Thought Wheel

Ann Chiappetta

Guide Dog Journal Day One 🦮

| Filed under blindness Guide dogs

May 16, 2025. Day One of training

It’s ten a.m. and we’re ready for the first day and the challenges and string of successes along the path to becoming a good team. Andrea spends the first part of the morning describing the equipment, harness styles and body styles I can choose from during our time together. It’s a bit like buying a car. Leather or Fabric body for the dog? Synthetic leash or leather leash? I liked the harp-style harness handle, the quick snap fastenings and the Unifly style harness.  The equipment is in tones of blues with gray and the leather is smooth and sturdy.  I will train with the leather harness first. Dog Three is black and looks great with a bright blue collar and coordinating leash.

 

We begin with obedience   indoors. He is responsive if a bit resistant, to be expected. I’ve got to prove I’m worth it. I’ve got to mimic the other handlers and raisers in voice, body language or be close enough to it for this dog to respond correctly. It gets better as we go.

 

After obedience, I harness up Dog Three and Andrea snaps on the training lead to Dog Three and we are off.  There is so much to feel and think through, so many little pulls, tweaks, and movements to understand. It’s a bit like exiting a topsy-turvy ride and walking off it, equilibrium trying to assert itself after the wild ride.

His turns are great. His pace and pull are good for me. he takes commands well. His gentle lips and whiskers remind me ofVerona. I think we will give one another the grace to bump around, find our center.  This moment, the moment he accepts  the treat from my hand is when I’ve become determined to make this work.

Later the same day, the mall is great for indoor work and we get to know one another better.  He indicates the change in floor textile where the store ends and the mall area begins. He stops  at the elevator. He stops or indicates  the ATM, the tables at the  coffee place, etc. He targets very well. To the chair, the door handle, the ramp leading into and from the mall.

 

Day Two

Dog Three and I learn how to walk together. I pull to the right and he is still learning how to compensate for it. This results in me veering when I don’t want us to and the trainer helps me. She observes what is happening and we begin working on solutions. One solution is using the Unifly harness because it has a single centered handle designed to eliminate exactly what I am doing.  It helps with his pull and pacing as well.

 

Dog Three and the two cats and dog in our home are getting along as if they have known one another already.

 

As for me, I am exhausted, my hips hurt and  I love it.  I’ve missed this so much. My body hurts in places  like  in my quads and  shoulders. This will pass.

 

Two routes per day is the goal. We are doing the sidewalk less route in the morning and the indoor route/walks with sidewalks in the afternoons.  There are recorded lectures and follow-ups with the school’s own lead Veterinarian and the advocacy lecture. Both are coming up soon.

 

Guide Dog Journal 🦮

| Filed under blindness Guide dogs

 

May 7, 2025

I flew to Cape Cod  last week. It was the first time I jumped aboard a plane since before the Pandemic. It was great flying again. The travel bug has returned.

 

While I spent five days with my sister and her wife in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts, Pat, the woman who raised my second guide dog, Bailey, visited. She brought her current guide dog in-training, nexie. She is a black lab, less than sixty pounds. She lay between Pat and I during lunch, placing her head on my foot.  When she did, I told myself my new dog would be with me soon and his big head would be propped on my foot soon.

 

It was wonderfully healing to be with Pat, talking about my second guide dog Bailey and his life with us. Until then I didn’t want to acknowledge the huge gap Bailey had filled and left due to his death early last year. Now, at least, I can begin learning how to allow myself how to love another guide dog.

 

The day after Pat left, she texted me a quick note. It said she found my new dog’s puppy raising region on social media. She said he has a big head and a soft face, which in dog terms means an intelligent expression. Jerry said he looks smart, the same way my first guide dog, Verona, had looked.

 

Now I am even more excited, and I want to shout it out to the world. I am going to meet him in eight days, and I cannot wait to feel his big head and introduce myself.

