Counting the days flying by
Hi I'm Chelle and I am getting ready to leaving for guide dog school for the first time on April 22nd, which is four days from now! I'm starting this journal to mark a new chapter in my life and share my experience as a first time guide dog handler-in-training, as well as to keep in touch with my family and friends.
Here's some background info about me, I am legally blind and have used a white cane for almost two years now. I was born with glaucoma and aniridia, which have both affect my sight (photophobia from aniridia and damage of my optic nerve from glaucoma) so I only have central functional vision in my right eye. Click on the word links for more details.
For the longest time I didn't use aids at all, yep I'm stubborn like that! Even when I started using aids people I know still would forget that I have limited vision that causes really bad eyestrain. I started using a white cane because I got sick of strangers yelling at me to watch where going (usually that sentence was accompanied by some pretty rude adjectives) and bumping into everything causing bruises all over my body especially my legs. Since I started using my cane, I'm not getting bruises all over me, but I have had issues with the public ignoring it because I wear glasses. Not many people are educated on the types of blindness because most people who are blind have some sort of vision even it it is just light perception and for some reason people think glasses fix sight that is not even there! People trip over my cane, jump over my cane --then trip over it and me--and folks it really hurts! Others think it's ok to grab me and try to "guide" me, not understanding that my cane means independence and if I need help I'll ask. I also hat when my cane gets stuck in cracks and jabs me in the chest, so my O & M (Orientation and Mobility -- read white cane trainer and general how to get around in the seeing world) trainer suguested I'd be a great candidate for a guide dog.
I applied for a guide dog through Guide Dogs for the Blind, who have training campuses in OR and CA finally last October. I had the paperwork a year before, but I waited till I felt with all certainity that I was ready and this was the right step for me. Having a guide dog is a huge responsibility, I think of it like having another child in a way it's a 24-7 job. The rewards of being a guide dog handler is worth all the effort that is needed to care for your guide dog. I wanted to make sure that my family was okay with me bringing in a new family member and that my daughter (who has the same vision issues as me, but great vision despite the photophobia) understands the rules involving having a guide dog in the house. Her previous vision teacher had a guide dog so she knows a lot of the rules, but it's different at home especially during the bonding period. Later on my guide dog when not working will be like a family pet, but during the bonding period she will get very limited interaction with my guide dog. So after waying all the possiblities and talking it over extensively with my family I put in my application.
After I put in my application online, I got a call from the school and my first interview -- the phone interview. I was nervous but the staff member who did my phone interview was great and made me feel comfortable. They want to make sure that I know what I'm getting into because a guide dog is a huge responsibility and that I am legally blind. The school gets a lot of applications from people who are not yet legally blind and that is one of the requirements. I passed the phone interview and the next step was a home interview as well as getting my medical exam paperwork and TB blood test results into the school. The home interview involves a sit-down information session and some getting-to-know you questions, then moblity testing and the juno walk. The juno walk is a simulation of what it's like to use a guide dog, the trainer who visits you holds a dog harness and walks you through how to hold the harness and leach, then teaches you the basic commands while you are walking. Juno is a great dog, no doggy treasures to pick up, lol! The trainer also gets a feel how you would be as a guide dog handler and if you are capable of being a handler. That was the most fun I've had so far! I was worried about the home interview, but the field trainer who I met with was very friendly, knowledgable and overall great fun. So I passed my home interview and the next step is your application is reviewed by the student board who looks at all your evaluations and paperwork and determine if you are a good fit with their school and dogs. I got a e-mail last month saying I was accepted into the school as well as my class dates!
So now I'm getting ready to attend classes and meet my new furry friend and I'm so excited!! The first few days in training will be filled with nervous excitement waiting for Wednesday, which is the best day of all dog day!! Dog day is when you get to finally meet your new furry partner and you both begin training together as a team. The guide dog handler training is a intense one month training at the school campus, I'm going to the San Rafael campus, the days are long (6:30 am to 9:00 pm Mon-Sat and Sun is limited to feeding, walks and releaving your guide dog) filled with walks, classes, releaving and feeding your dog and some dog and handler play time. Classes involve grooming, feeding, commands, corrections, public relations and many, many other things that you need to know to be able to handle your guide dog once you leave the school. I'm in for a lot of hard work, but it will all be worth it for the increased mobility and having a furry friend who will be there for you with understanding plus unconditional love and not pity/judge you based on your disabilities.
