thirty dogs that are fully trained for guide work and ready to be matched to perspective handlers like myself. Those dogs that do not get matched get pushed back to the next class. I remember the trainer telling me some of the dog’s names, and the name Muffin interested me. I asked about Muffin, and after what he told me I remember saying that I would love to have Muffin.
The next day was full of excitement and it seemed like the wait would never end. Finally around three in the afternoon we were able to meet our dogs. The funny thing was that I was matched with Muffin. When she came to me she was extremely excited, but when we got back to my room and after about five minutes she wanted a tummy rub. The only thing I knew about her at that time was she was a yellow lab golden retriever female. The 26-day training was not easy. There were times when training was very stressful, and I learned then that guide dogs are not perfect. I knew that everything was going to be all right though on the last day. Every morning and every afternoon the class did what is called obedience exercises with the dogs. Giving commands such as sit, down, stay, come. Each day things got more difficult having the dog listen to your commands while the trainers were doing everything possible to try and distract the dogs. Muffin all most always got distracted by balls and especially food. This particular day the instructor wanted each person in the class to have there dog sit, stay, and drop the leash and after a few minutes call there dog to come. It was my turn, and I knew Muffin was going to go for what ever it was to distract her. I gave her the commands and walked away. The instructor came around her with balls, food, and who knows what else. I told her to come and she ran straight to me ignoring everything around her.
A few months later I started my first semester at Wingate University. During the time I was in college Muffin sure was wonderful. If I wanted to go somewhere and no one wanted to go with me, I just went. It felt so wonderful to be independent and not have to wait on some one else. During class she sure knew when fifty minutes was up. Muffin sometimes got class let out early because she wanted to leave so bad. She was the only one who could ever sleep in my English classes, and when she got bored she sure let the instructors know. She was always a wonderful icebreaker for me to start conversations with other people. The first person I met during orientation week my freshman year started talking to me, and I remember one of the first things she saying to me is wow that dog is focused. We still keep in contact even now. Students on campus knew Muffin’s name and not mine. In 2007 we walked across the stage together during my college graduation, and Muffin had her own cap and gown.
About a year later when I got my first job Muffin was with me. She was with me when I landed my second job in February of this year. She did wonderful learning things, I could show her something once and she picked up on what ever I was teaching her.
Around June of last year Muffin started showing signs of not wanting to work anymore. About two years prior Muffin started becoming afraid of thunderstorms. It was not a big deal until one night we got caught out in a storm, and all she was focused on was getting to the car as fast as she could. This was a safety concern, and so I contacted Southeastern Guide Dogs for some advice from a trainer. I was given some suggestions, and was told that Muffin had a good two years left to work. One day last June a storm came up while I was waiting on the bus. Muffin got really nervous and tried to pull me onto every bus that stopped. Not too long after that she started becoming afraid of the traffic. She would try to pull me into parking lots to get away from the cars instead of staying on the sidewalk. One day I missed my stop while riding the bus, and got put off a few blocks down, there was allot of traffic and Muffin totally refused to work. I knew then something was not right, so I contacted Southeastern because I knew I was going to have to retire her pretty soon. She has worked some since then, but only when I had to work her. Today was her last day at work as a guide dog, and she really knew. This afternoon I put the harness on for the last time, and as we were walking to the bus stop I told her it was her last time. She truly has been a wonderful guide dog for the past eight years, and I will never forget the wonderful things we experienced together. We went so many places, rode on buses, trains, planes. You name it we probably did it, for the past eight years Muffin has been by my side through it all. I sometimes have said she is the extension of my left arm. I am sure my next dog that I will meet in a few days will be just as wonderful, but nothing can or will take the place of Muffin. She will be able to live the high life now, and I know she can’t wait. Retiring Muffin has not been easy, but knowing she does not want to work anymore has made it so much easier.

