No Bones About It: Guide Dogs' Blog

Cuteness, get your cuteness here! Just in time for the Labor Day weekend, here are the Litter Announcements for the pups that arrived at GDB this past June. Check out all of their adorable littermate photos on our Flickr site.
Litter Announcements
Labrador Retrievers

• 6/5/10 Parson x Bruna – 3 males, 5 females
• 6/5/10 Tiburon x Cher – 2 males, 1 female
• 6/8/10 Forte x Arizona – 3 males, 3 females
• 6/8/10 Jay x Genova – 2 males, 5 females
• 6/9/10 David x Zante – 2 males, 5 females
• 6/15/10 Jenkins x Luana – 1 female
• 6/20/10 Jenkins x Balina – 4 males, 4 females
• 6/26/10 Ozzie x Labelle – 6 males, 2 females
• 6/27/10 Simon x Nancy – 3 males, 1 female

Golden Retrievers

• 6/4/10 Guidewell Tetley x Garcelle – 1 male, 4 females

Lab x Golden Crosses

• 6/10/10 GDF’s Mazel x Sunset – 2 males, 7 females

New Breeders
Labrador Retrievers

• Elena – raised in UT
• Jakarta – raised in CO
• Josie – raised in CO
• Justine – raised in UT
• Norma – raised in OR
• Provence – raised in CA
• Sadie – raised in CA

Jimmy Van Patten, Nicollette Sheridan, Dick Van Patten
For the month of September, Natural Balance Pet Foods and Petco are helping to raise $1 million dollars to support guide dog organizations including Guide Dogs for the Blind.
Petco is joining Natural Balance Pet Foods (founded by Dick Van Patten) and Actress Nicollette Sheridan in this goal and together they are raising donations in the following ways:

• Petco customers can purchase specially marked bags of Natural Balance Dog Food where a $1.00 from each purchase is donated towards the goal.
• Petco customers can participate by "rounding up' their total purchase amount.
• Customers can make a direct donation of $1, $5, $10 or $20 at checkout.

GDB is very grateful to participate in this opportunity. When you visit a store, please thank Petco employees for their support.
We hope you will share this exciting news with everyone you know, including everyone who shares their life with a special pet and encourage them to shop Petco during the month of September! Learn more at Petco.com.

By puppy raiser Jillian Frost
Hot Dogs! Peanuts! Puppies... Puppies at Angel Stadium?? Do the Los Angeles Angels have a new mascot? What happened to the rally monkey? Well, the Angels don’t have a new mascot, but they do have some new four-legged fans.
On August 23, puppy raisers, graduates, and friends of GDB came out to support the Angels and raise money for Guide Dogs for the Blind at the same time, bringing their puppies in training and working guides to experience the thrill of a major league baseball game.
Youth puppy raisers, Jillian Frost and Katie Irving, with puppies Ruffle and Dakota (pictured above), found a fun way to support GDB, the Angels and socialize with fellow GDB fans. The Angels generously offered to donate a portion of each ticket sold to GDB and they even threw in a free hot dog and drink. The event raised more than $1,000 for Guide Dogs for the Blind!
What began with some flyers and phone calls quickly became so much more. As emails and phone calls came in and the support for the event grew, we found ourselves amazed at the support for GDB from not only the puppy clubs and graduates, but from so many people in the community as well. At the game it was exciting to put names with faces, meet the people in this wonderful extended family of GDB, and hear their stories. “My youngest daughter is legally blind," said attendee David Stephens, "and may require the services of a guide dog in the future so this is an awesome charity you did this for.”
We learned about sales, marketing, success, and banking, but most of all, we learned how wonderful it is to be a part of this family and are so thankful for the new friends we’ve made and the difference that puppy raising has made in our lives.

GDB alumna Maia Scott with her Golden guide Tessa recently returned home to San Francisco from a jaunt to Europe earlier this summer. We caught up with her at the California campus Fun Day, where she said she was "still floating around in a blissful state of afterglow from such an incredible excursion." She sent us the following highlights of her trip:

• Getting held back by Eurostar going from France to England which resulted in an unexpected stay in Paris and Tessa ending up with a French passport.
• Receiving an extra fifteen minute touch tour of Stonehenge after our group's hour within the circle of the stones (I don't know if very many people - or dogs - get to stand on the alter stone!).
• Visiting the stones at Avebury; the whole little town is inside a stone circle.
• Spending time at Chalice Well with Tessa. She drank the iron-rich water as if it were going out of style. People pilgrimage there to walk on the Tor and drink the water for its healing properties. Whenever we walked by the garden entrance, Tessa wanted us to go back in for another drink.
• Both in England and Ireland, it was really funny to hear people commenting near us, "Do you think that dog is really from the States?"

