Christina: [00:00:00] Welcome to the Taking the Lead podcast where we empower people to be unstoppable. I'm Christina Hepner with my co-host, Leslie Hoskins and Timothy Kyo. I cannot believe this year is flying by so fast. I just, I say I feel like I say that all the time, but. I think that's how we start every podcast. Yeah.
It's just the years keep going and we just stay the same age. Yes. You know,
Timothy: it gets quicker and quicker the older you get. So I'm just warning you that, Christina. Okay.
Leslie: All right. I think that saying the days are long, but the years are short. Right. Like just really hits 'em. Yeah. Especially with the kids right now and how fast everything is going.
But the days are like exhausting, but then I'm like, oh my God, it's happening so fast. So yeah.
Christina: What has everybody been up to this summer?
Timothy: Well, for me, I went to the Cedarville Lions Club, uh, car show there in, uh, Freeport, Illinois. And then, uh, I got back from the, uh, leader dog summer visit with all the Lions clubs up there.
So having a great time Yeah. Than like usual.
Leslie: You [00:01:00] just don't slow down. No, you're all over it.
Timothy: I don't want to slow down. I, I want more. I want more.
Leslie: That's awesome. That's fantastic. And thank you for doing all that.
Christina: I know I, well, I have been training for a marathon. The first marathon I just decided, you know, let's just run a marathon.
Why not?
Leslie: I've training Christina and I had a whole conversation the other day about how she just jumps into things without even like thinking or prepping or planning. She's just all
Christina: in on
Leslie: everything. Yeah, and I love
Christina: it. I think it's great. I did start the training plan with enough time to train for the marathon.
Very proud of it. It wasn't like, oh, next weekend is a marathon. Okay. And then we are raising a future leader dog. Future leader Dog Graham. Oh, cool. GRAM. Short for Instagram, you know, marketing. There's six of us, mostly the marketing department, and then our CEOs administrator, who is the lead raiser, and then a member of philanthropy as well.
So. We're doing that group razing model, the corporate model.
Alan: Mm-Hmm.
Christina: And he [00:02:00] is a black golden lab mix. So he's black and fluffy and so cute. The cutest little thing. Wow. So excited. I only am getting him a couple times in August, so. It's hard not to get him as much as I want.
Leslie: This would be an example of one of those things of jumping in maybe a little too fast.
We were celebrating Christina's, uh, birthday. We were having lunch with everybody and just chatting, and then somebody showed us a picture of the puppies that were literally just across the way at the Can Development Center. It was like we saw a picture. Next thing I know Christina's co racing with like six different people.
Um, but Totally. He's so, so cute and it'll be so great for the marketing team. Yeah. You guys already are having so much fun.
Christina: Well, and he's getting exposure. I have two dogs. Mm-Hmm. Somebody else has a dog. Somebody else has two cats. Another person has a cat. So, so many different animals that this dog will get used to and will hopefully be.
A great leader [00:03:00] dog one think. I think so.
Timothy: We need to throw a parrot in there.
Christina: Oh yeah. Not
Timothy: by me. I Birds are not my jam.
Leslie: No, I got two. I got two dogs of my own. So yeah, I just was worried. We have to puppy proof our office and if I'm being honest, it is mostly my items all over the office. It needs to be puppy proof, so I gotta work on that.
But. It's been fine so far. Um, let's see, what am I doing? My, I, I'm all in on kids stuff right now. I've got a 7-year-old and a 5-year-old and they're doing flag football and cheerleading and kindergarten and second grade, and we are just in a little bit of survival mode, but it's been fantastic and, uh, feeling really lucky.
So. The
Christina: fun years where they start to get involved in all their activities and oh my gosh, it doesn't stop.
Leslie: No. And they just are learning so much and their personalities are just shining through and they're just, they're kind and they're healthy and just feeling very lucky these days. Aww. Yeah. Oh, that's good.
Yeah. That's good. Very fortunate, so yes. Uh, well, okay. Well we gotta jump right into it guys. We don't have [00:04:00] time to just keep chatting away about our busy lives and how time is just going so fast, which we will say again at the next episode. So be ready for that. But today's guest is a long time leader dog graduate, who has had six dogs throughout the years.
Christina: Yes. Alan Spalding is a leader dog client who first came to Leader Dog during our 50th anniversary back in 1986. And like Leslie said, he has had a total of six leader dogs.
