You’re in town, amongst the hustle and bustle of traffic, strangers on the sidewalks, and maybe even a bicycle or two zipping past. Your best friend blindfolds you, takes you by the hand, and tells you that they want to lead you around town for a while. Call it an experiment in friendship. Can you trust them? What if they told you that they cannot speak to you through the entire experience? Not one word, no matter how you might talk to them, begging them to respond. Could you do it? What if they said they would also be walking at twice your normal pace the entire time? How about now? Oh, and one last catch. When you arrive at a street corner, they will stop you from walking into traffic but YOU will have to decide when it is safe to cross and which direction to go. You must judge that for yourself, still without sense of sight, by listening carefully to the traffic. Remember, no talking. What about now? Will you put your very life in your friend’s hands?
For Jeremiah Micolichek and so many like him, this is not an experiment in friendship; this is everyday life. And his best friend is a two year old black Lab named Sonny. No, they have not known each other long. Sonny comes from an organization called OccuPaws, a guide dog association that assists in matching well-trained seeing eye dogs with their visually impaired new best friends.
Training: More than owner and pet.
Jeremiah found OccuPaws when he was finally ready to research the option of taking on a four-legged assistant, and it’s no wonder why this organization is the “pick of the litter.” The Madison, Wisconsin-based organization sets itself apart by being one of the only facilities in the country to train the new owner/dog team in their own surroundings. Many organizations similar to OccuPaws traditionally require the future owner to attend a school facility to learn how to work with their dog. “It’s very life interruptive,” says Doug Weil, trainer for OccuPaws. “These are people with jobs and families. A school often requires one to be away from all of that for twenty eight days while training.” Doug has been working with OccuPaws since its founding in ’05, and working with dogs for forty years. He went on to explain the many benefits he’s experienced between working with dog and owner in their own surroundings, when compared against working in a large facility, the most prominent being “real” settings. Sonny has the benefit of learning the actual routes the owner travels with the trainer present. Jeremiah has the benefit of learning how to respond to tough scenarios, or react to strangers approaching while shopping for groceries at his local market.
When Doug was asked what the most rewarding part of training these companions was, he answered, “Seeing someone go places and do things they otherwise struggled to, or sometimes couldn’t at all before. Training a dog, and training a person, and watching them fly.” Jeremiah agrees, “There is a lot more mobility with Sonny than I had with a cane. There are things that Sonny will see that I couldn’t sense with a cane.” Having Sonny present at his side also helps others recognize Jeremiah’s presence. He can be less concerned about getting knocked down on the sidewalk by jogging pedestrians or bicycles. (Something that has, embarrassingly, occurred in his past.) Though there will always be obstacles. “In my first week of training, I almost ended up in the lake,” Jeremiah laughs. “I was still adjusting to reading the dog’s body language through the harness, and hadn’t realized Sonny had stopped.”
Awareness: It's own reward.
Many do not realize how complex day to day life can be with a companion like Sonny. When Jeremiah was asked what three things he would like to help teach the public about etiquette in encountering a service dog, he paused in reflection and had this to say, “Be courteous. Understand that it is hard to stop when you can’t see where you are going and are traveling at the dog’s pace down the sidewalk. It’s natural to be curious and want to ask questions, but asking them when standing still at the corner of the street is better for both the dog and people like myself.” The second piece of advice he had to offer was, “It’s difficult to cross a street. If you see someone with a service dog, it is okay to ask if they would like some help in knowing when it is safe to walk. In fact it is often very much appreciated.” And lastly, Jeremiah implored, “Please, be kind and courteous when driving. Being alert to the presence of service dogs and their owners can save a life.” He adds with a lighthearted laugh, “Getting hit by a bicycle is one thing, but I hear rumor that a car is much worse. I’d rather just take peoples’ word for that one.”
Jeremiah feels very fortunate to have Sonny in his life now; something that was made possible through this volunteer-based organization. Doug explains some of the dedication, time, and energy that go in to training dogs like Sonny. “They are given to ‘raisers’ when they are only eight weeks old. Raisers take the dogs everywhere with them, helping the dog socialize and learn how to behave in public places. They are strictly volunteers and put a lot of time into these dogs until they are about one and a half years old. Then the dogs are given to a trainer, like myself, to learn the finer points of what is expected of them and the harder commands. And after all that, fifty percent of those dogs are still rejected in the end. It takes a very special dog to make it to graduation.”
Jeremiah gives Sonny a rewarding pat on the head as he gets him settled under the table. “I didn’t have to pay anything for Sonny. But just because these dogs are free to those that need them, doesn’t mean they don’t cost money, and that money has to come from somewhere.” OccuPaws raises its funds through drives, spreading awareness and charitable donations that can be made directly through their website. Even Jeremiah, in his own special way attempts to give something back to this amazing organization by holding a benefit show, performing as a very talented Elvis Impersonator.
To learn more about the life of a seeing eye dog or if you wish to make a donation to OccuPaws directly. They can be found at OccuPaws.
Special acknowledgments and Sources of information.
- Personal interview with Jeremiah Micholichek –visually impaired individual
- Personal interview with Doug Weil –trainer of service dogs and their visually impaired partners.
- www.OccuPaws.org.
Join the Conversation