Mile Marker 1251

Greetings from Nashville, mile marker 1251 on the Great Northern Tour. This morning I woke up in Atlanta, having spent the previous evening with Ellen Cox and the wonderful Atlanta puppy group. So far, they win the prize for most interesting exposure outing: Indoor glow-in-the-dark miniature golf. No lie. Only in America, eh? The whole place is only lit by black light, so unless something is white or glows in the dark, it's nearly impossible to see. Which made all the black dogs in their jackets an interesting sight: nothing but Southeastern puppy coat logos bobbing along in the dark. (I chose not to play any golf. My scores are depressing enough when I play in broad daylight.) I had a great time. They fed me pizza and let me talk about dogs. What more could you ask for?

Today I stopped for lunch in Huntsville, Alabama to visit with one of our newest groups. Led by veteran puppy raisers Rick and Joanne Ackerman, this group broke off from the Nashville group when gas prices started making the 90 minute one way trip prohibitive. They hope to grow the Huntsville area and are off to a good start with two wonderful families who are raising for the first time. My sight-to-remember in Huntsville is at the US Space and Rocket Center where they have erected a huge rocket from the pre-Shuttle era. If I had to guess, I'd say it was a Saturn rocket from the Apollo missions. Anyone know for sure?


The Nashville group met at AC Becky Dan's house where the dogs enjoyed the fenced yard for a pre-meeting romp. Several of Becky's raisers moonlight as puppy coat elves and made the latest batch of puppy coats for us, so a big tail wag for them. Becky provided the bar-b-que dinner to round out the evening. Again, I got eat and talk about dogs. And I get paid for this!

Tomorrow I head over the Smokey Mountains and into Carolina. Nothing could be finer.

If it’s Tuesday…

...this must be Pensacola.

Hello from the road. This is the second day of the Great Northern Tour, my road trip through the southeastern US to visit puppy groups. I feel like I'm living a Johnny Cash song: I'm going to Enterprise, Pensacola, Atlanta, Huntsville, Nashville, Asheville, Charlotte, Columbia and Hilton Head. And by no means am I traveling incognito. If you see this rolling down Main Street...


...you know the Head Puppy has hit town.

Actually, we are having all Southeastern Guide Dogs vehicles wrapped like this, thanks to a generous donation of materials and time from Sign Zoo. Needless to say, we are getting lots of attention and not a few double takes.

So anyway, back to the road trip. Yesterday I was in Enterprise, Alabama visiting with AC Helen Harrison, her husband Dan and their small, but dedicated group of raisers. The Harrisons are raising their 14th puppy for Southeastern Guide Dogs. We should start a "Double Digit Club" for folks who have raised 10 or more dogs.

Interesting fact: Enterprise boasts a statue in the middle of town that features one of the more historically detested pests in the South: the boll weevil. Apparently, the introduction of the boll weevil in the cotton fields around Enterprise forced the town to diversify its agricultural base, which helped the town flourish.

And if there's a Navy jet parked at the rest stop, it's a good bet you're in Pensacola.


Home to Pensacola Naval Air Station (and the Blue Angels), Pensacola is located in the far western part of Florida's panhandle (so far west it is actually in the central time zone.) AC Susan Brewster runs a nice group, with all the breeds represented except Collies and Goldens. (Note to Susan: Melinda can provide a Collie or two if you're interested.)

Wednesday I take my road show to Atlanta, where I shall continue to spread the word of The Paycheck (all together now: "praise your dog")

One man's independence...

There are many of you in PuppyLand who I have not yet had the opportunity to meet. My name is Jennifer Boyle and I have the wonderful responsibility of acting as Titus Herman's Executive Assistant here at Southeastern Guide Dogs. I began in March of this year and have been plugging away at an array of different projects.

As I am sure most people do, I use my commuting time in the morning to help me plan my morning and develop new ideas. During a recent early morning brainstorming session, it occured to me how little I understood the process that a student goes through during their 26 days with us here on our beautiful campus. As a result of this realization, I had the wonderful opportunity to shadow Robert Gladstone - a recent graduate of Southeastern Guide Dogs. The article below was written by our Development Coordinator, Andrea Early. In the future, Robert (and his guide "Simba") will be featured in a photo-timeline designed to bring some insight into the process our Southeastern Guide Dog students become apart of during their stay with us.

Enjoy!

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A SAVVY NEW YORKER FINDS COMPANIONSHIP AND COMFORT

Though raised as a savvy New Yorker, 58-year-old Robert Gladstone is a softie when it comes to his new guide dog Simba. “I give him more kisses than I give my girlfriend,” says Gladstone, a retired restaurateur and realtor. He has retinitis pigmentosa, a progressive condition that recently limited his vision and mobility. “I need to be able to get around,” he says. “It was either get a cane or a dog, and I love dogs.” So he applied to Southeastern Guide Dogs and arrived in June from his home in Boca Raton for four weeks of rigorous training with Simba.

After learning the rules and systems of guide dog use from our trainers and practicing together with his new guide on the school’s walking paths and in nearby cities like Tampa, Gladstone is eager to greet the world. “I’m looking forward to walking to a restaurant or the mall and feeling comfortable,” he says. “I now have companionship and eyes to guide me. I’ll feel confident with my girlfriend in one hand and Simba in the other.”

Campus Improvements

There have been several exciting updates to the buildings and grounds here on campus. The most noticeable improvement is the addition of a fence around the perimeter of our campus.

This will improve the security of our students, staff and dogs and we think it looks pretty classy too. The new fencing has also been installed around our ponds, where new fountains are in place.