May 13, 2025, I spoke with dog three’s trainer yesterday. Her name is Andrea, and she is one of the Guide Dog Mobility Instructors, or GDMIs in the Specialized Training department for Guiding Eyes for the Blind. Now that I am older and often rely on a support cane, the admissions person thought my needs would be better addressed with a GDMI who will incorporate my other mobility challenges in addition to my blindness and receive a dog who is acclimated to a support cane when working with me. How cool is that? Andrea also works with the deafblind students and students with other disabilities. .

I got to pick out the color of dog Three’s collar, type of leash (biothane or leather) and booties. We talked about the types of harnesses and the harness handle. I prefer an ergo-style to ease the strain on my wrist.

 

We ordered dog food and today and tomorrow I am washing the dog beds and gathering up all the doggie paraphernalia I’ve collected over the years. I’ll donate some of it to a local shelter and   maybe Andrea will accept the dog booties for the equipment room back at the school. Hey, it’s all about reusing and upcycling now, right?

 

Jerry is so excited, and I know he will have to restrain himself. He will also need to pay attention and mind the rules for a while, something he doesn’t like.

 

May 15

Dog Day. It’s early evening in  Monroeville. The humid air keeps it from getting too cool. I am so nervous. I admit it to Jerry, who  seems amused by it.

 

The van pulls in and I feel the change coming.  I pray this match is everything for which I am hoping. It’s a quiet and simple greeting. He is curious but not overly excited.  I get a few sniffs, call his name and dispense a few treats. We go inside, he and my other dog are friendly and ten minutes later they are chasing one another in the back yard.  He doesn’t relieve himself until later after all the greetings are done and we are preparing for bed. He settles in on the tie-down on his new bed and soon we are all asleep.

 

 

Blogger Dodger 🙀

| Filed under blogging Guide dogs

Blogger Dodger? Yes,!

 

Let me explain. You know the grief tunnel many people talk about? You know the one where entering is dark and dismal and you are lost, often misdirected by false glimmers only to trip on some crack falling and rolling down to where you started?

Yup. Been like this since last March — saying goodbye to Bailey, my second guide dog.

 

The experience meant I avoided sharing how I felt until the real light came into view and I stepped into the warm, healing sunshine.  This means no more blog dodging or dodging why I retreated from life for a while.

🦮

Now that I’ve explained, I am also cautiously excited to share my third guide dog, whose name I will not share yet, is coming with his guide dog mobility instructor, or GDMI, on May 15 for ten days of training.

 

That’s right, these creaky joints will be thumping along beside a dog once again and I am fortunate to be able bodied enough to accomplish the task at home where I’ve lived for only 18 months. Jerry will be thrilled as will our pet dog, May.

 

The name reveal will be announced on Facebook.

Jerry has already started asking questions. When can I pet the dog? Will I be able to play with the dog? It’s been a long time since training with Bailey. It’s been a long time since the new guide dog protocols have been followed

I will need to assume the drill sergeant Mr. Pipp once again like I mentioned in my memoir, Follow Your Dog a Story of Love and Trust😉

Here’s to a warm and blessed Spring 🕊️

 

 

 

 

 

Word of the Year 🦮

| Filed under blindness Guide dogs

Yellow lab Bailey lick's Annie's face. She is laughing.Annie and yellow lab Bailey licking her face

The word for 2025: Doggedness

 

Definition — persistence in effort; tenacity or perseverance.

 

I have been reading essays and blog posts about choosing an action word for 2025. Being someone who doesn’t respond well to new year resolutions I decided to try a word of intent.

 

Looking back on 2024, I accomplished many good things with my husband by my side. We also felt the strain of transition. Leaving our home of over thirty years and relocating to a different State and the death of my retired guide dog, Bailey left us reeling. Jerry and I occupied ourselves with managing the house and we both acclimated fairly well in this respect. But as we settled into our new home and routines, the pain of losing Bailey became almost unbearable for me. Not only did I miss him in a physical sense, but I missed the loss of independence he provided being my guide dog. His illness and death cut me off from pushing ahead and taking full advantage of our new life here and what the community offered.