Timothy: Alan, welcome to the podcast. It's fabulous that you're here. Can you tell us what it was like the first time you went, the leader dog?
What was the facilities like and how the changes over the past years?
Alan: Okay. When I came, I. Like she said, they were celebrating your fifth anniversary, but I was in the old building before you built the new facility we have today. So we had to share rooms with people and we had to go up and down stairways when we went to park.
And so we got to line up with everybody and make sure we didn't step on tails and all [00:05:00] that kind of fun stuff. But I, my most nervous thing when I first got my first dog was, um. I, I was afraid I wouldn't remember his name, so, you know, like feel you or whatever. And so anyway, I, uh, uh, the trainer ha that would train my dog happened to come to video me before I went and, uh.
He asked me a bunch of questions and I cried when he gave me the dog's name, George, because that was my brother-in-law's name, and that was, we were real close. Oh my gosh. So I couldn't remember. I, we didn't have to worry about not remembering my dog's name, so I, I heard later. Uh, in years sometimes they changed the dog's names and he had been gone for a couple months, so I don't know if he changed his names or not.
Christina: Aw, so you first came during our [00:06:00] 50th anniversary, I was told that you guys received a special harness that year and you still have it. Could you tell us a little bit about that harness you have?
Alan: Well, uh, first thing, it doesn't have a leather handle. It's a metal handle. And then, uh, it's a little bit small.
Uh, it's not as wide as what we get now, and the harness still looks quite the same, but we don't get to snap it. We had to, we had to buckle it every time we put it on and took it off. And I love the new way we're doing it now, but I still have it and I'll be sure that you guys get it when I don't want it anymore.
Christina: Yes. And so, I mean, you've had six dogs from us. So you have been with Leader Dog through years and years of transition in change. What was it like for you from getting your first leader dog to getting your second, what was that transition like and was it, you know, had things changed by then [00:07:00] already?
Alan: No, we were still in the old building.
When I went to get my second dog, I wasn't nervous about, I kind of chose the wrong time of weather. It was cold. It was, you were doing your Thanksgiving meal at that time, so it was kind of about your last class for the year and uh, uh, uh, a lot of days we couldn't go out because of, uh, ice and snow and, uh, and my dog's name was, uh.
That dog's name was Noah. And I called my mama and said, oh, mom, you won't believe what my dog's name is. My dog's name is Moses. And I got this yell from the office. When did you change the name?
And then I realized I said the wrong Bible character.
Uh, but it, it was, it was fun. It was fun getting Noah. But the [00:08:00] problem was I've only had him for about a month. Oh. Or two. He had gotten, had done a severe seizure. Oh wow. And I told, I called my vet each time he had one. Then when he had a real severe one, he wanted to call the see your, uh, veterinarian. Yeah.
And find out what procedures or what we needed to do. Then your veterinarian called me in a couple days after the vet had talked to him and, uh, rescheduled me to get my third dog.
Timothy: So you've had six dogs, Alan. So every time you gone back to get another dog, you start becoming a veteran. Does everything stay the same, or are you getting easier with getting a new dog every time you go back, oh, I'm old school.
I've done this so many times, this has nothing. Or is it right back to square one again? When you get another dog,
Alan: I. Well, you're always a little concerned. 'cause sometimes they'll, they'll do a thing or two, maybe a little different in their style of training and you, you had to, [00:09:00] uh, learn to do the new way.
But, uh, no, overall it wasn't a problem for me. I, I, I always tried to maintain my training once I got home, so I was always kind of on cue. Um. But each dog you have to learn a little bit. 'cause each personalities of the dogs are different. And that's part of one of the fun things about it is, oh, what's the personality after you've had one?
One. The next question you're always wondering instead of getting nervous is, oh, what's the personality? Go be life with this dog. Because it's like having new children, right? Every time you have a child, they're not the same. You know what works for one child, don't work for the other one, you know?
Leslie: Absolutely. So with all of those dogs and all the different names and everything, what would you say was the most complex or complicated part of having so many dogs? Is it the not remembering which dog you're working [00:10:00] with and the names, or as time went on different techniques or strategies?
Alan: Different techniques and strategies.