By puppy raiser and leader Alice Garcia
Four years ago when I interviewed for a District School Nurse job with the Las Virgenes Unified School District (LVUSD), in Calabasas, Calif., my fourth Guide Dog in training, Garfield, attended the interview with me. Garfield was on his best behavior and actually slept through the interview process. At the end of the interview, I was asked if there was anything I'd would like to share about myself with the interview team. "If you hire me," I said, "you will have the privilege of having a Guide Dog in training in the district for years to come.” I did get hired, and I'm now raising my seventh Guide Dog puppy, Tally.
As you can imagine, a puppy-in-training is quite popular on campus with the students. I cover preschool through high school and am at a different school each day. The puppy visits the health office and can quickly cure a stomach ache, soothe a child that is having a bad day, or just put a smile on anyone’s face by snuggling for a hug or rolling over for a belly rub.The staff and faculty are also positively affected by having a Guide Dog pup on campus.
Now the LVUSD has two additional puppy raisers. Kim Ellis is a biology teacher at Agoura High School, and is raising her first puppy, black Lab Cole. Cole is quite comfortable with the high school students changing classes. He knows the routine of snoozing in class and is a crowd favorite at staff meetings. Carol Martino is the principal at Sumac Elementary School; she and her husband, Gary, are also raising their first Guide Dog puppy, yellow Lab Narita. Narita was delivered to the Martinos over the summer. She will start school in September along with the 500 students that attend Sumac.
What an outstanding educational opportunity the LVUSD has presented to us as puppy raisers and the students of their district. The students, staff and faculty have learned a lot about Guide Dog etiquette and increased their awareness of the visually impaired in our society. LVUSD has provided this golden opportunity and the three of us feel privileged to bring our puppies to school each day.

By GDB Alumna Cindy Rogers
This past May, I received an email from C Different Foundation’s founder, Matt Miller, asking for my possible participation in an event as a blind or visually impaired athlete. Well, I do run a few 5K races each year, but does this qualify me as being an athlete?! But the phrase that caught my attention - “All you have to do is get to New York City” - piqued my interest. What would I need to do once I reached New York City?
The email from Matt continued [paraphrased]: “Recently, the International Triathlon Union (ITU) announced that they are requiring all visually impaired athletes, no matter what your level of visual impairment may be, to wear blackout goggles during the run portion of a triathlon. The ITU is changing the rule because they state there are not enough blind/visually impaired athletes competing in sports, therefore, [the blackout goggles are being required] in order to level the playing field. My proposal stated that the C Different Foundation will provide the following to all blind athletes who wish to compete at the NYC Triathlon, which is the paratriathlon US National Championships:

• Cover the cost of the entry fee for each athlete
• Coordinate and cover the cost of transporting your tandem through Tri Bike Transport to the city (it's extremely safe and secure)
• Find you a local guide from NYC who could guide you and provide you with a homestay
• Provide you and your guide with an official CDF racing top."

Triathlon?!? I know that ‘tri’ is three and the ‘athlon’ sounds like more running than I would ever do, but.... how could I NOT join C Different Foundation in support of those of us who are blind and visually impaired? All I had to do was pay round trip airfare to NYC and, oh yes, participate in a triathlon! I mentioned this email to my manager at Starbucks. Her response was that I absolutely had to participate and that our store would sponsor a fundraiser for my airfare!
In June, I made the commitment and registered. I probably should have committed myself for this commitment! Thus began my training and the countdown to July 18th. I was humbled by the outpouring of support from my friends and my Starbucks family to assist in my accelerated training program. It was arduous and daunting, especially battling Phoenix summer temperatures, but when July 16th arrived I boarded my flight with bike helmet and wetsuit in hand and my unconditionally loyal and fearless Guide Dog, Zamira, by my side!
There were 62 of us (31 athletes and 31 human sighted guides) representing C Different in the Nautica NYC Triathlon. We were “protesting by participation” the USAT ruling requiring blackout goggles. We were indeed visible as we proudly wore our bright orange C Different t-shirts with “No blackout goggles NYC 2010” printed on the back. Pre-race day was packed with preparation as we met our guides and practiced on tandems and tethered running. We finalized tether lengths for our 1500m swim in the Hudson River and arranged our gear in the transition area.
On Sunday, July 18, 61 very proud athletes approached the swim start as a determined and courageous team of men and women gathered together to make a statement and to make history. The crowd cheered with exuberance and my heart was filled with a pride that brought tears to my eyes. What a monumental moment this was!
The race did not progress as I had hoped and I did not finish the Triathlon. I continue to struggle with this disappointment, but each day I grow in more acceptance that I was willing to try. John Bingham once said: “The miracle is not that I finished, the miracle is that I had the courage to start.” I will be able to say this one day. For now, I will add one of my own words to this quote: “The miracle is not that I (didn’t) finish, the miracle is that I had the courage to start.”

Boy, did we ever get some great photo submissions during the month of July. Like the great shot of yellow Lab puppy Quinn, above, submitted by puppy raiser Pat Massagli. Quinn is pictured relaxing by the roses at Mckinley Park Rose Garden in Sacramento. Click on over to our July 2010 Photo Submissions Flickr gallery to see all of the great pictures that came our way in the past few weeks - you won't be disappointed!

Yee-haw! The past couple of weekends, the fur has been a-flyin at our campuses as we celebrated "Boot Scootin Bow Wow" - our annual Fun Day event for puppy raisers. At the California campus, we hosted 1,200 people and about 500 pups; the Oregon campus welcomed 600 people and several hundred more pups. How's that for a round-up?!
The days were chock full of activities, seminars, presentations and prancing puppies. Raisers enjoyed meeting their pups' littermates, catching up with friends - both old and new - and touring our facilities. The highlight of Fun Day is always the afternoon puppy delivery, where young pups are presented to their new puppy raisers. It was a regular ol' hoedown, if we do say so ourselves!
Photos from the events can be found on our Flickr site - take a minute to check them out!