 

Bailey died on March 16, 2024. My heart has recovered enough to welcome my successor guide, though, only a few months ago I wasn’t ready and questioned if I was sufficiently healed to open my heart so soon.

 

Parting with our lives back in New York and embracing Pennsylvania and the quieter lifestyle and less frantic pace we both longed for many years was the expected, watching Bailey suffer and pass from complications brought on by lung cancer was the unexpected.

 

The depression and grief resulting from losing Bailey dragged me down, at times the light at the end of the tunnel dimmed to a pinprick.

Losing Bailey was like losing my eyesight – again –And had doubts about the mental effort it would take to step out of the darkness into the here and now, to feel the warmth of the sun on my soul.

 

Some days I wanted to sleep the entire day away but I didn’t. The motivation to get up and fight off the sadness kept me from giving up. I got back out using my white cane and regained some lost confidence. I am still avoiding going places on my own, though. The irrational fear of being dropped off in front of a strange building with no cell reception floods me with anxiety. I don’t have my dog to keep me safe if I get lost. I don’t know where I am. The entire geography is unfamiliar, unlike New York. In New York, if I didn’t know where I was, I still knew where I was.

 

Yes, it is March, my birthday month. I’ve reached the tunnel’s end, evident by this post tapping my chest and telling my heart to get ready for dog three. Telling myself I will hold onto a harness and fly again.

 

Here is where doggedness accents my life during 2025. I will be dogged about pushing past my fears, work towards training with another guide dog, and allow myself to remember Bailey, his big yellow labbbiness, big personality and tongue, and honor him by taking a chance on another canine partner.

 

 

 

 

Remembering Bailey a poem for NPM

| Filed under blindness Guide dogs Poem

Your Name

Ann Chiappetta

 

Bathing my life in slobbery joy you

Accepted me unconditionally

If only love could  sustain you and

Let you live forever

Everyone knows a dog named Bailey

Yellow Labrador guiding  my heart

and memories.

 

For Guiding Eyes Bailey 1BB13 April 2013-March 2024.

 

Yellow lab Bailey lick's Annie's face. She is laughing.Annie and yellow lab Bailey licking her face

dreaming of a Dog

| Filed under blindness Guide dogs Poem

Double Dreams of My dog

Ann Chiappetta

 

I

Dreamt of

My dog’s escape

The door was open

Heartsick I panicked

Searched, begged

fruitlessly

for his

return. I watched

all those I   lost

drive off with Mom

Bailey Bailey Bailey

I called

Silence

But then

Someone called,  urgently

I have

him

My hand

Touches the leather

this collar  familiar but

Not my dog

Could this

Dream

Dog Be

my future partner

or is it merely

a wishful

thought?

Yellow lab Bailey one year old standing at the shor in Maine. Photo taken by his puppy raiser. Bailey died March 16, 2024, he was ten. We miss you buddy.

Yellow lab bailey posed with blue skies and clouds in the background. 

 

 

 

 

The Guide Dog Book Club 💖 🦮

| Filed under blindness Guide dogs writing

Greetings from the Guide Dog Book Club Team,

 

We hope your fall is off to a great start and full of plans for fun times with your dogs, family, and friends. A big woof and wag to the cooler temperatures!

 

Jumping off from the awesome discussion with Sharon Peters on “Trusting Calvin,” we are gearing up for another book club read and discussion. The next meeting of the club is scheduled for November. As always, all are welcome to join. More details to follow on exact date and time.

 

Our next book selection is…(drum roll, please, and hold the appaws):

 

“Forward Together: An Inside Look at Guide Dog Training” by Christie Bane

 

The book is available on BARD and other electronic book services. Get a copy today and start reading for another informative guide dog book club discussion.

 

Here’s a recent amazon review:

 

“This was such an amazing book. The explanations were well thought out, but not overly descriptive. The author was honest and realistic. The writing was down to earth and a pleasure to read. I would seriously urge anyone who has anything to do with the guide dog community to read this. It will increase knowledge and understanding for puppy raisers, handlers, GDMI applicants, other staff, and even the general public. I really really enjoyed this read!”

