Photo by Ken Odor
Abbie Allison is training 14-month-old Waldo to be a future guide dog for the Guiding Eyes for the Blind organization. She knows she’ll have to let go soon when this part of his training is over.

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Abbie Allison is a 10-year-old Goochland Middle School student. Waldo is a 14-month-old Yellow Labrador retriever. They are pals.

Abbie is helping Waldo get ready for an important job – being a guide dog for Guiding Eyes for the Blind (GEB).

If they are successful, Waldo will move on to the next step in his training to be a companion dog for a blind or visually impaired person.

Abbie learned about the program when her mother Julie read about it in a home schooling newsletter.

“Mom showed it to me and I thought it would be cool to do,” said Abbie, who has been home-schooled for several years. “You know you are helping someone.”

“She did all the initial contacting,” said Julie.

The process involved an online application, and because Abbie is underage, a parent had to agree to take part in the program. Julie was willing.

Actually, the whole family was willing. Abbie’s father, Bryce, and sister, Heather, 13, also help out, as does the family’s own chocolate Labrador, Shane, in his own way.

“Everyone is involved,” explained Julie.

Abbie got Waldo when he was 10 weeks old, a week or two later than normal because Shane had a case of kennel cough and needed to get well.

He was already named Waldo. GEB names the litters, usually using names beginning with the same letter, said Julie. Waldo has siblings with names like Wheezy, Wendell and Wren.

Then the work began. At first Abbie was only going to keep Waldo until he was housebroken, and then turn him over to another family.

But they decided to keep him until he is ready for the next stage.

“We basically got over the hump,” said Julie. “After three months she wanted to go ahead with the full program. Abbie decided we might as well go all the way.”

“She didn’t realize how much work it was going to be,” she recalled.

Particularly in the summer, when Abbie had to get up at 6 a.m. for Waldo’s three-mile walk. The walk is an integral part of his training, since guide dogs have to be fit.

Waldo has also learned about a dozen basic commands, like “stop,” “sit,” “down,” “kennel” and “let’s go.”

Abbie has also taught the dog to walk over all kinds of surfaces, like grates, bleachers and stairs. He’s learned how to go up and down in elevators and has traveled on buses.

He goes to church (West End Presbyterian) with the family to get used to being in crowds.

“Everyone at church knows Waldo,” said Abbie. “All the little kids at church love him.”

Although it has been a great experience for Abbie and the family, there’s a downside.

In a couple of months, Waldo will go back to GEB to be evaluated for more training.

“I’m sure there will be a few tears shed,” said Julie.

But Abbie is realistic. “We knew all along he wasn’t ours,” she explained.

For more information:

To learn about raising a future guide dog, go to GEB’s Web site at http://www.guidingeyes.org.
Or visit Abbie’s blog at pups4theblind.blogspot.com.

Photo by Ken Odor
Abbie Allison puts Waldo through his paces in the backyard of their home in Manakin-Sabot. Abbie and her family have raised Waldo since he was weaned for the Guiding Eyes for the Blind organization.

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