• California campus Fun Day
• California campus Fun Day photo booth
• Oregon campus Fun Day
• Oregon campus Fun Day photo booth

On a recent hot Saturday morning, eight puppies with an excited group of puppy raisers and their families from the Puppies with a Vision puppy club of Ventura County took the stairs or elevator down into the Universal City Metro Station. Their field trip for the day was a ride on the Los Angeles Metro Rail Subway (yes, there is a subway in L.A.!!), a stroll along the downtown streets, lunch at a downtown restaurant and a return trip on the subway. This socialization experience gave the pups that live in suburban areas a chance to experience an urban environment.
On the subway portion of the trip, the puppies successfully navigated the long, steep stairways; stayed calm as the noisy, fast-moving trains pulled in and out of the station; and remained unruffled while riding in crowded train cars. After a 20-minute subway ride, the dogs were ready for the long climb upstairs to the street level of the city.
Walking along the busy downtown streets gave the dogs the opportunity to experience the faster movements and noises of the passing traffic, walking on sidewalk grates, and crossing streets with a lot of cars. They encountered both fountains and fowl (at least, pigeons) and all did fine.
They were graciously greeted at the California Pizza Kitchen restaurant with bowls of water for the pups and an entire section reserved for the group of 20 people. Once again, with all those pups in a relatively constricted area, the dogs’ behavior was excellent.
“We were so proud of our puppies and how they were able to handle the new experiences that they encountered today,” said participating puppy raiser Bonnie Sloane. “We will certainly be making this trip an annual event.”

By Erin Austin, puppy raiser
Recall day is one of the hardest days ever for a puppy raiser. I think it’s especially hard for a first time raiser. This past February, I had to return my first puppy to the GDB campus in California. Since there was no puppy truck going through my town on recall day, my leader, Mary, her daughter Brenna, and I all headed up to Guide Dogs on our own.
Nothing I could have done would have prepared me for the moment that I placed Freya in her kennel run. In fact, nothing could have prepared me for how fast she flew through all ten phases (though I was worried because she spent the longest in Phase 1 and I was afraid her bow legs were the cause). I was fully prepared to take up a hotel room the day I dropped her off because I was certain that the next day I would receive a call telling me that they was no way they could use such a wild pup and that I should pick her up immediately before she influenced the other dogs in the kennels. But I got no such phone call.
Freya was in formal training for less than three months before she was put into class. I didn’t know exactly how to feel about my dog being with someone else. I had loved and cared for this dog for fourteen months and I did not want to say goodbye forever. I knew that there was a possibility that her new person wouldn’t want to stay in touch with me. I kept reminding myself that this was what she was born to do and I had respect the wishes of her new person.
So, when the day came when I could call her new partner, I prepared myself for someone who wouldn’t want to talk or keep in touch. I got quite the opposite. His name is Mike, and I could hear in his voice how much he loved her and how much Freya had bonded with him. I was thrilled. I was even more thrilled when he asked me if I wanted to keep in touch with him. On graduation day we exchanged contact information. While Freya remembered me, she and he were obviously the team now. I was so happy to see that someone appreciated the kind of dog Freya was as much as I did.
Now I receive e-mails of Freya’s many travels and frequent updates on how they are doing as a team. I received this wonderful e-mail about how Freya saved Mike from a wild animal:
Hi Erin,
I have to tell you about a tense few minutes that happened on our walk this weekend. Did you know that there are wild animals in Alabama waiting to feed on a careless Guide Dog Team? Freya and I were walking down a sidewalk when I could suddenly feel a difference in Freya’s stride and body. She usually walks with her front shoulders down and pulling and her head moves around like she is scanning and sniffing the route. But suddenly her shoulders came up, her head stopped moving, and her pace slowed to about half speed. I could tell that she was looking at something in front of us and it kind of spooked her.
After a few more steps she slowed even more and came to a stop. I asked her to go forward and she tried to lead me off the sidewalk and to the grass on the right side. So I stopped her and attempted to find out what she was trying to avoid and what concerned her so much. It turned out to be a Lion waiting for a tasty Guide Team to walk thru the kill zone.
Ok... it wasn’t really a lion. It was a motorcycle parked parallel with the sidewalk and facing toward us. The motorcycle had a large faring and wind screen to protect the rider’s legs, arms, and face. The faring was painted to look like a lion and the two (side-by-side) headlights on the bike were the lion’s eyes. Freya was not going to take any chances by getting too close to this beast of prey.
We eventually worked our way past the wild beast, but Freya kept looking behind us to make sure we were not being chased. My protector (Freya) never left my side. I am so glad that I had her watchful eyes and guidance or else I might have been eaten by the hungry beast. I guess we won't be going to the zoo anytime soon.
Take care,
Mike and Freya on the hunt in Alabama
My fear of having to say goodbye forever is gone. Freya was the wild child of my group, which is full of first-time raisers who will have to give up their puppies soon. I hope that hearing about Freya and her job will make their recall day easier.
I am so happy that Freya is Mike's ever-watchful guide and guardian. Thank you Guide Dogs for making a wonderful match!

