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Guiding the Guides
  
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By Chris Michlewicz
A doe-eyed puppy sits at the corner of a busy intersection, his silky golden coat shining in the sun as he looks both ways.
He is not only a best friend, he is a devoted guardian.
In many ways, guide dogs can mean the difference between a life of immobility and a life of independence for disabled persons, enabling them to do the everyday things that most people take for granted.
Through their rigorous training, the pups learn commands and even proper decision-making skills, including refusing an order to cross the street if they see an oncoming car.
It takes dedication by a handful of humans to hone each dog’s skills, while at the same time seeing them through their playful puppy phase. It’s a task that’s easier said than done, but guide dogs rely on the kindness of volunteers to teach them the basics before they move up to more advanced training levels and eventually into someone’s home.
Colette Worcester is one of those volunteers. The 16-year-old Castle Rock resident is much like a schoolteacher, providing the puppies with critical knowledge before releasing them to the real world. She recently began work with her fourth pupil, a pouty-faced, 15-week-old Labrador retriever named Petunia.
It began for Worcester at the age of 9, when she saw a guide dog wearing a vest at a local grocery store. She knew then that she wanted to be a trainer, and subsequently begged her parents to allow her to care for a dog that would eventually become an important part of someone’s life.
When her parents finally relented, Worcester dove into her work, spending countless hours instructing her pup, Pima, working on behavioral expectations and standard commands, such as “sit,” “stay” and “come.” Although Pima ended up being too tentative in her decision-making to graduate and become a full-time guide, Worcester has since trained two dogs that have completed the program and found a loving home. They have also found a true purpose.
The purebred puppies are born into a life of service at a training school in California called Guide Dogs for the Blind. The 8- to 12-week-old canines are then carted via truck to all corners of the country, livening up the homes at which they eventually arrive. They bring youth, joy and, occasionally, mischief, but the work is extremely rewarding, Worcester says. She points out, however, that she must part ways with the dogs after spending more than a year as their primary caretaker and companion.
Worcester fondly recalls Marjorie, a black lab that became her best friend before graduating in September. The teen developed a bond with Marjorie, who would lovingly place her chin on Worcester’s lap for a good head-scratching.
“It was really hard to give her up, but when we met her person and saw them working together, we just knew it was right,” she said.
The guides are paired up with a disabled person based on height, personality and strengths. Every trainer has the opportunity to meet their dog’s new owner, and Worcester finds comfort in knowing that the dog has built a strong connection with their person and genuinely enjoys the work they do. Knowing they are going to a home where they are needed also eases the pain of saying goodbye to her furry friends.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she says.
Worcester, wise and motivated beyond her years, already knows that she wants a career as a licensed guide dog instructor. The dogs not only prove useful, but in some cases, heroic. One story of an incredible feat focuses on Roselle, a guide dog that led her owner out of Tower One before it collapsed on Sept. 11, 2001. Roselle was later forced to retire because of an illness related to smoke inhalation. It is just one of the many incredible tales that make the rounds among trainers.
Worcester is part of a guide dog training group that meets monthly in Douglas County. She has even built a Web site, www.sidekicksforsight.bravehost.com, which provides updates on the guide dog raising club.
The work is tedious and requires patience, but training a guide dog is much like bestowing a great gift, albeit a warm and fuzzy one. Not only are the owners appreciative, but the dogs show their gratitude the only way they know how: through sloppy licks and wagging tails.
“It was really hard to give [our dog] up, but when we met her person and saw them working together, we just knew it was right.” -Colette Worcester, guide dog trainer for the blind
He is not only a best friend, he is a devoted guardian.
In many ways, guide dogs can mean the difference between a life of immobility and a life of independence for disabled persons, enabling them to do the everyday things that most people take for granted.
Through their rigorous training, the pups learn commands and even proper decision-making skills, including refusing an order to cross the street if they see an oncoming car.
It takes dedication by a handful of humans to hone each dog’s skills, while at the same time seeing them through their playful puppy phase. It’s a task that’s easier said than done, but guide dogs rely on the kindness of volunteers to teach them the basics before they move up to more advanced training levels and eventually into someone’s home.
Colette Worcester is one of those volunteers. The 16-year-old Castle Rock resident is much like a schoolteacher, providing the puppies with critical knowledge before releasing them to the real world. She recently began work with her fourth pupil, a pouty-faced, 15-week-old Labrador retriever named Petunia.
It began for Worcester at the age of 9, when she saw a guide dog wearing a vest at a local grocery store. She knew then that she wanted to be a trainer, and subsequently begged her parents to allow her to care for a dog that would eventually become an important part of someone’s life.
When her parents finally relented, Worcester dove into her work, spending countless hours instructing her pup, Pima, working on behavioral expectations and standard commands, such as “sit,” “stay” and “come.” Although Pima ended up being too tentative in her decision-making to graduate and become a full-time guide, Worcester has since trained two dogs that have completed the program and found a loving home. They have also found a true purpose.
The purebred puppies are born into a life of service at a training school in California called Guide Dogs for the Blind. The 8- to 12-week-old canines are then carted via truck to all corners of the country, livening up the homes at which they eventually arrive. They bring youth, joy and, occasionally, mischief, but the work is extremely rewarding, Worcester says. She points out, however, that she must part ways with the dogs after spending more than a year as their primary caretaker and companion.
Worcester fondly recalls Marjorie, a black lab that became her best friend before graduating in September. The teen developed a bond with Marjorie, who would lovingly place her chin on Worcester’s lap for a good head-scratching.
“It was really hard to give her up, but when we met her person and saw them working together, we just knew it was right,” she said.
The guides are paired up with a disabled person based on height, personality and strengths. Every trainer has the opportunity to meet their dog’s new owner, and Worcester finds comfort in knowing that the dog has built a strong connection with their person and genuinely enjoys the work they do. Knowing they are going to a home where they are needed also eases the pain of saying goodbye to her furry friends.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she says.
Worcester, wise and motivated beyond her years, already knows that she wants a career as a licensed guide dog instructor. The dogs not only prove useful, but in some cases, heroic. One story of an incredible feat focuses on Roselle, a guide dog that led her owner out of Tower One before it collapsed on Sept. 11, 2001. Roselle was later forced to retire because of an illness related to smoke inhalation. It is just one of the many incredible tales that make the rounds among trainers.
Worcester is part of a guide dog training group that meets monthly in Douglas County. She has even built a Web site, www.sidekicksforsight.bravehost.com, which provides updates on the guide dog raising club.
The work is tedious and requires patience, but training a guide dog is much like bestowing a great gift, albeit a warm and fuzzy one. Not only are the owners appreciative, but the dogs show their gratitude the only way they know how: through sloppy licks and wagging tails.
“It was really hard to give [our dog] up, but when we met her person and saw them working together, we just knew it was right.” -Colette Worcester, guide dog trainer for the blind
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