December 13, 2021

More Than Meets the Eye – Kids, Cameras, and Questions about Guide Dogs

Students from the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (CHAW) capture Hogan in action as he safely guides Pat across the street to the park.

Thanks for stopping in to sniff out our second blog post. Hogan and I are getting ready to send a few more tales your way.

In the meantime, we hope you and your furry family members are enjoying the holiday season. Pups certainly bring out big smiles this time of year, but be sure to keep an eye on the sneaky ones. You never know who’s planning on opening their gifts early or has been eyeing that Christmas turkey!

In my blog bio, I mentioned that kids often have some of the best questions about guide dogs. Just a few days after posting that, I ran into a group of young students who were super interested in Hogan and wanted to know every single detail about how he helps me.

It was late October, and Hogan was leading me on our daily Capitol Hill walk. Since we’re teleworking these days, Hogan needs frequent walks around the neighborhood to get some exercise and brush up on his guide dog skills. He’s a quick fella so these jaunts are pretty lively. Hogan zooms to Eastern Market, swings by the Metro, and circles around Marion Park, dropping by our friends’ houses along the way. I imagine him woofing to me in his happy-go-lucky way on these walks. Stuff like, “Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, I love this guide dog gig,” and, “Might as well visit the park while we’re out and see if any of my buddies are around.”

On this cool and beautiful evening, we turned down a lane on 6th Street SE, making a hard right for home. A few steps down the sidewalk, I hear kiddos in front of us calling out, “Can we take pictures of your dog? Could you please stop?” Hogan and I are both big fans of children, so we were happy to oblige. I gave a hardy yes to my new friends and Hogan seemed to agree, woofing like, “yeah, two paws up. If there’s pics or a party, I’m game.”

Hogan happily bounced up and down as the camera shutters clicked around us. Turns out, we had stumbled upon a kids’ photography class from the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop. (CHAW is a fantastic community center where people of all ages and backgrounds come together to take classes and share their artistic skills).

The students were on a photo walk led by their dedicated teacher, Olivia. They spotted Hogan and were determined to catch up with us. The mission proved successful when my sudden turn home brought Hogan and I face-to-face, or should we say snout-to-face, with the eager group.

Since we had time to pose for the puparazzi, Olivia introduced me to her enthusiastic students. There were five of them, ranging from ages 8 to 10: Bea, Zach, Alana, Lauren, and Emma. The wide-eyed photographers were especially curious about Hogan, but they were also excited to talk to me. Our younger friends really have a way of getting right to the heart of matters, and they certainly don’t hesitate to call it like it is.

The impromptu session lasted about five minutes. Between the camera clicks, I answered some on-the-fly questions like, “Why is he helping you?” and, “How long have you been together?” Hogan and I tried to keep up with all the questions, but it was obvious that the group wanted to talk more. They invited me to visit a future CHAW class, and we agreed to meet again soon.

Returning home, I ran into my neighbor Mike, who wanted to know if everything was alright. Seeing my confusion at his concern, Mike went on to explain that he saw us being followed by a group of kids. It seems the class had spotted Hogan earlier in our walk and were tailing us for a few blocks before we met. Mike witnessed the pursuit on his way home.

Two weeks later, I happily accepted an offer to stop by their Monday evening class. The students greeted Hogan like a returning hero and had lots of questions for both of us. We took a walk around the neighborhood so they could see Hogan in action and then spent about an hour in the classroom chatting about guide dogs and photography.

Out of the gate came a great question from Emma. During our walk, Emma almost skipped beside us to keep up with the fast-paced Hogan. As we scooted down the sidewalk, Emma asked, “Do people ever think of you as just being blind, you know, like that blind guy?”

Hogan shows the kids how he can focus for a command.

I considered for a moment and replied, “Yes, I think they do.” She responded, “Yeah, I understand and that bothers me. There’s so much more to you than that. We shouldn’t think of people that way, it’s not right.”

I smiled and Emma continued, “Yeah, I think of you as this friendly guy with a really cool dog.”

How awesome is that? A puptastic question right off the bat.

Below are a few of my other favorites from the class, along with the responses.

Q: What does Hogan do for you?
A: Hogan is my eyes. I’m blind, and he sees for me. He helps me get around with things like walking down the street, finding doors, and guiding me to the office. He’s a special dog.

This usually leads people to ask about the extent of my blindness. My new pals were no exception.

Q: How much can you see?
A: Well, I don’t see much (I cover my eyes to demonstrate). Hogan helps me get around and keeps me safe. He’s a great friend.

Q: What is the thing on his back?
A: Hogan is like Superman and this is his cape (I lift up his harness). With this, Hogan gets me everywhere. Without it, he’s a dog.

