Bio-Lancaster Farming,
Juniata County Forms Seeing-Eye Puppy Club
MIRIAM WERT
Juniata Co. Correspondent
MIFFLINTOWN, Juniata Co.
At a meeting of members and
parents on May 18, Juniata Coun
ty had a first in their 4-H program.
Plans for a Seeing-Eye Puppy
Club came to complete fulfillment
as they voted on a name for the
club. After about 10 excellent sug
gestions, they selected the name,
“Future Loving Eyes.”
It was plain to see why there
was much enthusiasm and excite
ment at this meeting. Nine boys
and girls had submitted applica
tions to receive a puppy from The
Seeing Eye, Inc. Each of them will
receive a puppy as they become
available. Parents appeared to be
as excited as their children at the
prospect of taking on this chal
lenge.
Kathy Queitzsch, 4-H agent in
the Juniata County Extension Of
fice, was in charge of the meeting.
She is also the organizational
leader of the club. As Kathy point
ed out, having these puppies for a
year is a family project. They will
live in with the family, go in the
car with them, and participate in
all family events. After a certain
age, (hey can even go to 4-H camp
with the 4-H member. All of this
is to prepare the puppy for any
type of happening when it be
comes a working guide dog for a
sight-impaired person.
A puppy is taken to the 4-H
home when about six weeks old
and remains until one year old.
Then the dog is taken to a place in
New Jersey for three months of in
tensive training by The Seeing
Eye, Inc. By the end of that train
ing, the dog is ready for further
Scott Shreffler of Lewlstown as he shows his Guide Dog,
Yuina, to the Juniata County 4-H Seeing-Eye Club mem
bers and family.
I, Saturday, Junril, 1994
training with the sight-impaired
person who will receive the dog if
they bond well together.
The meeting look on real mean
ing for the members and parents as
Scott Shreffler of Mifflin County
spoke to them about his guide dog,
Yuma, who lay under the table at
his feet the entire time. Scott told
how he had spent 27 days training
with his dog in New Jersey. Yuma
had been with a family for a year
and then received the three
months of special training, just
like the dogs will that come to
Juniata County.
As with all trainees, the first
night Scott had Yuma in his room,
he was not allowed to leave the
room for any reason. The trainers
stress that bonding at that time be
tween the prospective owner and
the dog is of great importance. If
the bonding does not take place, it
is likely that the person will need a
different dog. It usually takes
about a week to see if they are
paired well.
Scott told of the stress during
training with Yuma, which was
morning and afternoon, and then
meetings at night. He also listened
to veterinarian tapes. Training
with the leash and teaching Yuma
to heel was done first inside the
building. There were four trainees
for six people, or a total of 24
working there together.
When Scott took Yuma outside
for training in his harness, Scott
found that the leash in his hand
made her like a “living cane” for
him. Eventually he was able to
“read” the dog through his har
ness. Training included getting
Yuma up at 5:30 a.m. for bath
room, eating and drinking, and he
Jim and Kathl Keifer and son Ben show six-week-old Mystic, a German Shepherd
placed In their Juniata County home by Seeing Eye, Inc.
still has that schedule as well as very important part of her training,
other regular times throughout the as is affection from her master,
day. Yuma gets along well with
Scott’s wife and two children, but
no one may pet her except Scott.
They have a pet Black Lab out
doors. Homes with guide dogs
may have cats or dogs in the
house, but they must be introduc
ed to the guide dog outside the
house and not on the pets’ domain.
Guide dogs should not be shown
favoritism over the family’s pets.
A trainer from The Seeing Eye,
Inc. is always on call if Scott
should need help with Yuma for
any reason.
Also present at the meeting
were two adults with the seeing
eye puppies who are in their care.
Candy Kirch of Snyder County
has a beautiful 12-week-old Gold
en Retriever named Nickie who
has been with Candy for three
weeks. This is the seventh seeing
eye dog that Candy has had.
Jo-Anne Brooks of Mifflintown
has a handsome one-year-old
Black Labrador named O’Malley.
This is the thirteenth seeing-eye
dog that Jo-Anne has had. When
In New Jersey, Scott had to
leant, along with Yuma, how to
meet emergencies. They would be
standing on the curb, preparing to
go across the street The trainers
had especially trained drivers
drive by within one foot of (hem,
causing Yuma to instantly sense
the dander and keep Scott from
stepping down. A guide dog will
not obey his master’s command to
cross the street if the dog sees dan
ger, nor will he proceed while
walking anywhere if there is a
large hole in the ground, or an
overhang or anything else which
would endanger his master. If the
master insists on commanding
hijn to go on, thus overriding the
dog’s decision, this will confuse
the dog and cause problems later.
Whenever Yuma stops when
walking with him, Scott stops and
feels around with his feet and
hands to check out what problems
there might be. Yuma is two years
old, and Scott finds her to be very
obedient even though there is still
some puppy in her. Scott is grate
ful to have Yuma because she has
given him his independence again
after having used a cane previous
ly. He finds no problem with tak
ing Yuma into stores where he
will ask the information desk
where he can locate a certain item.
In most cases employees will lead
the way. Scott simply says, “fol
low,” to Yuma who will then lead
Scott in following the employee.
When the employee says to go left
or right, Scott repeats that to
Yuma who then is ready to follow
the turning of die employee.
Scott went on to say that it is
important for the public to know
that they are not to pet or feed a
guide dog. Yuma knows that she
is not allowed to sniff in a grocery
store or restaurant and so is cuffed
on the snout as a form of disci
pline if she does so. “Phoney” is a
correction word for her when she
is in deep trouble. Discipline is a
There ate many ways to reuse the
things we no longer need. It's
very easy to donate clothes, toys
and other things to community
centers or social service agencies
so that others can use them.
At school, you can help reduce
the amount of lunchroom trash
by REUSING your lunch contain
ers. You can use the same paper
or plastic bag over and over.
Using a lunch box and resealable
and reuseable plastic containers
for your sandwich and chips is a
better way to avoid waste. A
thermos is a great way to carry a
drink without having to throw
anything away.
Many arts and crafts projects can use items that we might otherwise put in the
trash. A glass jar or can is great for pencils, pens, paint brushes... You can
decorate shopping bags and use diem for book covers or wrapping paper.
Used paper or magazines can turn into note pads, a collage, scrap paper or
decoration for a box or a card.
asked how they can keep these
precious dogs for a year or more
and then give them up, both wom
en said that they keep in mind
such people as Scott who is now
independent because of his dog.
Seeing the look in the eyes of
Scott’s mother, as she spoke of the
help that Yuma is to Scott, was
representative of all of those who
have been helped by this program,
and makes it possible for them to
give up the puppies when the time
comes.
It was announced at the meeting
that the next day the first 4-H pup
py would be brought to Juniata
County to the home of Jim and
Kathi Keifcr and son Ben of RRI,
McAlistcrville./ This writer had
the pleasure of going to their home
several days later to take photos of
the family’s six-week-old German
Shepherd female, Mystic, who
had already stolen their family’s
hearts.
New members are welcome to
join the club. Call (717) 436-8991
and ask for the Extension Office.
Ask for Kathy who will be happy
to give you more information.
Reuse
m