I GUIDING EYES FOR THE BLIND

MONTGOMERY REGION Training Center & Offices 611 Granite Springs Road Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 800-942-0149 www.guidingeyes.org Canine Development Center 361 Routes 164 Patterson, NY 12563 845- 878-3330

Montgomery Region

www.guidingeyes-md.org

Featured Stories

Raisers of the Month Aris Graduates

Welcome New and Repeat Raisers

Josie Attends Conference

Whim Attends Baseball Game

Fun Places to Go

Raiser of the Month July-August 2017

Wonka…we transformed together!

When I first learned that my dog’s name

was Wonka, I began to imagine the many

adventures we would have together; and now

that our time together has come to an end, I

look back on all of them fondly.

Initially Wonka was very independent and

liked to keep to himself. He would play with

people for a few seconds before losing interest

and moving to a corner to sit alone. But slowly,

as he grew older and we attended more classes,

he grew more social and we became a better

team. He became a true companion and a

member of our family.

We would work hard on all his new skills in

numerous situations. Whether it was coming

out to my cross country races, waiting patiently

as all the runners stormed by inches from him,

going to parades with children running around

and candy thrown next to him, going out for

lunch with the wonderful smells of food

surrounding him, or settling next to me as we

pulled all-nighters while I worked on my

homework or studied for tests.

Wonka was my

first Guiding Eyes

puppy and raising

him has been an

unforgettable

experience.

Wonka also went on several fun field trips

with all his friends like hiking in the woods

or shopping in the mall.

I remember on his first visit to the grocery

store when he was so excited by all the

people and smells that he couldn’t

concentrate on his commands.

I thought that he would not be able to

handle all the difficult situations. But,

looking back on our last trip, it was amazing

to see how much Wonka had changed from

pacing around the aisles as I looked for

groceries to now patiently waiting by my side

as I deliberated over which cereal I wanted.

Looking back on this past year I cannot

even imagine some of my most important

milestones without Wonka. From taking

pictures with him on prom night and wishing

he could be my date, to studying for the SAT

and applying to college.

I am so proud of how hard Wonka has

worked this year and just how much he has

grown. So much has happened in such little

time that I can only imagine all the wonderful

things he will do in the future.

Puppy raiser: Pranavi

We both started off

this year very meek

and independent, but

we transformed

together and grew to

be more confident in

our abilities.

Elton, not a surprise to all who

know me, is a black male

Labrador retriever. But like all

of the others I raised before him,

he has made himself a stand-out

from the rest.

I was actually a little concerned

early on that Elton might lack

some confidence that would be

necessary for him to be a

successful guide.

Raiser of the Month

Montgomery Region – Page 2

Elton…my lucky 13!

Many people see the number 13 and equate it with a

negative like bad luck or a bad omen. In my case, Elton is the

13th pup I have raised for Guiding Eyes and I call him “my

lucky 13.”

I soon learned that he was just going to go at his own pace

and when I made the adjustments, he responded extremely well.

In fact, he has excelled in a very important area. While he has

the typical lab enthusiasm, he is able to settle very quickly amid

whatever chaos continues around him. This includes lying on

his side surrounded by college students and other puppies at

Montgomery College and being under my desk when we

volunteer on Wednesday mornings for 5 hours. He seems to

appreciate his nap times – a quality with which I can really

relate!

He has also earned a level of trust that is usually reserved for

older, more mature labs. Elton has wonderful house manners

and when he is not included in an activity, he finds a

comfortable spot to relax or chew a bone.

While his “brother” Louie has earned out of crate status

when I leave the house, Elton has shown he can be trusted as

well. I started this slowly, short periods of time away, etc.

His ability to settle has come in very handy and will work well

if he is matched with a partner.

One other difference with Elton is the level of joy he gets

out of being connected to you. He likes to lie on your feet or

put his head on your knee. As a puppy, I would hold him in

my arms and rub his belly. To this day, if I get on the floor

and invite him, he will climb in my lap for hugs and belly

rubs. At 67 pounds, that is not so easy anymore but it is well

worth the struggle of getting him into position.