GDB career change dog, German Shepherd Mika (formerly Britt), with her adopter, Lizanne Kaiser, took top honors while qualifying for the American Kennel Club’s (AKC) Utility Dog (UD) title. Each year, only about 30 German Shepherds in the U.S. complete the requirements for this title. En route to the UD, Mika won multiple 1st place titles. Also, Mika has earned a Temperament Certificate from the German Shepherd Dog Club of America, where she was top-scoring dog on the day that she earned the certificate. Even more impressive, Mika achieved these awards while having vision in only one eye. Her limited vision at times made successfully competing in the sport of AKC Obedience trials quite challenging.
Utility is the most advanced class in the sport of AKC Obedience. The dog, off leash, has to respond to the owner’s hand signals (no verbal commands allowed), and complete exercises in a number of disciplines, including scent discrimination, directed retrieves, jumping, and silent signal following. Some of the exercises require that the dog respond to commands given from 25-50 feet away, typically requiring that the dog would need good long-distance and peripheral vision and good depth perception. Per the AKC rules, the dog must walk on the handler’s left side, and the handler cannot repeat commands or signals. Since Mika is missing her right eye, she needed to pay close attention so as not to miss her handler’s cues.
Mika was adopted from GDB by Lizanne Kaiser and Broheen Elias in 2004. Mika was one and a half years old, and had completed a few weeks of formal GDB training before becoming a career change dog. When Mika was first adopted, she was fully-sighted, and she was fully sighted when she completed two lower-level AKC Obedience titles. However, when Mika started learning the advanced Utility exercises, she was diagnosed with “canine dry eye” (keratoconjunctivitis sicca or KCS). Despite various medications and a surgery, Mika's right eye still failed to produce tears. It was obvious that Mika was uncomfortable, and her eye would be susceptible to infection if it weren’t enucleated. Mika healed quickly post-surgery and began to reorient herself to having partial vision. Lizanne and Mika had to re-train a number of the exercises so Mika could better see the cues and perform correctly.
“Training and competing with Mika taught me a lot and helped me grow as a dog trainer,” said Lizanne. “I needed to be very clear and consistent in showing her what she needed to do to be successful. Mika sometimes took longer than other dogs to learn an exercise initially, and there were certain details where she was never going to be as precise as other dogs. But she has a strong will to do her best. I call her ‘my little worker bee’ because at Obedience trials she always gives it her all and gets the job done. Mika taught me that with the right winning attitude, you can achieve your goals and dreams.”
Mika, currently 7 years old and retired from Obedience competition, is now helping to train Lizanne’s newest dog, Dante (a rescued German Shepherd).
“We are so fortunate that GDB gave us the opportunity to adopt Mika,” Lizanne said. “Bob and Daphne Easton, her puppy-raising family, had already socialized her so well to all sorts of different people, animals, and situations. She came to us with a great foundation for AKC Obedience. I’d strongly recommend a career change dog for anyone looking for a dog for a performance sport. These dogs were bred to work and love having a job.”
Please note: GDB is no longer using the German Shepherd breed in our program. There are yellow/black Lab, Golden Retriever and Lab/Golden crosses available for adoption that would make ideal performance sport competitors; we encourage those interested in agility, obedience or sport training with a dog to apply on our website.

Dear Puppy Raisers,
I have been using these incredible dogs for more than 35 years. I got my first dog when I was 18 and preparing to go to college. Although blind from the age of 14, I knew nothing about working dogs; indeed, I had never even met one. My first dog was named Whirl. She was a beautiful, delightful Golden Retriever. As with most Goldens, she had a happy, fun-loving personality, yet was an excellent worker. Whirl never met a tennis ball she didn’t love!
Immediately after returning from the school in California, I went to Arizona State University, which at that time had approximately 40,000 students. Whirl and I were sorority girls and spent four years walking all over that campus. After graduating, I taught high school for a couple of years before going to work at the Arizona Republic newspaper. Naturally, Whirl was with me every step of the way. Everyone loved her; it would have been impossible not to.
After Whirl had to officially “hang up the harness,” I went on to have four more Golden Retriever guides. Three of my dogs worked for nearly ten years each. Today, I have Portia, a precious little black Lab, who is sitting right here at my feet as I write this.
What I want to convey to you is two-fold. First, I want you to know how much each of these dogs has meant to me. Because they exist, I can do so much more, be so much more. Prior to getting Whirl, I felt embarrassed about being disabled. In fact, my greatest reluctance about getting my first dog was that now “everyone would know.” For the previous four years, while with a boyfriend, or group of girls, no one really knew that I was “different.” The fact that I had no independence was irrelevant – at that time in my life, the most important issue to me was that no one know I was blind.
Getting Whirl completely changed my life. We could do anything together: walk down the street, cross intersections, go into stores. I came to literally trust her with my life. But most importantly, my shame vanished. I went from embarrassed of being me to incredibly proud of being us.
Because of the autonomy a Guide Dog provides, I have been able to get an education, work at a variety of jobs, even walk my son to school when he was a little boy. Just having Whirl, Nomi or Rosie at my side has helped me to be a stronger, more confident woman. Moreover, when in public with my dog, I have had the utter joy of seeing how very helpful, kind and thoughtful people can be.
Which brings me to my second point: how much I appreciate you. I cannot thank you enough for all the time and “heart” each of you has invested in this program. Whether it is caring for the puppies day to day, taking them to vet appointments, or introducing them to the home environment on the weekends, each of you is playing a priceless role in another person’s future. That puppy who chews your shoes, or just refuses to learn the “down” command, or throws up at the most inconvenient time, may one day make the absolute difference in someone’s life. Perhaps it is a person who is alone and homebound, or is an individual who uses a cane and never really feels safe, or maybe, just maybe, there is another young person out there who is profoundly ashamed of being blind. The puppy you know and love today may very possibly release her from that shame tomorrow.
Blindness is extremely difficult. It is a very hard way to live. There are far more challenges than you could ever imagine. However, because you selflessly raise these dogs, love and care for them - all the time knowing you must say goodbye to them one day – because of you, life becomes more about choices, and less about challenges.
God placed these wonderful dogs on this earth to help His children. After all your hard work, when that dog is presented to its owner, I know God smiles.
God bless you all.
Debra Cooper