Here's some background info about me, I am legally blind and have used a white cane for almost two years now. I was born with glaucoma and aniridia, which have both affect my sight (photophobia from aniridia and damage of my optic nerve from glaucoma) so I only have central functional vision in my right eye. Click on the word links for more details.
For the longest time I didn't use aids at all, yep I'm stubborn like that! Even when I started using aids people I know still would forget that I have limited vision that causes really bad eyestrain. I started using a white cane because I got sick of strangers yelling at me to watch where going (usually that sentence was accompanied by some pretty rude adjectives) and bumping into everything causing bruises all over my body especially my legs. Since I started using my cane, I'm not getting bruises all over me, but I have had issues with the public ignoring it because I wear glasses. Not many people are educated on the types of blindness because most people who are blind have some sort of vision even it it is just light perception and for some reason people think glasses fix sight that is not even there! People trip over my cane, jump over my cane --then trip over it and me--and folks it really hurts! Others think it's ok to grab me and try to "guide" me, not understanding that my cane means independence and if I need help I'll ask. I also hat when my cane gets stuck in cracks and jabs me in the chest, so my O & M (Orientation and Mobility -- read white cane trainer and general how to get around in the seeing world) trainer suguested I'd be a great candidate for a guide dog.
I applied for a guide dog through Guide Dogs for the Blind, who have training campuses in OR and CA finally last October. I had the paperwork a year before, but I waited till I felt with all certainity that I was ready and this was the right step for me. Having a guide dog is a huge responsibility, I think of it like having another child in a way it's a 24-7 job. The rewards of being a guide dog handler is worth all the effort that is needed to care for your guide dog. I wanted to make sure that my family was okay with me bringing in a new family member and that my daughter (who has the same vision issues as me, but great vision despite the photophobia) understands the rules involving having a guide dog in the house. Her previous vision teacher had a guide dog so she knows a lot of the rules, but it's different at home especially during the bonding period. Later on my guide dog when not working will be like a family pet, but during the bonding period she will get very limited interaction with my guide dog. So after waying all the possiblities and talking it over extensively with my family I put in my application.
After I put in my application online, I got a call from the school and my first interview -- the phone interview. I was nervous but the staff member who did my phone interview was great and made me feel comfortable. They want to make sure that I know what I'm getting into because a guide dog is a huge responsibility and that I am legally blind. The school gets a lot of applications from people who are not yet legally blind and that is one of the requirements. I passed the phone interview and the next step was a home interview as well as getting my medical exam paperwork and TB blood test results into the school. The home interview involves a sit-down information session and some getting-to-know you questions, then moblity testing and the juno walk. The juno walk is a simulation of what it's like to use a guide dog, the trainer who visits you holds a dog harness and walks you through how to hold the harness and leach, then teaches you the basic commands while you are walking. Juno is a great dog, no doggy treasures to pick up, lol! The trainer also gets a feel how you would be as a guide dog handler and if you are capable of being a handler. That was the most fun I've had so far! I was worried about the home interview, but the field trainer who I met with was very friendly, knowledgable and overall great fun. So I passed my home interview and the next step is your application is reviewed by the student board who looks at all your evaluations and paperwork and determine if you are a good fit with their school and dogs. I got a e-mail last month saying I was accepted into the school as well as my class dates!
So now I'm getting ready to attend classes and meet my new furry friend and I'm so excited!! The first few days in training will be filled with nervous excitement waiting for Wednesday, which is the best day of all dog day!! Dog day is when you get to finally meet your new furry partner and you both begin training together as a team. The guide dog handler training is a intense one month training at the school campus, I'm going to the San Rafael campus, the days are long (6:30 am to 9:00 pm Mon-Sat and Sun is limited to feeding, walks and releaving your guide dog) filled with walks, classes, releaving and feeding your dog and some dog and handler play time. Classes involve grooming, feeding, commands, corrections, public relations and many, many other things that you need to know to be able to handle your guide dog once you leave the school. I'm in for a lot of hard work, but it will all be worth it for the increased mobility and having a furry friend who will be there for you with understanding plus unconditional love and not pity/judge you based on your disabilities.