I’ve been blindfolded. I’m in complete darkness. The task before me is to walk two blocks of a city street. Seems pretty easy if you have your sight, but I didn’t. What I did have was a highly trained guide dog from San Antonio Guide Dogs of Texas.
Guide Dogs of Texas has been training dogs to work the blind since 1989. They've trained more than 30 dogs to help their blind partners navigate obstacles that the sighted take for granted.
Now to understand the challenge before me, you first have to imagine a normal street. Can you picture it? For those with sight, like myself, I don’t even see the challenges that face a blind person. The devil in this case is truly in the details.
Let’s pretend we’re going to walk down the sidewalk for about two blocks. Some things you might not notice right away, yet they're obstacles that create a challenge for the blind...
Driveways, for instance. There could be eight driveways between you and the end of the block; each one affecting the sidewalk differently. In the fourth driveway from your house there’s a car getting ready to back out.
It’s trash pickup day, and there’s a garbage can lying across eighty percent of the sidewalk.
Did you notice the tree limb about five feet off the ground directly in your path?
Also, you’re going to have to cross the street to get to the next block. That means going up and down curbs and avoiding traffic.
Now, let me introduce you to Roxie, my guide dog for the day. Roxie is a beautiful Black Lab Golden Retriever mix. Roxie is like any lab, galooping along, wagging not just her tail but also her entire body. She would be the perfect beach dog, frolicking in the surf, chasing balls, and loving every minute of it. But when it’s time to work, Roxie is all business. And work is something she loves. She’s spent the last two and a half years becoming a highly trained working animal. According to her trainer, Sandy Merrill, her temperament is perfect for the job.
There’s a lot of responsibility on those furry black shoulders. In about six months Roxie will graduate from the Guide Dogs of Texas program and be paired with her new blind partner. Roxie will become their eyes. She’ll give her partner unbelievable mobility, helping them navigate city streets, crowded malls, restaurants, busy workplaces… you name it, if it can be walked, Roxie can help her partner move through it.
It’s interesting to know that Roxie was trained in the Pawsitive Approach Program. It’s a cooperative program between the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Travis County Sherriff’s Department, Dominquez State Jail and Guide Dogs of Texas. She was raised by offenders in the facility and trained outside of the jail with the help of two officers.
Here’s something interesting: not only has this created terrific guide dogs, but there is zer percent recidivism among the inmates that train the dogs. It’s an incredible win-win.
I was about to be lucky enough to get a demonstration of Roxie’s ability. Roxie would take me on a walk through a north side neighborhood; going through, over, and around the obstacles I mentioned earlier. It’s truly a jaw-dropping, amazing experience.
Next time we’ll I’ll take you for a walk down the street. In the meantime, here’s your homework assignment: when you’re stopped at a light or driving down your street, take a closer look at it. As though you were blind. You’ll see things you’ve never noticed before. I promise you, it’ll be eye-opening.