By GDB Alumna Tracy McGee
Over the Memorial Day weekend my son Colin, my guide Fazio and I had the distinct pleasure to be among the many blind/visually impaired folks that attended the Oral Hull Foundation for the Blind's long camping weekend. We had an incredible time! Since my eye sight has decreased so significantly over the past 8 years, camping has not been on the top of my list of things to do; I've always felt like a fish out of water. But being a single parent to an 8 year-old boy, camping is an activity that I'd like to engage in more often. After my experience at Oral Hull, I now know just how fun it can be and we're already planning to go back.
Oral Hull is a 23-acre park three miles from Sandy, Ore. Serene and wooded, the unspoiled natural beauty of Mt. Hood, Oregon's loftiest peak, forms a fitting background for this wonderful place. It is an accessible camp that leaves the camper feeling independent by providing the appropriate tools, such as rail-lined pathways, as well as an onsite O&M instructor. Attention to details like these lends to a safe and comfortable experience for each camper.
During our long weekend, the activities were abundant, the social interactions were enlightening and entertaining, and the opportunities to widen our horizons were plentiful. Jeff Lann, Oral Hull's executive director, packed the weekend with such things as swimming in a wonderfully warm indoor pool; creating a number of arts and craft projects (which I had not done for many years - my son and I both thoroughly enjoyed craft time!); learning about the art of drumming (we played the drums, learned about their origin, and felt the natural syncopation that takes place when a melody is played - boy oh boy was that fun!) - and that's only scratching the surface! One of the most amazing experiences that we took part in was a lesson on the universe with the guidance of an astronomer. He used large balloons of various shapes and sizes to illustrate the planets, and passed out tactile displays of the night sky, including the star formation on an average night as well as maps of some of the more popular constellations. Wow, was that an educational, mind-boggling and simply fascinating activity!
We also went to a play in Sandy, which was fantastic. Prior to attending the play, the director came to Oral Hull and provided us with background information. When we got to the playhouse, we got the opportunity to touch and feel each component of the set, and were introduced to the actors and actresses. They all told us about themselves so that we would have a voice and a history to paint the picture in our minds of each of the characters. I am sure for many blind/visually impaired individuals going to a play may not be at the top of your list, but this particular experience has opened my eyes to how awesome going to the theater can be.
My goal in sharing my experiences at this wonderful place is in the hopes that you will give it a try yourself. Come and bring your family, your friends (sighted or not), and most importantly your guide, and have the time of your life. Visit the website, or better yet, visit the camp! www.oralhull.org

Contributed by Megan Miller
Please enjoy another great post by frequent No Bones About It contributor, GDB alumna Megan Miller.
Since I received Pasta from GDB in January 2008, my life has not been the same. She has expanded my world in so many ways I never dreamed possible. The confidence she gives me is overwhelming, and she never ceases to amaze me with the things she does. From the very first time she took me back to the dorms when I was lost, without me giving her any direction other than to say “Let’s go home,” I knew she was special and that we’d have a long, amazing partnership. Now, we have entered a new, exciting chapter of our lives together. Almost two months ago, I moved out of the dorms and into my very first apartment. I was excited and nervous to be on my own, but I was so glad Pasta would be sharing the experience with me. With her, I’m never alone. Our neighbors here are great, and they all love Pasta, of course. Who wouldn’t love Pasta? One of my neighbors even taught us how to walk to the vet which is three and a half blocks away and pointed out a pet store next door, both of which we have traveled to independently since. A little over a week after moving into our new apartment, we got an addition to the family. I adopted a then 10-month old, one-eyed kitten named Tofu, and he and Pasta have become fast friends. Tofu greets Pasta and I every day when we return from work, and Pasta happily wags her tail at him. They have even slept together. Pasta has been a great big sister to him. Pasta and I have gone to many places independently, something I would have never felt comfortable doing with just a cane. Every day, we walk a little over five blocks to the bus stop and go to campus where I work and go to school. I never rode the bus alone before I got Pasta. She always gets me there safely, crosses the streets with ease, and she has markedly improved on dog distractions. Besides walking to the bus, we have also walked to other places. In addition to my neighbor helping us, some friends walked around with us, and our field rep came out and showed us around the area, too. So far, Pasta and I have gone to five different places by ourselves, including my first time ever independently grocery shopping! One day, I needed to go to the bank near my apartment after work. To make sure I got there on time, I took the local paratransit there. However, I decided to walk back to my apartment when I was finished. I had never been to this bank before, but knew what direction it was from my apartment. With my GPS and Pasta, we walked the mile plus back home. At least half of it, I’d say, was completely unchartered territory for us, but Pasta handled it like the pro she is, cruising across complicated intersections as if we’d been there every day. It was a very liberating journey. Since, we have walked with my boyfriend, who is also blind, to a café my field rep showed me and a nearby Thai restaurant I had only heard about, as well. We didn’t take the GPS with us to the Thai restaurant, just looked up where it was, and off we went. Once we got in, we got asked about Pasta, but once I pleasantly explained she was my guide-dog and was allowed everywhere I was since I couldn’t see, things were fine, and we were seated. I always knew Pasta was great and that my life would be remarkably better because of her, but the last two months have even further solidified this in my mind. The freedom, independence and confidence I feel because of her are beyond words, and I don’t feel I have even fully captured it here. So thank you GDB, and thank you puppy-raisers, for providing us with such amazing animals. We can never really thank you for what you have given us with these dogs, not just the ability to “see” the world but the honor of always having a best friend with whom to share our experiences.

