Last week when I met Brian, I also met Sergio. Sergio is
Brian’s guide dog. I know that I have written about guide dogs before, but I
think that Sergio deserves a special mention. He was an absolutely beautiful
dog.
When Lyle and I were
in Brian’s office, I was scarcely aware that Sergio was there too. Apparently
he was lying quietly under the desk while Brian explained the intricacies of
the Victor Stream to me. As an aside here, I must add how well Brian did this.
I think that it was helpful that Brian, who is totally without sight, recognized
the importance of a hands on demonstration. For me, it was infinitely better
than having someone just tell me about the various buttons. Brian made sure
that I could feel each one.
Back to Sergio. When we left the office and moved to the
CNIB Sales Room, Sergio and Brian came together. Sergio was large – a large Golden Retriever.
With Brian’s permission, I bent down to pat him. Sergio sat quite still to
endure this inspection. The first thing I noticed was his long smooth nose and
long silky hair. Of course, I will add a picture at the end of this for those
of you who can see.
Sergio is Brian’s fifth guide dog. Together they appear to
be a perfect match. Brian is tall and with his large frame, Sergio is a good
match for Brian’s height. According to Brian, Sergio travels well on public
transport – bus and train, and this is essential for Brian as he makes his way
around the city.
Sergio came from Guide Dogs for the Blind, an organization
which has its main office in San Rafael, California. However, there is another
smaller branch in Oregon and this is where Brian trained with Sergio. Brian has
had Sergio since he was a pup of 20 months, and to date the two have been a
team for just over two and a half years. I wish them both a good working life together.
There are several training schools for guide dogs and their
potential owners, but if you want to learn more about Guide Dogs for the Blind
in San Rafael, you can go to their web site at:
As promised, there is
an accompanying picture with this post. It is of Brian and me with Sergio.
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| Brian, Sergio, and Sue |
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