Why I decided to get a guide dog

I have been blind my entire life, and when I was about six years old I began using a white cane to get me from place to place safely. I relied on my cane for several years all the way through high school. Growing up I had not ever thought of getting a guide dog. I felt that a dog would be too much responsibility, after all you don’t have to feed a cane, you can leave it anywhere and it doesn’t matter. I did ok using my cane, so why would I want to change anything. This all changed one day during my junior year of high school.
I was becoming more independent with my cane, crossing streets, riding the bus in Charlotte, and I felt pretty confident using a cane. One day I was in downtown Charlotte working on independently crossing lighted intersections. A blind person has to listen to the traffic at all times, and in listening to the traffic you will know when it is safe to cross. I had the light and went to cross, but I did not cross the street straight and did not end up where I could easily find the sidewalk. I was disoriented, and it took me a while to figure out how to get back on the sidewalk to continue to my destination.
A mobility instructor is trained on how to help blind or visually impaired individuals independently learn to travel from place to place safely. This particular time my instructor was with me, and once I found the sidewalk I was pretty frustrated. I then asked her if I was safer crossing a busy intersection with a guide dog. She told me that yes a guide dog was safer, in that the dog would not pull a person out into traffic, but the handler has to know when it is safe to cross. It was then that I decided I wanted a guide dog. I used to be scared of dogs because a big dog pushed me down when I was little. I knew a lady who allowed me to pet her guide dog, and the dog was so calm not trying to jump or anything. When I told my parents that I wanted a guide dog they couldn’t believe it but supported me. .
I wanted to wait until I had graduated from high school, and the summer between my junior and senior years I started researching guide dog schools. I applied to few, but in the end I chose to go to Southeastern Guide Dogs near Tampa Florida. I was accepted for training in the spring of my senior year, and one-week after my high school graduation I was on a plane to Florida to get a dog that would totally change my life.

When you meet a blind person

Thought this info might be helpful.

Many people are uneasy when thinking about assisting a visually impaired person. The following suggestions will help you feel at ease with blind persons, and are based on thoughtful courtesies you might extend to anyone, sighted or blind.

There are many ways in which you can be helpful to a blind person in everyday situations, but always ask if the person wishes assistance. If help is needed, they'll be grateful. If not, they will thank you for asking.
Speaking upon entering a room where there is a blind person is very helpful. Identify yourself and let them know when you're leaving. Don't exit without informing them and leave them talking to thin air.
When greeting a blind person if others are present, use a name or provide some cue so the blind person can tell for whom your greeting is intended. Remember that blind people can't see when you're looking at them.
Address a blind person directly, not through someone else, and use a normal tone of voice. When giving directions to a blind person, be specific. Pointing will not help, nor will "over there." Phrases such as "do you see what I mean" or "let's look at the numbers" are a normal part of everyday conversation, so you needn't censor your conversation. Remember, too, that nods and shrugs do not take the place of words.
If the blind person chooses to accept assistance with moving through an environment, it will be easiest for him or her to hold onto your arm just above the elbow when walking. This will position you about ½ step ahead, and the individual can easily follow your movements. Pause briefly before ascending or descending steps and inform the individual as to whether they are going up or down. When providing assistance to cross the street, stay with the person until the opposite curb has been safely reached.
Avoid the temptation to pet a dog guide. The dog is a working animal responsible for leading a person who cannot see and should not be distracted or treated like a pet.
In social situations, introduce the individual. Bring him or her into the conversation. Identify and introduce others who are present.
Do not be concerned if an individual does not look directly at you. He or she may look down or slightly away from you.
Don’t avoid visually descriptive language. Making reference to colors, patterns, designs, and shapes is perfectly acceptable.
When you speak about someone with a disability, refer to the person and then to the disability. For example, refer to "a person who is blind" rather than to "a blind person."
The most important things needed when you meet blind individuals are your good will and common sense. Remember that blind people think, feel and make decisions just as you do. A blind person is an individual who has usually lost only one sense-the sense of sight. Be natural and enjoy one another.

Guide Dogs

I have compiled some general information about guide dogs, and I wanted to post it.