Yeah, because uh, when I got gauge, that's the one I have now. Okay. My chocolate lab, uh, a lot of changing was happened with the training and, uh, and so he was more almost like, uh. And my trainer was real good. Mm-Hmm. But it was almost like getting a new car and all the switches were reversed. That's the best my way, best way to explain it to the normal people.
Leslie: So now throughout the years, did you mostly come on campus for training or did you receive in-home or kind of what have you gone through and what are the pros and cons?
Alan: Okay. Most of the time I came to the school, but then, uh, when I got to Cy, that one was a girl. My first girl, I had all boys before. Mm.
They delivered it [00:11:00] because my mom, I was living with my mom and she was in, she was nine two and I was her primary caregiver. Mm-Hmm. It was kind of inconvenient to, uh, leave her at that age. Sure. And that's what I did. I had them deliver. And they offered that to me. I didn't even know it was available. She says, well, the caseworker, she says, well, why about delivering?
I said, oh, that would work great. So that's what we did. And then when Thirsty came, she blew me away because the thing that got me about her is her face, her eyes looked like she was wearing MAs care. And I thought that was funny, being a girl, dog.
Leslie: That is cute. Yeah. And home delivery. That's exactly why we have it.
There are so many scenarios where people can't come to our campus for three weeks. That's a huge commitment and a lot of people do have responsibilities of being a caretaker or work responsibilities, so that in-home delivery option is a wonderful option, especially for those scenarios. So [00:12:00] tell us, throughout these years, what are some of the most unique places you have traveled with your dogs?
Alan: Well, uh, okay. Uh, George, my first dog, we flew to Colorado and, uh, we went to a, a group called Adapt and seeing how they had built housing for people with disabilities. And then also that was the year I was working on getting a bail passed because I had seen your bail that you got passed for, to protect your service guide dogs in, in your state.
I got one passed, so we got to be on the news and all that good stuff. And then one of the funny things about George was he had a lot personality and when we'd walking in the mall doing health fairs and uh, we walked past some kids and George was moving me over to my left. Because they were in the way, and just as we came up to him, they coming up to him, they met into the [00:13:00] area he was taking me to, and so he had to move me back over on the other side, which was the right side.
But the funny part was just. Just as he passed them, he didn't let out this big sigh, like he was kind of yelling at him. That is funny. And then one of his other funny was we were at the State House in Indiana listening to legislators and that they, we were in with a group called Partners and Policymaking.
That's all over in each state. Each state has their own version of it. Uh. Decided to let him speak and he spoke and after a while everybody was beginning to get bored. You could sense it in the room and George let off this big sigh and the legislator says, when, oh wow, when the dogs get bored, it's time to quit.
So that was my, that's some of George's funny.
Christina: Yes, I would love to hear that. So you just [00:14:00] told us some of those funny moments. Do you have any favorite memories with any of your guide dogs?
Alan: Uh, one of 'em was, uh, with, uh, shadow my yellow lab. He, uh, we got the fly to Washington DC We was supposed to have a chance to have a banquet with the president, which was Carter at Clinton at that time.
But, uh, my person that scheduled my flight didn't get me there soon enough, so I didn't get to do that. But, uh. Uh, and then, uh, shadow was, uh, he was in the state house with the governor's office too, to watch another bill passed. So we got a couple bills passed in Indiana.
Timothy: So with 30 plus years with guide dogs, what have big, some of your biggest challenges is having a guide dog.
Alan: Uh, probably your biggest fun that I find is traveling, especially, and you know this by flying and stuff [00:15:00] that, uh, I learned from a. A user from another school to always take, uh, extra, uh, personal items, uh, and pack them in a carry on bag. And that way you'd be sure to have your dog food and everything and extra underwear if you need them so that you're not into a fix.
That was one thing I discovered about having guide dogs. And then I always, uh. Carried, uh, maybe more than the days I was gonna be there. I'll carry maybe a couple other days just in case the weather or something would come up so that I could still take care of my dog during that time.
Timothy: It's always about the dog, isn't it?
Leslie: Listen, those are great life hacks. I've been without my suitcase before at a conference, and it was terrible. So packing extra items in your carry on is a great idea for you and the dog.
Alan: Yep, that's right. I think so. It was a, a lady user [00:16:00] that told me that, and I thought, oh, that's a good idea.
Leslie: That is too funny.
So what's the plan now? What are you up to these days? What are you and your current guide dog out there doing? Tell us a little bit about it.
