Weekly Tails From Southeastern Guide Dogs

Training Trick Brings Unintended Consequences

This week we have another guest post from trainer Karen Mersereau – it’s all about an interesting situation we experienced when we started using clicker training during the early phases of guide dog training.

We all have had unintended consequences, like supporting the Girl Scouts by buying four boxes of cookies, and then having to amp up your workouts to get rid of the pounds they added to your thighs.  Well, here’s the story of other unintended consequences brought about by treats. Puppy raisers know not to make their dogs sit at curbs while waiting to cross the street. This creates a bad habit that trainers have to break when we get the dogs in for guide dog training. So, I couldn't figure out why I had a whole string of dogs sitting at curbs. After a few days of puzzling over this, and watching the dogs closely, I suddenly realized that the dogs weren't sitting for the curb, they were sitting for the treats that are part of clicker training…

• Photos (2)

Weekly Tails From Southeastern Guide Dogs

Pay No Attention to the People Behind the Curtain: Part II

For the next couple of weeks, we’re going to take a look behind the scenes at Southeastern Guide Dogs and learn about all the people who have a hand in creating great guide dogs.

Last week we introduced you to some of the departments at Southeastern Guide Dogs. We talked about the folks in the Genetics and Reproduction Department and their effect on creating the highest quality guide dogs; the Puppy Kennel staff and their enviable job of taking care of adorable puppies all day long; Puppy Raising Services and their task of finding and coordinating puppy raisers for all the adorable puppies and finally the staff in the Receiving and Training Kennels who care for the guide dogs-in-training when they return to campus. There’s another group of individuals who have a dramatic part to play in the health and welfare of our dogs – the Medical Team. Led by Dr. Jerry Edington this team is responsible for making sure all the …

• Photos (3)

Weekly Tails From Southeastern Guide Dogs

Pay No Attention to the People Behind the Curtain

For the next couple of weeks, we’re going to take a look behind the scenes at Southeastern Guide Dogs and learn about all the people who have a hand in creating great guide dogs.

It’s funny, whenever I tell someone I work for Southeastern Guide Dogs, they immediately ask if I am a trainer.  Clearly they must not know my personal dogs if they think I could make a living training dogs. Well, I am here to say that training guide dogs is not the only way to have a career with Southeastern Guide Dogs.  There are many people who work behind the scenes to produce world class guide dogs. Let’s start at the beginning with our Genetics and Reproduction Department.  Our Breeding Manager and Technician are responsible for ensuring that we have the highest quality dogs to train as guides. They keep detailed pedigrees on each of our breeders to make sure genetically there is enough diversity within the breeding colony, determine…

• Photos (3)

Weekly Tails From Southeastern Guide Dogs

Guide Dogs Learn Safety First

We all know that a guide dog’s job is to provide mobility for a visually impaired person, but did you know their first priority is safety?

Before I started working at Southeastern Guide Dogs, I was under the assumption that if I was blind, and told my guide dog that I wanted to go to the library, he would just take me there and I would follow along. Well, that’s not the case. Apparently, I would have to have enough “orientation and mobility” skills to get myself there without the help of the dog. Orientation and mobility is the way someone understands their place in their environment and how to move about within that environment either using other mobility aids such as a cane or a sighted guide. Why are these skills important? Why not just tell the dog where you want to go and expect him to get you there? Well, even if your dog knew the route to a variety of familiar …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (2)

Weekly Tails From Southeastern Guide Dogs

Guide Dog Puppy Camp!

Before you get too excited, no, we aren’t offering camp here on campus this summer. Puppy Camp is for our puppies-in-training and a very important part of the process of making great guide dogs.

Certified trainer Karen Mersereau explains the thought process behind Puppy Camp and why it is so important during training.  For the puppy raisers out there, you may recognize this piece as it was originally posted on the Blue Coat Journal in May 2011. Sometimes I think the second most feared phrase in puppy raising after “time for IFT” (in-for-training – when the dogs come back to campus for formal harness training) is “time for puppy camp.” I can understand this. You like this dog. You just got them somewhat under control and singing off the same page with you (or at least out of the same songbook). The last thing you want is to send them off to someone else. But puppy camp is a very important part of the dog’s socialization. Our dogs …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (3)

Weekly Tails From Southeastern Guide Dogs

Dog Walking 101

Do you have a very friendly dog that loves everyone they meet? Not everyone does, so here are a few tips when you are out walking.