Submitted by Reproductive Coordinator Heather Power and Breeding Program Manager Marina Hall Phillips
Talk about a sweet phone call: "There's chocolate in the whelping kennel!" announced a member of our Kennel staff. Thinking that some generous soul had stopped by with a box of See’s Candies, our initial sugar thrill turned to genuine excitement and curiosity when it became clear that the chocolate in question was referring to the coat color of some new puppies!
A maiden brood, black Lab Arizona, delivered a litter sired by a relatively new stud dog, yellow Lab Forte, on June 8. She brought a healthy litter of seven puppies into the world: five are black and two are chocolate. It is rare to see chocolate-colored dogs in GDB's colony - the last time a chocolate-colored pup was born to yellow or black Lab parents was in 1994. Prior to that, we did have some chocolate puppies produced by chocolate parents. The last active chocolate-colored breeding stock dog was a brood named Darlin, who was born in 1978. In addition, GDB has included chocolate-colored Labradors in our program obtained from outside sources through the years. To date we have had 51 chocolate dogs in our program, 13 of which went on to become working guides or breeder dogs.
As you know, Guide Dogs’ directive is to make breeding selections based on the highest potential that the resulting offspring will succeed as working Guide Dogs. GDB has developed a colony that supports our ability to meet our client demand with specifically selected combinations of black and yellow Labradors (and, if you've seen our colony, you know that the variations among the "yellow" Labs are still pretty vast!).
So how did these two chocolate treats come to be? Here's a quick and simplified lesson in genetics that should shed a little light on the subject:
There are spots on the canine genes called “loci” (or “locus” for a single spot) that deal with different coat colors. There are thousands of these loci, and it gets pretty complicated really quickly. Fortunately for us, in Labradors we really only need to focus on two loci to determine whether a dog will be black, chocolate, or yellow: B and E.
B comes in two varieties: black and brown. Black (B) is dominant, brown (b) is recessive, and the color applies not only to the dog’s fur, but to some extent all of the areas of pigment we see: nose, lips, foot pads, and around the eyes. If the dog in question has even one copy of the dominant (B) gene, s/he will have a black coat and black nose, etc. Only if the dog has two copies of the recessive gene (b) will their coat and nose look brown.
The Forte x Arizona litter's two chocolate pups are b/b on that locus. Their black littermates, however, are either B/B or B/b.
So where do yellow Labradors fit in? For them, we need to go to a different locus: E, which works a little differently. In recessive form (e), it suppresses or prevents the coat color of the B locus from expressing itself. In other words, the black or chocolate color won’t show up in the fur if the dog is carrying e/e. Instead, their coats will be yellow. Recessive (e) doesn’t remove the other areas of pigment however – they should have black noses, or at least a black rim around their noses, if they have B/B or B/b on that first locus. If they have b/b on that first locus, then those other areas of pigment will be liver colored. Couple that with e/e for recessive yellow coat color and we see a yellow coated dog with liver b/b pigment.
In a way, the coat colors are like a ladder. The first rung (or loci) tells you if the dog is black or brown, then the 2nd rung takes that black or brown dog and if double recessive, turns its fur yellow.
Phew! That's your science lesson for the day.
As for this Forte x Arizona litter, we are employing color genotype testing to identify which puppies in this and future litters carry the color genes for chocolate. The test is a simple, non-invasive DNA cheek swab. We will use this information to guide mate selection for color in the future. It's likely that we will not intentionally mate chocolate color carriers with yellow dogs who also carry for chocolate, since our focus is on black and yellow Labs. So while it is unlikely, it is certainly possible that we may see more chocolate-coated Labs in the future (if mate selection factors indicate that an ideal match would be between two parents carrying for the chocolate color). If so, we will embrace the little chocolate kisses with open arms, just as we've done with these two newest pups. The pups are thriving and will enter their puppy raising homes in just a few weeks. We're hoping we have some chocolate Lab Guide Dogs in our future!

