George and Germaine

Meet Graduate George

Graduate Team:  George and Germaine
About the Team: Germaine, a male black Lab; George’s fifth guide dog
Location: New York, New York
Training: March 2025 On-Campus

George is now retired after a career in theatre as both a performer and administrator. Despite his retirement, he is still drawn to performance and continues to respond to audition calls. George has experience teaching English as a Second Language and Assistive Technology, helping students with visual impairments utilize resources tailored to their needs. George, who is completely blind, experienced severe hearing loss in May 2016 due to an acoustic neuroma in his left ear. This recent hearing loss has increased his reliance on his guide dog and his familiarity with the areas he travels in. He and Germaine continue to make wonderful progress together, exploring more places and traveling greater distances in busy New York City. Living in an area with numerous stores and doctors within walking distance allows George to walk to most of the places he needs to go with Germaine by his side.

How would you describe your guide dog? “The best way to describe Germaine is from the 1972 Elvis Presley song, ‘a hunk of burning love!’ He’s very squirmy and lovely and sweet. During training, our instructor, Shanon, mentioned that he is very responsive. I think that’s true. The other night, we went to a restaurant and he was so beautifully behaved under the table. I love having a dog. I’m a single guy, and as much as I love the guiding that is so necessary for me to get from place to place, I also love the companionship. All of my dogs have each been able to guide me for at least 10 years. That’s a long time of getting to know them and trusting them. Every day with Germaine, the love and trust between us deepens. I’m taking longer routes and experimenting with going in new directions. I’m just thrilled!”

What made you decide to apply for a guide dog from Guiding Eyes?  “Germaine is my 5th guide dog. Starting out, I didn’t know very many guide dog schools or people with guide dogs. Guiding Eyes was nearby, and I did know a few people who had gone there. I felt like it was ideal for me, and I’m glad it worked out. Guiding Eyes has such a warm and friendly environment. I looked at other schools and dogs, but Guiding Eyes stood out as having a great program and being very warm and welcoming without being too formal. It just turned out to be the right fit. One very important thing that makes Guiding Eyes ideal for me is that the dogs they raise and train get exposure to Manhattan. That is crucial for me. And Guiding Eyes seems to produce beautiful dogs – I get so many compliments on them everywhere I go!”

How has having a guide dog impacted your life? “I’m thinking about a time when I did not have a guide dog, which was March 2024 until now. I had been using a cane, which is also a valuable tool, but my brain is always working when walking with a cane. Because of this, I need to go slower, whereas walking with a canine is very fluid and allows me to relax a little more as we go around obstacles. With the cane, you come into contact with objects and the terrain. I’ve always loved having a guide dog. With a cane, it’s Point A to Point B, whereas with a dog, it’s just being out for a walk, and it’s pleasurable and at a faster pace that is natural for me. It’s just great, the peace that comes after working with a dog every single time. One of the reasons I had to wait longer for a dog this time is that I’m a faster walker, at about 3.8 miles per hour. More dogs were available that walked at 3-3.2mph. I was walking at approximately 4 mph a few years ago, and what’s funny is that after all that time of walking with the cane, now I’m having to get used to walking faster again, but I’m getting there.”

Were there any training highlights?  “It was great working with Shanon! I was her only student, and there were 5 people in the class. Usually, there are two students per instructor, but Shanon worked exclusively with me because I also have hearing loss. I very much appreciated that she and the other trainers honored and respected the experiences I had as a previous guide dog handler. They never said I couldn’t do something. They allowed me to determine the things I wanted and needed to do, using my life experiences, and this meant a lot to me.

Meet Guide Dog Germaine

DOB:  9/21/2022
Litter ID: 1G322
Color/Breed:  Black/Labrador
Gender: Male
Brood: Oriana
Stud: Felix TSE
Littermates: Gandalf, Gerry
Region:  Columbus, Cleveland West
Regional Puppy Instructor: Leslie Stephens, Macy Nauman
Puppy Raiser:  Jayashree Y. Bidari, The Trela Family
Facebook: Columbus Puppy Raisers; Ohio Puppy Raisers

Photos of the Team…