I’ve mentioned my Schnauzers a couple of times before. Freud is very friendly and loves people – so much so that if he sees someone approaching he will sit down, and refuse to move until he has been greeted. However, he has had a couple of bad experiences with bigger dogs and is now a bit leery. Anna is super-lovable at home, but when she is out walking, she is very skittish around other dogs and apt to be very protective if approached. Last week while we were out on our daily two mile walk, we saw a man and his obviously young, large golden retriever heading in our direction. I moved my pair off to the side, and had them sit so that the rambunctious adolescent could make his way past.  As they got closer, the dog began straining against …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (2)

Weekly Tails From Southeastern Guide Dogs

Graduate Profile: Gabrielle Lozano & Jock

This week saw another group of students graduate with their new guides. Here is just one of those amazing people’s story, as told by Leslie Rowe (lrowe@greatwords.net).

Gabrielle Lozano, 22, has been blind since she was a three-year-old from the effects of a tumor on her optic nerve. But this hasn’t stopped her from reaching for her dreams, and now a wonderful black Lab named Jock is here to help her reach even farther. Before meeting her new guide dog, Gabrielle has experienced a bit of local fame. Google her name and you’ll discover that she inspired many by graduating from Manatee Technical Institute with a culinary arts degree. Today, Gabrielle is making plans to open her own catering business, aptly named Blind Ambitions. She knows her way around a commercial kitchen better than many sighted people. While students as young as 18 are eligible to receive a guide dog, Gabrielle waited until now to apply…

• Photos (4)

Weekly Tails From Southeastern Guide Dogs

I Command You To…

Guide dogs learn 40-plus commands during their training. Here’s a glance at what those commands entail.

While it may have taken my sweetheart of a Schnauzer, Freud, two years to learn “sit,” such is not the case for guide dogs-in-training.  By the time they are two years old, they have learned more than 40 commands. These guide dog commands can be roughly broken down into three different categories; obedience commands; directional commands; and “find the” commands. The obedience commands are the starting point for the pups and they begin right from the start at Southeastern Guide Dogs. The puppies all take part in Early Puppy Socialization where they are introduced to the collar, leash, puppy coat and a variety of obedience commands.  By the time they go home with their Puppy Raisers at 9 to 10 weeks of age, the puppies have certainly heard…

• Photos (3)

Weekly Tails From Southeastern Guide Dogs

They've Been Committed — In a Good Way — Since 2005

Southeastern Guide Dogs’ Puppy Raisers selflessly give of themselves 24/7 for at least a year, so that someone else can have their independence. Here’s a profile of just one such family.

Could you take ownership of a cute cuddly 10-week-old puppy, love and train it for more than a year, spend practically every moment with that dog showing it the wide world around you and then just when it is starting to shake off the puppy playfulness, give it back?  That is what happens nearly 200 times a year at Southeastern Guide Dogs.  Volunteer Puppy Raisers are responsible for giving Southeastern’s guide dogs the solid base on which a world class dog grows. But they don’t always start off at Southeastern as Puppy Raisers, sometimes they get eased into the position.  Shay Doerner and her family are the perfect examples. In 2005 Shay and Brian Doerner were looking for a pet to grow up with their three kids. Having heard about …

• Photos (4)

Next Year We Resolve To…

Every year New Year’s brings about vows to lose weight, eat better, stop bad habits and all those other things we should be doing throughout the year anyway. Here are the resolutions of some of the staff at Southeastern Guide Dogs.

I am tempted not to make any resolutions this year because I never keep them. If I were to make one and I really should, it would be to try and reach more people to let them know about our wonderful program so they too can become part of the 'Southeastern Family' through volunteering, donating or spreading the word to those who can benefit from our assistance. – Helen, Development To spend more time with my beautiful wife, Melanie! – David, Training I resolve to start moving my tail as much as our dogs do. – Miranda, Communications My New Year’s Resolution is to buy and eat fewer sweets, so I can afford to buy more shoes. – Tara, Puppy Raising Services I resolve not to have any New Year’s resolutions. – Toni, Volunteer Services Spiritual…

• Photos (1)