With various dangers lurking in corners and cabinets, the home can be a minefield of poisons for our pets. In 2009, the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) in Urbana, Ill., handled more than 140,000 cases of pets exposed to toxic substances, many of which included everyday household products. Don’t leave it up to Fido or Fluffy to keep themselves safe. Below is a list of the top pet poisons that affected our furry friends in 2009, courtesy of the ASPCA.
Human MedicationsFor several years, human medications have been number one on the ASPCA’s list of common hazards, and 2009 was no exception. Last year, the ASPCA managed 45,816 calls involving prescription and over-the-counter drugs such as painkillers, cold medications, antidepressants and dietary supplements. Pets often snatch pill vials from counters and nightstands or gobble up medications accidentally dropped on the floor, so it’s essential to keep meds tucked away in hard-to-reach cabinets.
People FoodPeople food like grapes, raisins, avocado and products containing xylitol, like gum, can seriously disable our furry friends, and accounted for more than 17,453 cases in 2009. One of the worst offenders — chocolate — contains large amounts of methylxanthines, which, if ingested in significant amounts, can cause vomiting, diarrhea, panting, excessive thirst, urination, hyperactivity, and in severe cases, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors and seizures.
PlantsCommon houseplants were the subject of 7,858 calls to APCC in 2009. Varieties such as azalea, rhododendron, sago palm, lilies, kalanchoe and schefflera are often found in homes and can be harmful to pets. Lilies are especially toxic to cats, and can cause life-threatening kidney failure even in small amounts.
RodenticidesLast year, the ASPCA received 6,639 calls about pets who had accidentally ingested rat and mouse poisons. Many baits used to attract rodents contain inactive ingredients that are attractive to pets as well. Depending on the type of rodenticide, ingestions can lead to potentially life-threatening problems for pets including bleeding, seizures or kidney damage.
Household CleanersEverybody knows that household cleaning supplies can be toxic to adults and children, but few take precautions to protect their pets from common agents such as bleaches, detergents and disinfectants. Last year, the ASPCA received 4,143 calls related to household cleaners. These products, when inhaled by our furry friends, can cause serious gastrointestinal distress and irritation to the respiratory tract.
Heavy MetalsIt’s not too much loud music that constitutes our next pet poison offender. Instead, it’s heavy metals such as lead, zinc and mercury, which accounted for 3,304 cases of pet poisonings in 2009. Lead is especially pernicious, and pets are exposed to it through many sources, including consumer products, paint chips, linoleum, and lead dust produced when surfaces in older homes are scraped or sanded.
Garden ProductsIt may keep your grass green, but certain types of fertilizer and garden products can cause problems for outdoor cats and dogs. Last year, the ASPCA fielded 2,329 calls related to fertilizer exposure, which can cause severe gastric upset and possibly gastrointestinal obstruction. In addition, snail bait is also a big hazard; make sure to keep your pets clear of areas where snail bait has been applied.
Chemical HazardsIn 2009, the ASPCA handled approximately 2,175 cases of pet exposure to chemical hazards. A category on the rise, chemical hazards—found in ethylene glycol antifreeze, paint thinner, drain cleaners and pool/spa chemicals—form a substantial danger to pets. Substances in this group can cause gastrointestinal upset, depression, respiratory difficulties and chemical burns.
Prevention is really key to avoiding accidental exposure, but if you suspect your pet has ingested something toxic, please contact your veterinarian or the Animal Poison Control Center’s 24-hour hotline at (888) 426-4435.

Dear Guide Dogs -
I would like to submit a heartwarming story about the Guide Dog I raised. Doris was my first Guide Dog puppy and needless to say, I was somewhat apprehensive on starting this new venture since I wasn't sure I would do everything right to make her successful in becoming a guide. I was really blessed to have received such a wonderful puppy and she always made us so proud of her accomplishments. She breezed through the formal training program and graduated from the California campus on June 19, 2010. She was presented to Rebecca Missig of New Orleans, La., who fell in love with her upon their first meeting. (Rebecca and Doris are pictured, right.)
I received the following message from Rebecca regarding an encounter she and Doris had at a store. It really shows how these dogs not only touch the lives of their partners, but other people who have lost their sight and have not yet been introduced to Guide Dogs for the Blind. Rebecca writes:
"Doris made a little girl very happy today. My mother and I were shopping and a woman came up to ask if she could let her granddaughter pet Doris. I started with the initial "she is in harness" schpiel I have gotten used to saying at this point. The woman went on to tell me that her granddaughter was totally blind and 4 years old. Her parents have already started talking to her about getting a guide dog when she gets older. I couldn't help it and I took Doris's harness off so she could pet her. The little girl was a premature baby and never had sight at all, and just squealed when she was petting Doris. It made me so happy that I was able to make her day like that with Doris. Doris kissed her on the nose. I chatted with her mom and grandmother for a while about Guide Dogs and a few other blindness issues, and then took a picture before we left. I thought you might like to see Doris helping another blind person beside myself."
I am extremely proud of Doris and fortunate that Rebecca sends me updates on a weekly basis. I would say there are a perfect match.
Thank you,
Barbara Edwards

For the past few years, our Oregon campus has thoroughly enjoyed a great relationship with the Beaverton-based international headquarters of Nike, Inc. We've had the opportunity to introduce our dogs to the children at the Nike Employee Day Care Center.
Every summer, volunteers and GDB staff spend two mornings at the center, teaching these littlest athletes more about Guide Dogs and what they are able to do for people with visual impairments. Teaching assistants have said that “Guide Dog Day” has become the event looked forward to the most by both the little 3- and 4-year olds, as well as the grown-ups who work with them.
This past week, we went for our annual visit. The kids were taught the proper way to greet a dog (always ask permission before petting), and how they could identify the “special” dogs of GDB by their green jackets or Guide Dog harnesses. The kids all enjoyed learning how to groom Lucette, a yellow lab guide in training (pictured above), and also had the chance to wear a blindfold and experience walking behind “Wheeler” (a padded “dog on wheels” - pictured below). Walking with Wheeler gave the children some insight into what it feels like to completely trust a dog for mobility.
There is no better way to plant the seeds of knowledge and understanding with these little ones than with our own “little ones” – our Guide Dog pups, who make us friends wherever we go.
Thanks go to our supporters at Nike, and to our wonderful puppy raisers who help us spread the good word about GDB every day. We’re happy as we can be to “Just Do It” with such great friends!

