Guide dog gives new leash on life

It was Good Friday and Rachel Weeks marched along the route in the De Soto Children’s Parade with her group, Sisterhood of the Crown.

She marched in front of a fire truck, which kept its siren blaring the entire parade, making it difficult for even those with perfect hearing.

The 33-year-old Weeks does not have perfect hearing, or sight. Battling Usher syndrome, she has lost most of both to the disease.

On Good Friday, though, Lakewood Ranch’s Weeks participated  in the parade instead of standing on a sidewalk. What would have been a dangerous situation has become manageable. Why?

Weeks has a new dog.

Southeastern Guide Dogs matched Weeks with Plum, a black Labrador retriever who turns 2 on July 11. The parade was one of the duo’s first efforts together, even though Plum officially “graduated” from guide dog training April 21 with a celebration at the Polo Grill & Bar in Lakewood Ranch.

With Plum guiding her at the parade, Weeks freely handled her duties.

“I was throwing out beads,” she said. “Hopefully, I didn’t hit any kids.”

Weeks, a single mother of 8-year-old Hailey, and 10-year-old Audrey, can be lighthearted, at times, about the tough realities of her world. Having Plum gives her a dose of optimism about her future.

“It’s much different now,” Weeks said about having a service dog. “I can walk 10 times faster, and I am more confident in a restaurant. It gives me a huge level of independence. I just walked to Winn-Dixie. I wouldn’t have done that before. It’s incredible what they can do.”

A senior rehabilitation specialist for the Florida Division of Blind Services, Weeks filled out an application with Southeastern Guide Dogs in December 2015. In April 2016, her name made the waiting list.

This month, she began a three-week, intensive training program to match her with Plum.

“First of all, we match people (with service dogs) who have a desire to get out and about in their community,” said Suzy Wilburn, the director of admissions for Southeastern Guide Dogs. “Rachel works full time and has two kids. Children can become guide children. Can you imagine the responsibility? So we look for desire and need.”

Weeks tested with six service dogs before being matched with Plum.

“You take these trial walks to match the dog with your pace,” she said. “I felt an immediate bond with Plum. She already was trying to protect me, and I recognized that.”

Then began the training course — six days a week of intensive bonding at the Southeastern Guide Dogs campus. Weeks learned how to handle Plum and how to deliver 40 commands, including the proper sequence. She learned the nuances of using a service dog’s leash.

“It was a mental process,” she said. “I was fatigued. At times she would go out and she would be wonderful, other times, we were fighting.”

A big turning point came in the third week, when Weeks took Plum on an outing at Lakewood Main Street.

“I have no nighttime vision,” Weeks said. “We went downtown into tight spaces, and the music was playing. You really ask yourself, ‘Do I trust this dog?’ But it went great, and she was just beautiful, even when other dogs were growling at her.”

Weeks said Plum has learned that she can see better during the day and needs more help at night. So at Main Street, Plum stepped up her aid.

Even though the training is over, Weeks said the learning process will continue. Next up for Plum is traveling when Weeks goes on work trips.

Plum already is part of the Weeks family. Plum wakes the children up in the morning, going to their bed, putting her front paws at the top of the bed and licking their faces.

Home life is a bit different for a service dog. Plum relaxes while Weeks watches television or cooks, but continues to be on duty. At least twice a day, Weeks tells Plum to “take a break,” which signals that she has no duties at all.

“It means she gets to be a dog,” Weeks said. “She will run through the house jumping and will grab her toys. That’s her payment.”

Another command, “tie down,” tells Plum she is off duty, but is on a leash connected to a stationary object.

The children have learned to back off a bit if they start to distract Plum too much while she works.

Weeks participates in running events, but she is not supposed to take a service dog more than 6 miles. She will continue to use human guides during her runs and keep Plum in reserve for hikes.

Now that she is using Plum on a regular basis, Weeks said she views service dogs differently. 

“It’s really opened my eyes,” she said. “The biggest thing people don’t understand is how the dogs can be distracted.”

People routinely approach Plum and want to pet her.

“When a service dog is in the harness, it’s hands off,” Weeks said. “I’ve gotten cranky. Yes, she is a cute dog. But she is part of a team. In public, she is working. If she is being distracted, it could put a person in position where they could trip.”

If Weeks has to scold strangers for getting too friendly with her dog, it’s a small price to pay. Weeks thinks more about being in a Publix, and telling Plum to “find the door out.” Then she just follows her.

She also says Plum offers emotional support, which is important for people who can feel they are in a lonely battle.

“I can walk beside my friends and not worry about the ground beneath us,” Weeks said.

Wilburn, who is blind and also has a service dog, said the benefits will go far behind whatever Weeks might expect.

“I can tell you having Carson (her dog) has changed my life. It saved my marriage and it saved me from those stupid thoughts I would have during depression,” she said. “People don’t even look at me now. They look at my dog.”