I want to thank Celeste and Jean for the training help we

received and for the experiences he had with his puppy sitters.

Now I am going to go back to hugging him every chance I get

until he leaves to do what he is meant to do for his chosen

career. We love you Elton!!

Puppy Raiser: Jody

It will be hard to put him on

the van going to NY, but I do it

knowing he is well prepared and

will make someone a wonderful

companion. If he is not meant to

work, I would gladly accept that

role as his future companion!

Louie will probably enjoy a little

down time between pups, but

they are such good buddies that I

think he will miss him…at least

a little bit.

Raiser of the Month

Quantum..quite an active tail wagger!

Quantum came to Bobbie and Jim Havel’s house when he was

about a year old. He is the first male guide dog candidate that

we’ve helped to raise. The first thing that impressed us was how

happy and friendly he is. He is quite an active tail wager.

He always greets you with an offering to share with you – a

toy, bone or anything that is handy and that he thinks will make

you glad to see him.

Another early impression was his size and strength. He is a

good 22 pounds heavier and 4 inches taller than any of our petite

female labs. He can really pull when he wants to, but he stops

readily on command.

Good luck Quantum on your future career.

Puppy Raisers: Bobbie and Jim

When Quantum arrived, he rapidly

fit right in with our pet dog Pepper

and our 17 year old cat Blue who is

known for being completely

unimpressed with dogs of any size or

disposition. He was a little puzzle by a

much smaller creature who was not

intimidated by his size, but they were

soon playing games where Quantum

would nudge Blue and Blue would

gently paw Quantum back.

Although we only had

Quantum for a few months, he

became a fun guy to have around,

particularly when he went to the

beach with us for a couple of

weeks in June. He never got into

the water for an actual swim, but

he wasn’t afraid of the waves and

enjoyed long walks on the beach.

A special “thank you” to

Morganne for giving

Quantum a great start

through his first year of

training and good luck to

Morganne has she pursues

her studies to become a

veterinarian.

Raiser of the Month

Montgomery Region – Page 3

Basil…an unassuming “man”

Congratulations to Jean as she

sends off her 10th” GEB pup to

continue further training. Of course

we can’t thank Jean enough for all

the unmentioned pups that she

started for other raiser families that

are not a part of this “tail” count.

Her tireless energy has not gone

unnoticed and her continued support

is greatly appreciated by all.

Good luck to Basil!

Aris is a May Graduate

“Everything was a totally new experience,” says Eileen, recalling how life

changed after she brought home her first Guiding Eyes dog nearly 20 years ago.

“It was freedom. I didn’t have to worry about being safe. I felt like we could

conquer the world.”

Eileen’s vision began to deteriorate when she was in her 20’s due to retinitis

pigmentosa and continued to grow progressively worse over the course of 40

years. She has been totally blind for the past two years. Still, life went on for

Eileen. While sending her son off to college, she realized that she wanted to go

too. To fulfill that dream, she knew she would have to become independent.

Enter Jitney, a male black Guiding Eyes Lab, in 1998. At age 50, Eileen went

back to school and earned a degree in psychology and sociology at the City

University of New York.

Eileen had been without a guide dog for two years before Guiding Eyes

matched her with Aris, a black-and-tan male Lab and her third Guiding Eyes

guide. Her previous guide had died and Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare

disorder, had now left her paralyzed. Medical professionals suggested she decide

on a goal to work toward during the long months she would spend in recovery.

That goal was clear: to get well enough so she could live independently again

with the help of a guide dog. “Nothing was going to stop me,” says Eileen. And

when I finally got my guide the world opened again.”

Nowadays, Eileen is enjoying her retirement on Staten Island, NY by eating

out, listening to music, taking walks with her friends and spending as much time

as possible with her grandkids, ages 2 and 6.

