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July 2004 |
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July 2004 |
 LOVE
AT FIRST SIGHT Unique program to help seeing-impaired goes to the dogs, literally Staff Writter One Manistee County 4-Her will soon have the joy of Knowing that he or she has helped to raise a puppy that will someday be making the life of a blind person much easier, with a bond that involves trust and mutual appreciation. Leader Dogs for the Blind out of Rochester, sent Stephen Riikonen to the Manistee County Fairgrounds on Friday to talk about exactly what raising a Leader Dog means. Although the 4-Her who will be participating has yet to be chosen, local residents have already been stepping up to offer their assistance in helping the chosen pup to grow up strong. Wild Things in Manistee has agreed to offer grooming and food assistance, Dr. Jeffery Westheimer is offering complimentary veterinarian services as well as food and the five Manistee County Lions Clubs will be offering financial assistance. "We're proud to be doing this," said Ilona Haydon of Wild Things. 
"Anything we can do to give back to the community, we're happy to do."
With the help of all this support, the 4-Her chosen will not be spending money out of their own pocket for the puppy, which most puppy raisers must do. One such individual who took on the huge responsibility of raising a Leader Dog is Heather Vega of Ludington, who is training her second Leader puppy. Her Current charge is Lily, a 4 month-old Golden Retriever who she is raising until the ripe age of one-year-old. Once Lily turns on year-old, she will be headed to the Leader Dogs Training Facility, where she will soon be paired up with her new owner. "It is hard to let them go." Vega said. "But you get to meet the person they go to, and it is really very rewarding." In fact Vega compared the experience to what raising a child must be like, as it has proven to be a full time job. "You really have to have the time to put into it," she added. "But it is worth all the time and effort you put in." A requirement they must fulfill is having monthly visits with a counselor to check on the puppies' progress, and also to answer any questions the puppy raiser may have. Vega explained that there are many aspects involved in the training that the puppy raisers are responsible for, which includes desensitizing the pups to noises, like whistles, so that is real life situations they are not easily distracted. This became evident as I tried to get the young pups attention for a photo, and my whistling was ineffective. However the moment I said her name, she looked attentively at me. This sort of training is what will make her an observant Leader Dog and mindful companion. Riikonen said that there are currently 280 puppies being raised for Leader Dog, of which and average of 75 percent will successfully complete the course. At times they will also receive an ideal candidate from the Humane Society or other rescue organizations, but their success rate is typically 25 percent. Riikonen attributes the lower success rate to the fact that the first year is the most crucial. The average cost of raising and training a Leader Dog totals around $35,000, but due to all the volunteers and donations that Leader Dog receives, the blind person who receives the dog does not have to pay a dime. They must, however, spend a month at the training facility familiarizing themselves with their new companion, according to Riikonen. He also explained that Leader Dog is different from many organizations that handle companion dogs because they deal strictly with people who are blind, but are the only one that people with partial sight are eligible. Manistee resident Tom Silverthorn is one such individual who can see strait ahead, but does not have peripheral vision. Over a year ago, Silverthorn underwent the training at Leader Dog, and now is the proud owner of a German Shepherd named Ranger. "I work with him every day," he said of their continued education. He also demonstrated some of the basic exercises he goes through with Ranger every day, which includes basic commands as well as Ranger leading him to a door and then to an available seat simply on command. "The dog is an obstacle avoider," Riikonen explained. "This means that if, for example, there is a chair in the way he will move you around it." Ranger performed such a task as he guided Silverthorn around a chair obstacle that was set up for the demonstration. Riikonen explained that such a task is what makes having a Leader Dog different from a cane, human guide, or, the more recent invention, the GPS system. In fact there are approximately 27 different commands a Leader Dog must learn while at the training school. They also teach their dogs "intelligent disobedience," which means that if obeying it's owner command will put them in danger, the dog is supposed to make that decision and disobey it's owner. Because that first year of training is so crucial Riikonen explained that a new Michigan access law allows Leader Dogs in training to enter any establishment, which was already a law for any on duty service dog. For around eight to 12 years, depending on working environment a Leader Dog will help to make their sight impaired owner's life a little easier by leading them anywhere they need to go. So, if you see a Leader Dog sitting under the table at a restaurant, keep in mind they are waiting patiently for a reverse five second rule. What hits the floor is theirs--after five seconds. |