K-9 LifeSavers

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Today is the anniversary of the first guide dog school in America.

The first formal guide dog program was developed in Pottsdam, Germany, using German Shepherds as guides for veterans blinded by the WWI. Though this program did not last, it caught the attention of an American living in Switzerland, Dorothy Harrison Eustis, who thought that it was a noble profession for which to train her own dogs.

Ms. Eustis wrote an article about the Pottsdam School that appeared in The Saturday Evening Post on November 5, 1927 and it was through this article that Tennessean Morris Frank learned of the guide dog program. Frank, who had lost the use of his eyes in two separate accidents, contacted Eustis with a request to train a dog for him that would allow him a measure of independence.  In return he vowed to teach other people who were blind what he had learned.

Frank traveled to Switzerland for his training with Buddy, a female German shepherd and became the first American to use a guide dog. Frank returned to the stated with $10,000 from Ms. Eustis and established The Seeing Eye, first guide dog school in America, incorporated on January 29, 1929.

Meet Darby.  This lovely lady is friendly and playful and would love to be your helper! Though she's never had the training of a guide dog, she'd love to spend some bonding time with you learning new tricks. If Darby sounds like your perfect partner, let us know!

It's always fun to have a dog with a full bag of tricks to impress the neighbors, and one of the classics is shaking hands. If your K-9 doesn't know this trick, here's how to teach him:

Step 1: With your dog siting before you, hide a treat in your hand, low to the ground.  Encourage your dog to paw at it by saying "shake." Reward your dog with the treat the moment his left paw comes off the ground.

Step 2: Gradually raise the height of your hand, until he is lifting his paw to chest height.

Step 3: Transition to using a hand signal.  Stand up and hold the treat in your left hand, behind your back, and extend your right hand while cuing "shake." When your dog paws your extended hand, support his paw in the air while your reward him with the treat from behind your back.

Step 4: Repeat these steps on the opposite site using "paw" in place of "shake." Or really knock people out by teaching your dog the commands with "right" and "left."

Tips: If your dog is nosing at your hand instead of pawing at it, bop his nose a little bit to discourage this.  He may try barking, nuzzling, or doing nothing.  Be patient and keep encouraging him.  If he does not lift his paw on his own, tap it or barely lift it for him and then reward him.

Remember training should be a positive experience for your dog, so have lots of patience and end on a positive note, even if it means going back to an easy command like "sit."  Practice often with rewards and once your dog had the "aha!" moment, start reducing the number of treats he gets for performing tricks to an occasional reward.

The Tervuren is one of four types of Belgian Shepherds from the Herding Group. The American Kennel Club is the only kennel club in the world that recognizes the Belgian Tervuren, Belgian Groenendael, Belgian Malinois and the Belgian Laekenois as four distinct breeds, as they share a common foundation that is generally only distinguished by their coat types.

The Belgian Tervuren was named after the Belgian village of Tervuren, where rural farmers in the late 1800s had a great need for a general purpose herding and guarding dog. This breed’s protective nature provided security for farm and family, and its instinctive herding abilities helped with daily tending of the flocks.

In the early years of its development, the breed primarily was used to guard, protect and herd. The breed almost became extinct during World Wars, although a small group of dedicated breeders continued preserving and protecting the breed. As the breed grew in popularity after the 1950s campaign of champion Willy de la Garde Noire, it became prized not only for herding but also for its stable, affectionate and loyal personality. Today, they are valued as human companions, therapy dogs and service dogs for the disabled and also excel at obedience, conformation, sledding, schutzhund and agility.

Tervurens are highly energetic and intelligent dogs that excel at dog sports. This breed is known to be loyal to their family and somewhat shy to strangers. They require a strong owner that will serve as a pack leader and provide plenty of exercise and stimulation to avoid the hyperactivity that comes with boredom.

If you’ve ever thought of your dog as a sailor, be careful, he just might be drafted! K9C Sinbad served 11 years of active duty with United States Coast Guard, complete with disciplinary action, promotions and medals!

A mixed breed dog with an unknown birth, Sinbad was found by Chief Boatswain’s Mate “Blackie” Rother who intended to take him as a gift for his girlfriend. The girlfriend’s apartment did not allow dogs, and since Sinbad acted like a sailor: drinking beer and whiskey and demonstrated seamanship, he was enlisted into service in 1937. With his paw print on the enlistment papers, Sinbad has his own Red Cross identification number, service record and bunk aboard the US Coast Guard Cutter George W. Campbell.  

Sinbad rose to the rank of Chief Petty Officer, and when the Campbell was damaged during a tour in the Atlantic, Sinbad was among the "essential crew" left aboard the otherwise evacuated ship to keep it afloat as it was towed to Canada for repair. It was Captain James Hirschfield's belief that nothing could befall the ship if Sinbad remained aboard, which may be why today Sinbad's statue in the mess hall of current "famous class" medium endurance cutter USCGC Campbell.

During his service Sinbad was awarded: American Defense Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-MiddleEastern Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal and Navy Occupation Service Medal.

He retiring on September 21, 1948 and lived out his life at Barnegat Light station in New Jersey where he frequented Kubel's bar and gazed out to sea from the station. Sinbad died on December 30, 1951 and was buried beneath a granite monument at the base of the light station's flagpole