We've been following a litter of pups - affectionately called the "F Litter" - from the time they were born. Flute is now a working guide in Arizona; she sent this update to her mom, retired breeder dog Christine.
Mom!! nobody told me how fun life in Arizona's White Mountains would be!!
My new companion takes me everywhere with her - even on the boat fishing for trout! It has been an adventure every day. We have a vegetable garden, as well as two flower gardens. We love to sit under the grape arbor in the afternoon. The apple tree bloomed this year, and the blossoms smelled wonderful! (That's a picture of me, amid all the apple tree blossoms!)
It has been raining some lately. I love the rain, but the thunder and lightening make me a bit worried about my human partner.
Everywhere I go, I attract people. For many, I am the first Guide Dog they have seen. I try to be a good ambassador for us all. We have visited every first grade classroom in town, and we have even been requested at schools in other towns nearby. I feel like a real celebrity! My partner and her family are VERY proud of me!
It was so good to hear about all my brothers and sisters of the F litter. I am so happy that everyone has found a home and a job!
Take care! I love you all!!
Flute

Annually, Guide Dogs for the Blind awards scholarships to puppy raisers in their senior year of high school. The scholarships reward outstanding scholastic achievements and community service experience within Guide Dogs and their communities. For 2010, we were pleased to award three $1,000 scholarships. Congratulations to our winners, and good luck in your future academic endeavors!
Trevor KalkusTrevor, of Jefferson County, Colo., was 12 when his older sister, Wendy, got her first Guide Dog puppy. Trevor caught the puppy raising bug as well, and just finished raising his family’s sixth guide dog, Jude. Just as Trevor continued the family’s puppy raising tradition by co-raising their fourth dog with Wendy as she headed to college, his younger sister, Kira, will continue the family's puppy raising legacy by taking the helm as Trevor heads to school.
In the three years that Trevor participated in the Arapahoe County 4H Fair, his Guide Dog presentations won him second place, first place, and Grand Champion respectively. Trevor was also the coordinator of Doggie Tales, a program that arranged for Guide Dog puppies in training to visit a different library every month so that children learning to read would have a friendly, appreciative audience for their new skills.
Although puppy raising is Trevor’s favorite activity, he also participates in theater, band, skiing, tennis, and many other clubs. At D’Evelyn Jr./Sr. High School, where he graduated as salutatorian, he was in the Spanish Honor Society, Tri-M musical service society, and Mu Alpha Theta tutoring. He was also president of the school’s National Honor Society where he organized volunteering and fundraising for the Salvation Army, Project Cure, Operation Christmas Child, Denver Rescue Mission, Bonfils blood drive, and much more.
Next year Trevor will be a freshman at Stanford University. He is very excited and only regrets not being allowed to have a puppy in his dorm room with him.
Margery Magill
Margery, of Sutter County, Calif., has been a member of the Yuba-Sutter-Colusa 4-H Guide Dog Puppy Raisers Club for five years and has raised four puppies. Two graduated as working guides, one is a breeder, and her fourth puppy just returned to GDB for formal training.
In her puppy raising club Margery has held the office of president, secretary and historian, and also co-created a towel/blanket drive for local animal shelters.
 
In addition to raising Guide Dog puppies, Margery has been actively involved in many leadership and community service organizations. She has been a member of her local Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter and served as president, reporter and secretary. Margery has received her Golden State FFA Degree (the highest degree a member can receive in the State of California) and served as an official voting delegate at the National FFA Convention two years in a row. Margery is also an eight-year member of a second 4-H club in her county, serving as club president and secretary, and attended the California Focus 4-H conference as one of the ten Young Civic Leader award recipients. She also participated in the Citizenship Washington Focus 4-H Conference in Washington, D.C. and traveled to Japan with the 4-H International Exchange Program. Margery is an 11-year member of Girl Scouts and has received her Bronze and Silver Award for community service. She has also participated in her local Relay for Life program as team captain and traveled to Mexico each year for three years to build houses for impoverished families. Margery also shoots and coaches on a competitive archery team in her area.
 
In her spare time, Margery owns and manages her own business called "Honey Do Boer Goats." She raises and sells Boer goats as breeding and market animals. Currently Margery has over 20 goats in her herd and has received awards for her business including the Star FFA Regional Agribusiness Award for 2010.
Margery graduated from the Marysville Charter Academy for the Arts as co-salutatorian of her class and will be attending the University of California, Davis, in the fall with a major in International Agriculture Development. 

Robyn SaldinoRobyn is from Ventura County, Calif., and has been raising Guide Dog puppies for as long as she can remember. Her family has raised a total of thirteen puppies, many of which have become breeders or working guides. She loves volunteering for Camp Bloomfield’s Summer Festival each year, and was inspired to do so by her older sister, Sarah, who was a camp counselor there. Robyn is actively involved in raising community awareness about GDB and its programs, and aspires to one day work with youth non-profit community service organizations in order to motivate youth to make a great difference in the world. She has worked with preschool, elementary, middle school, and high school-aged students from all over California, Nevada, and Hawaii to educate them about Guide Dogs.
Robyn was a member of the California Scholarship Federation; the National Honor Society; Students Encouraging Social, Political, and Environmental Action (SESPEA); and the Math, Engineering, and Science Achievement (MESA) club. In addition, she participated in Marching Band, Concert Band, Choir, and Key Club (serving as president for two years, and lieutenant governor for one year). She was also active in Theatre Team, where she served as secretary, treasurer and publicist, while performing in and directing many shows. Robyn was recently named a Coca-Cola Foundation Scholar, Ventura County STAR Scholar, Rotary Scholar, Cali-Nev-Ha Kiwanis Foundation Scholar, Bank of America Fine Arts Award Winner, and National Hispanic Scholar, all while maintaining a 4.87 GPA.
In addition to school, Robyn has participated actively in gymnastics for 15 years, both as a coach and a competitor; other hobbies include dance, swimming and yoga. She will be attending Sonoma State University, majoring in Theatre with an emphasis on Dance, and minoring in Voice and Public Speaking as an Arminaña University Presidential Scholar. Robyn is excited to be living near GDB's California campus in San Rafael, and hopes to volunteer for Guide Dogs in her spare time.