Graduate Team: Ashley & Tanner
About the Team: Tanner, a male black lab; Ashley’s second guide dog
Location: Austin, Texas
Training: April 2026, On-Campus
Ashley is a Texas Workforce Development Specialist at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired. She advocates for and educates low-vision and blind students, helping them develop competitive job skills through work experiences in local businesses. Ashley is a newlywed, having married in late 2025. In her free time, she enjoys caring for plants (she’ll take leaves over flowers any day), running – both on the treadmill and outdoors with her husband – and reading. She has read 36 books in the past six months!
How would you describe your guide dog? “Tanner is a lovebug, a cuddler, and a softie at heart. When he has his harness on, though, he is a completely different animal – he means business. He doesn’t stop until we get where we’re going! He is brave and bold, and he loves his job, but at the end of the day, he loves to climb into my lap and snuggle.”
What made you decide to apply for a guide dog from Guiding Eyes? “Back in 2019, when I got my first guide dog, my best friend had a guide dog and highly recommended Guiding Eyes. I applied to three places, but Guiding Eyes stood out to me from the start, once I met Mike and did my first interview. I still do Zoom calls with my first training group! When my first guide dog retired, I knew I had to go back to Guiding Eyes, and that’s where I got Tanner. There was just no other choice! I had the best experience, both times.”
How has having a guide dog impacted your life? “It 100% gave me my freedom and independence back. I lost my vision at 16, and when I had to learn how to use a cane, it was not pretty – and it’s still not! I was very slow. It was just an awful experience, so getting a guide dog and getting to go faster than I could even when I was sighted felt like getting my wings back! I wouldn’t even go back to being sighted, now that I’ve been through all of this, because of how these guide dogs have impacted my life. Plus, the emotional support they provide is unmatched!”
Were there any training highlights? “Yes, definitely! We got to have such close connections with one another, the trainers, the nurses, and even the chefs! The connections made the whole experience feel so special. I told my family that I really wish everybody could experience this once in their lifetime! Our group was so close and always sharing funny stories, and our trainers were so awesome that instead of being like ‘hey guys, we’re working here’, they’d join in on the jokes and train our dogs at the same time, teaching us what to do while laughing with us. They had this very unique gift of making us feel like we were all a family, not just coming to get a dog and leave. They were also good at giving us feedback and getting to the root of any struggles we were having. The training was top-notch. I always felt supported, even when I didn’t think I knew what I was doing. One time when training with Dan, he asked if I’d like to go up a hill, so I agreed, thinking it would be an easy slope up, but it had to be at least a 90-foot hill! He talked me through the whole thing, even when I felt like I had no idea how to work my dog through it. He kept me steady the whole time.”
DOB: 4/29/2024
Litter ID: 4T24
Color/Breed: Black/Labrador Retriever
Gender: Male
Brood: Sandra
Stud: Nigel
Littermates: Texas, Tucker, Tad, Tristan, Trinity, Travis, Tommy, True
Region: Capital NY
Regional Puppy Instructor: Kate Gardner
Puppy Raiser: Sydney Kachmaryk
Facebook: Capital NY Puppy Raisers
Tanner’s greatest strength was keeping me on top of my schedule because he knew it better than I did, and he would let me know when I was running late. We were put in several challenging situations, such as dogs running up to us, and he handled them like a champ, ignoring them. He knew what his job was and wasn’t going to let them distract him. Trips anywhere outdoors were always best with him. He loved being outside and just relaxing in the nice weather. I enjoyed his personality the most. He was a very goofy dog, but he was also really smart, and he knew what he was supposed to be doing and would keep doing his job no matter what. I am very excited that Tanner is graduating and is with someone now. I believe he will be an amazing partner to work with, and he will stay with you through it all. ~ Sydney Kachmaryk
