Graduate Team: Melissa and Glenn
About the Team: Glenn, a male black lab; Melissa’s 3rd guide dog
Location: Medford, Massachusetts
Training: December 2025 Home Training
Melissa earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in community healthcare, which sparked her long-term commitment to volunteering at Massachusetts General Hospital. In the warmer spring and summer months, she plays beep baseball and blind cricket. She also enjoys reading, walking, watching TV, and being in nature, especially near the water. Melissa and her guide dog, Glenn, share a home with her soulmate, Joe, and his Guiding Eyes guide dog, Echo. They share close ties with their families, even though their relatives are spread out across the country. Melissa also values spending time with her friends.
How would you describe your guide dog? “Glenn at first seems a mix of curious, cautious, and playful. When he is playing outside in the backyard, his favorite toy is a rubber football, and I joke that he could be a wide receiver because I throw the football and he runs long for it. He was initially careful or uncertain, but the more comfortable he gets, the more he comes out of his shell and plays. He engages, not just with me, but with friends and family, and it’s rewarding to see the adjustment. Workwise, he is doing well, and as we keep working, I think our confidence in each other is growing, and for me, it is also getting easier to read him.”
What made you decide to apply for a guide dog from Guiding Eyes? “I’ve had two good dogs from Guiding Eyes, Karo and Harkin, and it was a no-brainer to reapply again for another dog when I was ready to pursue that.”
How has having a guide dog impacted your life? “It contributes to confidence and traveling, whether in my own neighborhood or other communities, as we navigate both indoor and outdoor settings. It gives me more confidence and a different sense of safety because there’s something unique about navigating the world with a dog.”
Were there any training highlights? “Home training was a different experience from being at the Training School with other students training at the same time. With Glenn being a new dog, there’s a new mix of anxiety and excitement going into training with him, because each dog is so different from the others. Training with Kathy, one thing that stuck out was the day it was snowing while we walked, and it had snowed the day before, too. Glenn gave me confidence in that moment, in how he could handle it because it wasn’t a big deal for him, despite the curbs being hidden. There weren’t any hiccups, and I thought it was a good sign since it’s the middle of winter. It was a confidence booster for us as a new team, seeing how he would handle situations like that going forward. I remember thinking we are going to be ok, whatever our New England weather brings us.”
DOB: 9/17/2023
Litter ID: 4G323
Color/Breed: Black/Labrador Retriever
Gender: Male
Brood: Polo
Stud: Ralphie
Littermates: Ginny, General, Gambler
Region: Delmarva
Regional Puppy Instructor: Cindy Tait
Puppy Raiser: Madi McCloskey, Ronni Brucato, Megha Talanayar
Facebook: Delmarva Puppy Raisers
Glenn is a smart, goofy boy who aims to please. Throughout raising, he impressed us with his improvements as he got older. Through his love of benebones and rope toys he continued to improve his skills relating to becoming a working dog and learning commands, handling challenges while letting his personality shine. Raising taught us how to help Glenn gain confidence, learn about the world fostering his drive. Raising him taught us perseverance as he helped us learn how best to support him as he got older. A message we have to the guide dog team is we hope you both enjoy all the goofy little moments Glenn is sure to have and his eagerness to do great work! ~ Megha Talanayar