 

You can also review a synopsis here: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/53548729

 

To help keep us in touch and encourage conversations in the virtual world, we’ve created a new email list serve just for the Guide Dog Book Club community. That’s right, we have a list serve dedicated to our book discussions. Please check it out.

 

To subscribe to the list, send a blank email to guidedogbookclub+subscribe@groups.io. Or request an invitation to be sent to your inbox by emailing guidedogbookclub@gmail.com.

 

We can’t wait to share more information with you, so get those people-paws tapping on your computer or smart phone and sign up! We would also appreciate it if you could share this announcement with other guide dog handlers, puppy raisers, GDMIs, guide dog program staff and family and friends who support the partnership between human and guide dog.

 

Please let us know if you have any questions. Until we chat again, happy reading and wagging,

 

Guiding Eyes Graduate Council

gebgradcouncil@gmail.com

 

 

News Flash 🦮 big Yellow Dog Retires

| Filed under blindness Guide dogs pets and people writing

 

Bailey, my second Guiding Eyes dog guide, has hung up the harness. He is now the senior adopted dog of house Chiappetta and for him, at least the change is good. It’s a push and pull of relief and regret for the humans, though. But hey, he’s almost eleven, has bounced back from lung cancer and enjoys napping in the sun in his new back yard.

 

Yellow lab Bailey one year old standing at the shor in Maine

Yellow lab bailey posed with blue skies and clouds in the background.

We met in 2015 and during the second week of class I returned home with a serious case of RSV. A month later, when we reunited, he flew into my lap and nibbled my cheek as if to say, “Finally, we’re together again!”

 

Our first year was exciting and focused. His energy and love of working became infectious. He approached it all with curiosity and confidence. This is his best trait. The most difficult one to control is his scavenging and I hope his successor is not as intense in this category.

 

He is a great swimmer, doesn’t play fetch, drools profusely waiting for his meals and tolerates our cats with quiet dignity. He loves learning new tricks and learned to roll over, spin and  balance a treat on his nose.

 

Amusing quirks:

  • When he barks, which isn’t often, he scares himself.
  • When exiting a vehicle in a new location he needs a moment to scent the air before moving on.
  • Loves to sleep under my desk
  • Expresses impatience by sighing like a person
  • Walks on the tips of his toes and spreads out his toes when excited.
  • Air licks if he can’t get to your face.

 

The most significant saves while working were clearing us from a dangling wire hanging from the ceiling in an office building and a utility wire laying on a sidewalk. Avoiding e-scooters more than once while crossing a street. Plus numerous traffic checks on the block leading to my former office building .

Annie with pink mask and Bailey close up

Ann and Bailey on bench: Both looking straight on

 

Doggone Good

By Ann                                                                             Chiappetta

 

Good dog

Guide dog

Love what you do

Cool dog

Goofy boy

So much respect for you

 

Yellow dog

Poochie-poo

with a big brown nose

 

Steps out,

Nostrils flared

Catching

Air-scented code.

 

Guide dog

Good dog

There’s so much we do

In you

There is acceptance

loyalty

My moods don’t have you fooled

 

Big dog

Bigger heart

Grateful to be a pair

Stepping out

I want to shout

I trust in your care.

 

Good Dog

Guide dog

My heart is full

Love you

To the moon and back.

Glad to be matched with you.

 

 

As with the retirement of my first dog, Verona, I am posting my call for a new canine partner. My needs have changed over the past ten years yet the drive to be independent has become stronger as I age. I am cognizant the next dog will most likely be the last guide dog for me. Here’s to the next potential partnership and adventure.

 

Situation Wanted

A sixty-something white female who just happens to be blind is seeking a highly motivated working dog. If you are a Labrador retriever and are willing to work with me, please read the job requirements. Only serious applicants need apply.

Males preferred but will consider a female if all other character and personality traits are met.