The students were interested in me putting Hogan to work and snapped pictures of harness time, showcasing the superdog at work. Once off duty, I let the crew take turns holding his harness and leash.

Q: Since Hogan is special, can he go anywhere?
A: Yes. We do it all: cars, ubers, Metro, airplanes, and trains. Guide dogs are allowed everywhere you go.

Q: Do guide dogs and police dogs have similar jobs?
A: The training can be very similar. The difference is that Hogan helps me travel and cross streets, things like that. After all, he’s a superhero. I do think guide dogs and police pups have a bond. When I walk by dogs working security at the Capitol, Hogan will often wag his tail in salute. The police pups will return the greeting by giving him a quick bark. Those dogs have a very special job too.

Q: What’s your job and does Hogan help out?
A: I work for the Election Assistance Commission. We help people vote. Hogan certainly assists me around the office. He likes to try to grab my coworker’s lunch sometimes though. He’s got big fans at the office.

Q: How did you get around before you had a dog?
A: I used a cane, but it took me a while to feel comfortable with it. I didn’t want to look different. Now, I realize that having Hogan or using a cane is a different thing that’s pretty cool.

Q: Were you afraid before you had Hogan?
A: Sure, sometimes it was scary getting around before I had a guide dog. Hogan here gives me a partner to share in the fun.

Everybody wanted to take a picture of Hogan while he got a treat. This is a guide dog reward for putting on the harness and heading back to work.

I could almost hear Hogan pipe up with, “No problem Pat, I’ve got you covered.”

Q: Does Hogan help you with chores and getting around the house?
A: When I walk in the front door, Hogan’s super cape harness comes off. He doesn’t guide me around the house but often stays right by my side. He likes to get pets and snuggles, as well as have me toss his rubber ball down the hall.

Q: Do you recognize people by their voices?
A: I do. I don’t see faces, so I listen to voices to identify people. Sometimes it takes me a little time to get this right. (Note to self: a few of the CHAW students tested me on the spot about the voice thing. I did my best but need to brush up before the next pup-quiz).

Q: Did you name Hogan?
A: Nah, Hogan’s guide dog school, Guiding Eyes for the Blind, named him. It’s important in the training for the dogs to know their names from the start. You can change the name to something close to it though.

This obviously had to be tested.

Q: If you wanted to change his name, could you have said his name is Hugo?
A: Sure, why not? Hogan loves his name, but maybe we’ll have a chat about a nickname.

Q: How did you lose your sight and what happened?
A: I’ve been blind since birth. It’s just something that popped up called Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis. Let’s say LCA.

Then, yet another thoughtful follow-up from the crew:

“You have Hogan now, so it’s okay.”

I smiled and thought of Hogan/Hugo sleeping comfortably with his head on my foot.

The questions came on so rapidly that I sometimes didn’t even catch who had asked what. It’s truly amazing how quickly the kids warmed up to me and Hogan and how perceptive their thoughts were. And we didn’t just talk about me, I also heard a bit about their family pets and got to know the kiddos themselves.

Alana was especially proud of her pups and shared with her classmates some of the differences between pets and guide dogs. She has some special furry friends.

Bea really liked asking about Hogan’s job. She wanted to know all about the extensive training that a guide dog requires and how he keeps me safe.

Lauren was a little unsure of petting Hogan (he can be a little energetic when not in his harness). By the middle of the session though, she was offering great questions and bonding with Hogan in her own way.

Hogan is the center of attention for a group of talented photographers. The pup wants to know, “Does anyone have some treats?”

As the class neared its end, I removed Hogan’s harness for a few minutes. The kids gathered around while Hogan rolled onto his back to get some belly rubs. I explained that it’s important we don’t pet dogs while they are working. When there’s no harness, it’s okay to ask if you can pet someone’s guide dog. Quick PSA: To our blog readers, please don’t pet a dog who is working. It’s best for keeping the pup and owner safe.

I walked straight home that evening and reviewed all their great questions, more than 35 in total. I loved hanging with the kids. Their enthusiasm was beyond amazing, and I had a really fun time talking with them.

Hogan enjoyed the Q&A session too. Ever since, he’s been trotting around the house, proudly reminding me of a spot-on comment from Zach. After seeing Hogan working and asking a few questions, Zach had turned to his classmates and announced, “that’s the greatest dog ever.” Kids really do get to the good stuff.

I’d like to extend a big thank you to the awesome CHAW photography class and their talented teacher, Olivia. We had a great time and learned a lot. Hogan and I are pulling for everyone to stay safe while dealing with these COVID challenges. We look forward to seeing you around the Hill.

For now, this is your neighborhood “friendly guy and really cool dog” hoping your holidays are furry and bright. Please check back in January for future posts. Thanks for stopping by.