We had emergency generators installed at the Puppy Kennel and the Administration and Student Services building thanks to Mary Parker and the Bishop Foundation (Training Kennel already has a generator). Since the entire campus is on a well and septic system, when the electricity goes out, we lose our water also. These generators will provide uninterrupted power in case of a hurricane or other emergency and are a welcome improvement.

Along our Freedom Walk, the improvements include trimming the trees to a “hurricane cut”, which will make it less likely the trees will be severely damaged in high winds. In addition, all of our 70 benches and 9 wooden bridges were rebuilt.



At Puppy Kennel the kennel fencing has been replaced and the ventilation fans are scheduled for replacement thanks to a $40,762 capital fund from the Henry and Anne Pape Trust. In addition, we will also be resurfacing the Puppy Kennel floors and repainting the interior walls, thanks to a $25,000 capital grant from the Florida Lions Foundation.

And last but not least, we resurfaced the Administration and Student Services building entryway thanks to a generous in-kind donation from Ed Benus and Ray Hill.

We are very proud of our campus and invite you to visit any time you are in the neighborhood.

More Southeastern Guide Dogs puppy raisers in the news!

Another excellent article regarding some of our Charlotte, NC puppy raisers, as well a Southeastern Guide Dogs graduate!

http://www.todayscharlottewoman.com/july08/guidingheart.htm

Southeastern Guide Dogs Puppy Raiser in the News

A Southeastern Guide dog puppy is “christened” on Siesta Key!

http://www.pelicanpress.org/main.asp?SectionID=136&SubSectionID=437&ArticleID=5344

Guide Dogs and Englishmen...

…go out in the midday sun.

Guide dogs need to work in all kinds of weather. You can help prepare your dog for his future job by not letting him become a “fair weather” dog. Be sure to work him in all kinds of weather. For instance, don’t be afraid to work your dog when it is hot. Southeastern Guide Dogs is known for having dogs that are acclimated to working in hot weather; in addition, the dogs need to be accustomed to working in the heat when they come in for training. Try to not avoid the heat of the day completely. Instead, take shorter trips, or plan a few stops in air conditioning to let the dog (and you!) cool down. Here are a few other considerations when working in hot weather:

- If they keep moving, dogs can tolerate walking on fairly warm asphalt or bricks. However, if the dog has to stand on the pavement for any length of time, it could get uncomfortable. Check the pavement with your hand – if it’s too uncomfortable for your bare skin, it’s too hot for the dog to stand on.
- Be watchful for signs the dog is overheating. Signs include excessive panting, an enlarged tongue, becoming lethargic or gasping for breath. In cases of overheating, get him out of the sun and into air conditioning if possible. Apply cool (not cold) water, especially to his belly where the fur is thinner.
- Make sure they get adequate water during hot weather activity.

July Class Matches

This past Tuesday was match day for new students in the July 2008 class. All week they have been working on campus with their new dogs and taking the first steps towards independence. The following dogs were matched this week:
Miss Joan BLF raised in North Carolina IMPACT
Russell SCCM raised in St. Pete, FL region
Gabriel YLxGRM raised in Cocoa Beach, FL region
Morgan BLF raised in Orlando/Daytona FL region
Duchess Hannah BLF raised in Austin, TX region

Also occuring this month is a home placement with Tez, YLF, raised in Atlanta, GA region.

Congratulations!

A message from Titus Herman

Dear Puppy Raisers:

We know that raising a well-behaved, socialized, confident dog is a big job, and we appreciate everything that each of you does every day to give our dogs the crucial foundations they need to become great guide dogs.

We also understand the role that timely, consistent, two-way communication can play in the success of our Puppy Raising Program – and we hope The Blue Coat Journal will motivate all of us to keep the lines of communication humming.

The mastermind behind The Blue Coat Journal is Karen Mersereau, our new Puppy Raising Services Manager. Since accepting this position in May, Karen has been devising new and creative ways to enhance communications in PuppyLand.

I’m eager to check in regularly to see what great things I can learn from you through The Blue Coat Journal – so please take the time to share your thoughts and comments with your fellow Puppy Raisers and our staff through this blog.

Thank you for your commitment and support of our mission.

Titus Herman
Southeastern Guide Dogs CEO

The Paycheck

I've worked for Southeastern Guide Dogs for over four years. Every day I come to work and do my best and every two weeks they give me a paycheck. This makes me happy and insures that I will keep showing up for work and doing my best.

Our pups need a paycheck, too. Their only reward for working for us is the love we show them. And the way we show them the love is through praise. Every time you give your dog a command and he complies, you need to praise your dog. And I don't mean a barely audible "good dog". Praise should be in a higher tone (not necessarily louder) than your normal speaking voice. Put some enthusiasm in it. Let the dog know that he did a good job and you're happy. With appropriate corrections and abundant praise you will be surprised at how quickly your pup learns and responds to you.

It is so important to teach our pups that working with people is the greatest thing in the world. Praise is the currancy we use to reward our dogs for the fabulous job they do for us. Don't forget to give your dog his paycheck every day!

Welcome!

Greetings to all in PuppyLand and welcome to our experiment in communication. We wanted a way to communicate with everyone in a timely fashion that offered opportunity for quick feedback and thought a blog was the perfect solution. This blog will offer news about Southeastern Guide Dogs, tips and tricks for puppy raisers, and anything else you all might be interested in.


For those of you not familiar with blogs, you can post comments after each posting by clicking on the "comments" link below the post. Please sign your comments. We will be moderating the comments and will not post anonymous comments. Also, the archive section on the right hand side will quickly take you to any previous posts that you may have missed.


It is our hope that this blog will serve in place of a newsletter, so we will be taking all your great suggestions for the newsletter and incorporating it into our blog. We are committed to posting at least once a week, but hopefully more often. We also plan to have "guest posters" from other departments at Southeastern Guide Dogs. Please bookmark us and check in often!