  1. Height: over 20inches; weight: 75 lbs. Color: no preference.
  2. I am a moderate walker, use a support cane and travel in all modes of transportation. This includes paratransit vans and public buses. I also fly at least once a year and ride passenger trains. I stay in hotels and motels. I visit cities and live in the suburbs. I shop and attend social gatherings and meetings.
  3. My new partner must be experienced in offering a kind and gentle nose to other furry critters including cats and guinea pigs and other dogs as well as children. You will be filling the paws of my current partner, who is retired. He has been an amazing worker, friend, and part of our family for over ten years.

If you have read these requirements and feel that you have the right combination of breed, personality, manners, strength, adaptability, affection, drive, and possess intelligent disobedience skills, and wish to work with a human who will trust and love you the best she can, please send your contact information to Ann Chiappetta, Care of: Guiding Eyes for the Blind 611 Granite springs Road, Yorktown Heights, N.Y.

Yello lab Bailey age 10 laying on his side in the grass in our new back yard enjoying his retirement.

 

 

 

Celebrating National Dog Day 🦮

| Filed under blindness blogging Guide dogs pets and people

For National Dog Day 2023

 

Dog Two

By Ann Chiappetta

 

He is  a sweet yellow fellow

Toasted darker

On ears and tail tip

Gives a nibble and a lick

Golden eyes Better than cash

He comes with a snow nose And personality to match

He’s tall and silly

Works, wags, and licks

So far no one’s gotten ticked

When he sneaks a kiss.

 

Guiding me around

Alert and looking  for sights and scents

On the bus and on the street

Freedom with four feet.

 

Dedicated to  Guiding Eyes Bailey

Yellow lab Bailey lick's Annie's face. She is laughing.Annie and yellow lab Bailey licking her face

 

 

 

Annie Shares News V. 2 I. 8 August 2023 📖

| Filed under blindness blogging Guide dogs

Annie Shares News volume 2 Issue 8 August 2023

Subscribe anniesharesnews+subscribe@groups.io

Web — www.annchiappetta.com

Blog — www.thought-wheel.com

Our time in New York is at an end, we’re moving onto a less urban location in the foothills of Western Pennsylvania.    A modest one level home with a fenced yard for the dogs and plenty of sunny windows for the cats. I’ll be writing in a different studio, meeting new people and collecting new experiences. What could be better? Shh, don’t tell my husband I’ll be traveling a bit more once we are settled. 😉

My guide dog, Bailey, is retiring once we reside in PA and I know it’s the right time. Next year I’ll most likely meet my new guide dog and train at home.

 

Earlier in the month, I was invited  to interview author Leonard tuchyner by good friend and author, Peter Altschul,   who cohosts the In Perspective podcast  with Bob Branco.  Leonard’s new book, Moon Rising: Stories and Poems  is whimsical and expressive, exploring life’s vicissitudes in a unique perspective.

Imperfections, my second novel, has been slated to be released in late spring or early summer of 2024. The audio for my first novel, Hope For the Tarnished is underway. Below is a poem I wrote during  our most recent visit to Pennsylvania. Enjoy it and may August bless you.

 

Doubletree by Hilton

or

Four dinky pillows for the bed

By  Ann Chiappetta

 

I thought the suite would be opulent

The King  bed

A sultan’s  necessity  for sleep

 

An Enviable, blissful transom

 

Whisk Weary  bones   beneath duvet and anticipate the soft

Pillowed  plumpness  cradling my head

My cranium  flattens cotton puff pastries  instead

WTF I say and inspect the offered spread.

I discover Dollar store purchases within

A  pricy three-night stay

 

shall we be complacent?

elect to ignite our  inner Karen  and

shout of the injustice of dinky pillows —

it insults  our guesthood

 

In the prone position

 

these little nothings  make no difference

 

Another thing about these pillows is their identity

Are they feather and down or

microfiber  polypill or some

hybrid of all of the above

I can’t figure out which one or  which combination

They’re like a generic of generic of generic

I’ve taken to putting a sofa cushion behind me instead

I am not Karen and will not stay there again.

Post a thumbs down on YELP while

reclining on a

Too hard king-sized bed

In a too large corner suite

With too many little pillows for sleep.