Eileen participated in our accelerated ACTION program for experienced

guide dog users. Guiding Eyes, she says, offered her both independence and

companionship. “With a guide, I don’t feel blind,” she says. “I’m on a par with

everyone else.”

Montgomery Region Puppy Raiser: Jean

Montgomery Region – Page 4

Not true when there are guide dogs attending a ball game!

On Sunday, June 4th, the Bay Region of G.E.B. had a fund

raiser at Prince Georges Stadium. Carolyn and I took Whim,

out interim 8 month old, to the game.

The Bowie Baysox hosted the Altoona Curve on a very

warm afternoon in May. The Curve (a Pittsburgh Pirates

affiliate) is named after the historical Horse Shoe Curve

which is near Altoona. After a couple of innings in the sun,

we retreated to the shade along with other Bay region pups

and raisers. We managed to last 9 innings but, alas, the game

went to 11 before the Baysox won 7-6. The Whimster had a

great time but wondered why 9 innings took three hours when

there were no TV commercials.

A baseball game would be a good event for the pups of the

Montgomery Region to take advantage of. The Cal Ripken

Summer League has teams in Silver Spring, Takoma,

Bethesda, Rockville and Gaithersburg. Play Ball!

Carolyn and Alan with Whim

Josie accompanied puppy raiser Patricia to the American

Thoracic Society (ATS) meeting held at the Washington

Convention Center this past May.

She appeared to be a little bored on the metro ride down, and

wasn’t sure things were arrived at the convention center.

However, she did enjoy helping to launch the NHLBI COPD

Action Plan and provided understated support while I gave a talk!

She now has a bit of an international reputation as a group of

Italian researchers also wanted to have their picture taken with her

in front of the ATS sign.

As always, she was very good.

A bit taken aback when we came suddenly to the wide open,

sweeping stairways; but after a quick “let’s go”, she was down

them with no problem, and we spent a bit of time practicing them

later in the day.

Patricia and Josie – international celebrities

Josie’s Conference Adventure

Welcome New and Repeat Raisers

Welcome first-time raiser Kai

who will be raising his first

GEB puppy Sheldon. Good

luck to this new team!

Kai – first time raiser is

excited to give Sheldon a

great start to his guide dog

Welcome back! It is difficult

to stay away. Susan and

daughter Joanna return after

several years off! They are

doing a puppy start for male

yellow lab Ryan before he

moves onto his full-time

raiser.

Dixcy and family will be

giving Gunner an early start

as they join the region for

their first puppy start

experience.

Jennifer and daughter Diana

will continue with Shade’s

training after a great start by

Brian. Welcome to both.

Three Strikes and You’re Out!

Amy and daughter Blythe are

raising another German

Shepard, Henley, who is the

current love of their life!

M

,,

Henley enjoying his first swim lesson

from Georgie at Seneca Creek

Let us know where you like

to take your pup for outings

B

This newsletter is for everyone. Please contact me with your

suggestions, ideas, and stories...and send pictures

Your articles will be included in future issues

Margie Coccodrilli

gebraiser@comcast.net

Deadline for submission

of articles is the 1st of each

month

Lots of dogs in training mean their participation in field trips will take them to different locations

to experience the world around them. One recent outing was a trip on the metro and MARC train

systems down to Union Station. It was a hot day, but the dogs did great in such a busy and people-

moving environment.

Basil, Kara and Georgie relaxing at the restaurant inside Union Station.

Montgomery Region-Page 5

Fun Places to Go

Georgie all dressed up

for the community 4th of

July parade

Kaya relaxing among “happy feet”

during a metro rush hour trip.

Sabba and raiser Cindy took the Metro down to the Mall

on July 3rd. It was too hot, but Sabba was a trooper the

entire way. We stopped in at Peet's Coffee for a cool

drink and a cold tile floor.

Lucky I brushed

up on some

swimming and

fetch techniques

to help Henley!