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Applicants and future guide dog applicants are invited along with their Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS) to stay 3 days at our campus. Exercises to prepare for the transition from cane to guide dog will be emphasized, including, but not limited to: exercises related to straight line of travel, auditory skills, spatial awareness, time-distance, and Juno walks. During the seminar, the COMS will be coached by a Guide Dog Mobility Instructor (GDMI) and will learn how to use Juno walks to prepare their current and future students for a guide dog. Both the student and COMS will have the opportunity to walk with a guide dog and will learn what it s like to teach a familiar route to a dog as well as an unfamiliar route. Participants will be invited to feed, water and park a dog, groom, and have structured playtime with a dog to expose them to some of the everyday responsibilities of caring for a guide dog. By the end of the program, both the student and instructor will have a better understanding of what it's like to transition from cane to guide dog as a primary mobility aid and will be well equipped to continue to practice and prepare for the transition when they return home. |