Guide Dogs help blind or visually impaired people get around in the world. In the United States, they are allowed anywhere that the public is allowed, so they can help their handlers be any place they might want to go. To do this, a guide dog must know how to:
Keep on a direct route, ignoring distractions such as smells, other animals and people
Maintain a steady pace, to the left and just ahead of the handler
Stop at all curbs until told to proceed
Turn left and right, move forward and stop on command
Recognize and avoid obstacles that the handler won't be able to fit through (narrow passages and low overheads)
Stop at the bottom and top of stairs until told to proceed
Lie quietly when the handler is sitting down
Help the handler to board and move around buses, subways and other forms of public transportation
Obey a number of verbal commands
Additionally, a guide dog must know to disobey any command that would put the handler in danger. This ability, called intelligent disobedience, is perhaps the most amazing thing about guide dogs -- that they can balance obedience with their own assessment of the situation.
This capacity is extremely important at crosswalks, where the handler and dog must work very closely together to navigate the situation safely. When the team reaches the curb, the dog stops, signaling to the handler that they have reached a crosswalk. Dogs cannot distinguish the color of traffic lights, so the handler must make the decision of when it is safe to proceed across the road. The handler listens to the flow of traffic to figure out when the light has changed and then gives the command "forward." If there is no danger, the dog proceeds across the road in a straight line. If there are cars approaching, the dog waits until the danger is gone and then follows the forward command.
In a handler-guide dog team, the guide dog doesn't lead the handler and the handler doesn't completely control the guide dog; the two work together to get from place to place. The guide dog doesn't know where the destination is, so it must follow the handler's instructions of how far to go and when to turn. The handler can't see the obstacles along the way, so the guide dog must make its own decisions as to how to navigate the team's path. Each half of the team relies on the other to accomplish the tasks at hand.
As a guide dog gets more experience with its handler, it may be able to take on even more responsibility. For example, many veteran guide dogs know all of their master's usual destinations. All the handler has to tell them is "go to the office” and the guide dog will follow the complete route!
When you see a guide dog on the job, it is extremely important that you recognize that it is at work. Petting or talking to the dog breaks its concentration, which impairs the handler's ability to get around in his or her surroundings. People are very impressed with guide dogs and so we have a natural inclination to praise them, but the best thing you can do to help a guide dog is to leave it alone so that it can pay attention to its surroundings and maintain its focus on its handler. Guiding is very complicated, and it requires a dog's undivided attention.
When a guide dog gets home at the end of the day, however, it will play and soak up praise just like an ordinary pet. Guide dogs make the distinction between work and play based on When the harness is on, they must stay completely focused -- when it comes off, it's play time. Guide dogs work very hard every day, but they lead extremely happy lives, full of lots of attention and stimulation. Dogs only end up working as guide dogs if they absolutely love the work
Where Guide Dogs Come From
Guide dogs come from various guide dog schools most of which are non-profit organizations. Most guide dog schools use Golden retrievers, Labrador retrievers, and German shepherds.
These three breeds are characterized by intelligence, obedience, stamina and friendliness and so are well suited for the job. Guide dog schools breed their dogs very carefully, choosing parents with intelligence and special guiding ability.

Puppy Raisers
When they're ready to leave their mother, dogs that show a level of aptitude for guiding go to a loving home to enjoy being a puppy and grow into a well-trained young adult.
These volunteer puppy raisers are just ordinary people who go through an application process and training program at the guide dog school. The school screens for raising ability and works with puppy raisers one-on-one to help them learn how to work with the puppy. In addition, the school will generally provide the raisers with a manual that tells them almost everything they need to know. The raiser's job is to teach the puppy obedience skills, expose the puppy to all sorts of people and environments and give the puppy all the love and attention it needs to grow into a happy, confident dog that is ready for guide training. Basically, raisers lay the groundwork for the more extensive guide training to come.
One of the most important aspects of raising a future guide dog is to get it comfortable with all kinds of situations. Socialization is important for any dog, but it is crucial for guide dogs, who must be able to go anywhere without being distracted from their work. They must be accustomed to loud noises, adverse weather conditions, crowds of people and tricky obstacles. A guide dog needs to be confident in any situation its handler might experience.
Raising a future guide dog is a wonderful experience, but it is very difficult emotionally. At the end of the puppy raising period, a little over a year, the puppy raiser must bring the dog back to the training school so it can go on to help a blind or visually impaired person. Giving the dog up after raising it for a year is a very sad experience, but puppy raisers are rewarded by the satisfaction of contributing to the process. Most puppy raisers end up raising many future guide dogs, because of the happiness it brings them.

Training
Once it is grown-up, socialized and well trained, the dog returns to the guide dog school for evaluation. Guide dog instructors look for a number of qualities, including:
Intelligence
Willingness to learn
Ability to concentrate for extended periods of time
Attention to touch and sound
Good memory
Excellent health
Even if a dog has all these qualities, however, it may be a poor candidate for training. Instructors screen out a lot of intelligent dogs because they have undesirable qualities, such as:
Aggressive tendencies
Nervous temperament
Extreme reaction to cats or other dogs
The match process
After guide dogs have completed training they are then matched with a handler based on many factors such as personality, activity level, and pace.
Retirement
The average age of a working guide dog team is eight to ten years. Some guide dogs can work longer, or have to retire early for various reasons.
When a guide dog retires, the handler will get a new dog, but he or she may also have the option to keep the retired dog as a pet. If the handler can't keep two dogs, then the handler or guide dog school looks for a new home for the retired dog.

Guide dog Training

I started this blog to post my experiences training with my next guide dog at The Seeing Eye in New Jersey. More coming soon!