Scout's honor was training eye-dog

A member of Boy Scout Troop No. 31, Michael raised and trained a Seeing Eye dog to earn his new rank.

"Several years ago, my mother met and spoke with a handler who happened to be involved in training these dogs," the 15-year old parishioner of St. John the Evangelist Church in Schenectady explained. "It seemed to be a project that I might want to become involved in."

Training

GEB provided Michael with an eight-week old puppy named Tracker, and he had between 12 and 18 months to obedience-train the yellow Labrador in specific commands and actions.

He also was responsible for "socializing" the puppy by getting him used to large crowds and distractions. Once this initial training was completed, Tracker would then take an "entrance exam" at GEB. If he passed, he would move on to more advanced training by professionals at the school. Eventually, the dog would be eligible to perform as a Seeing Eye dog for a visually handicapped person.

Bred to serve

"I had to teach Tracker how to behave in everyday life situations," Michael said, so he took the dog to railroad and bus stations, the Albany International Airport, and other places where he could get the dog "used to crowds."

He also had to familiarize Tracker with performing under the lead of multiple handlers. To do this, he brought the dog to Scout meetings and events so that others worked with the dog, giving voice and leash commands.

"I had to take him to these places between three and five times each week," said Michael. "I just took him everywhere with me."

Human training

Meanwhile, a group of visually impaired men and women were also being trained through a 26-day course at GEB. Each student is assigned to a dog that has completed its training, and is matched to the human's temperament and energy level. The students spend about two weeks learning to communicate with their dog and to entrust their safety to their new canine companions.

During the last half of their training, the dogs and humans are taken to progressively busier areas with heavier traffic and, eventually, to the streets and subways of New York City, their final proving ground.

Once a dog has been successfully mated with a visually impaired person, the training is considered complete. GEB follows up and supports both dog and human for their lifetime, at no cost to the student.

Puppy love

But Tracker learned very quickly; by the time he was just a year old, he was ready for his entrance exam. Michael was elated that he passed the test. However, when the time came to say goodbye, both Michael and his family found parting with the puppy a "sweet sorrow."

"It was difficult to see Tracker go," the Scout said, "but I know he was trained for a great cause: to help someone overcome their disability."

New life

"Tracker has become her life companion, and they are a good match," he said, adding that because of the independence that Tracker has given her, the woman now has a job working for "Lighthouse for the Blind."

"Tracker is helping her help others," Michael said.

To fill the void in their home, the Brissons adopted one of GEB's "released" puppies, a six-month old black Labrador named Erin. "She won't become a Seeing Eye dog," Michael said. "She is my dog now, a permanent addition to the family."

(For information on raising and training Seeing Eye dogs, call Guiding Eyes for the Blind at 914-245-4024 or 1-800-942-0149. Write GEB, 611 Granite Springs Rd., Yorktown Heights, NY 10598.)

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