Alan: Okay. Well, we're going to be, uh, uh, I'm, uh, on a board. Again. I, I'm always on boards and, uh, he, uh, does real well. And, uh, it's a, uh. It's a board for a group called Open Door.
It's a medical, uh, facility and so I'm on the board of that. We're doing that, and then I, uh, of course walk around with him here and stuff and do everything. I'm not quite as active as I used to be, but I'm not quite as young as I.
Oh, what Engage does is he marks or growls anytime somebody comes in, if he's never met 'em before. [00:17:00] And, uh, none of my dogs had done that before, but I was told that you're training them now to be more aware of the environment. And he does do that. So I just tell him, okay, thank you. And he'll quit. No big deal.
It's just, he's just giving me an alert that new, a new face came in the building. So we're having a lot of good times together and uh, when the trainer was trying to get my ID picture here at home, I didn't know it. And she says, Alan, I gotta take your picture again 'cause you're laughing. And she showed it to me later and.
He was licking my face. Aw.
Leslie: Those are the best photos. I love those ones when we get to go through client photos and some of 'em, you get the really good action shot. The dog's tongue just really get into his face and they're laughing. Or sometimes the dogs make the kookiest faces. It's, I mean, they are hilarious.
One of the best things that we put out every year is kind of that calendar. Yes. With all the different leader dogs on it. I know it's. Terrible 'cause we can't fit all of them. Um, but looking at [00:18:00] some of those photos, you can definitely see these dogs' personalities shine through and it is so much fun.
Alan: Yeah, that's one of the fun things about getting a new dog, is wondering about the new personality.
Leslie: Yeah, absolutely. So, real quick, give us a rundown. Start from the beginning. The first dog was George. And then give us the, the six names.
Alan: Okay. There's George. Then there's shadow. And I always thought that was weird.
'cause he was yelling, I thought he should been black. My first dog was, George was black, by the way. Okay. And then there was, Noah was second and he was black. And then Ccy was, uh, no, gage was next. Uh, G uh. Charlie, Charlie. Charlie was there. Charlie, I'm forgetting my dog's name already. Charlie Char Charlie and uh, he was a black lab and then I got Cy and she was a yellow lab and now I got Gage my chocolate.
I asked for a chocolate one this time. [00:19:00] Really? Now I said I'm getting up in years, so I don't know how many more dogs I'll be getting, but I said if possible. I didn't wanna put you guys in a box. If possible, get me a a chocolate lab so I can say I've had all three colors.
Leslie: That's wonderful. Yeah. And you are lucky 'cause we really don't get a whole lot of chocolate labs, so I, I know that's, that's pretty crazy.
Yeah. The fact that that worked out and they found a dog, uh, a chocolate lab that was a match for you. That's, that's pretty impressive. So one quick question here. Did you always have a dog? Like have you always been working with a dog and got this accessor dog or have there been times there where you do have to go back and rely on the cane in between?
Alan: Yeah, sometimes I had to use a cane, but actually I didn't know that I was legally blind. Tell this 40.
Leslie: Oh wow.
Alan: Two. So with that in mind, part of the reason was the, uh, standards of legal [00:20:00] blindness wasn't. Available until about 1973. And then when I had to close one of my, uh, Christian bookstore, I had to go to the, uh, I went to rehab and uh, that's when I found out I was legally blind.
But when I was 17, my doctor said, someday you may go blind. 'cause the standard wasn't there yet, or he would've diagnosed me. And he said, you may go by. So I was already making a decision at 17. Wow. That I wanted a guide dog if I ever needed it. And so, and then I found out about later dog, and I was real excited about that.
So.
Timothy: Well, Alan, can I ask you what causes your blindness as a disease or?
Alan: I was a preemie and, uh, I have what they call tunnel vision. It's like down, looking down a tube of toilet paper or something. Mm-Hmm. So I have no, I have no peripheral, and I, oh, every one of my dogs have kept me from getting hit. By a car at least once.
Wow. And, uh, [00:21:00] shadow my one, he really protected me. We were walking across the street, but this road that we were on crossing. It's real short, and when the car turns on it, it doesn't have much room to stop because it's just a short road. And we were already halfway over when this truck was coming down and he was trying to slow down and stop.
So my dog started to take me around to go up on the curve of the sidewalk on the other side. And, uh, the truck stopped and he stepped straight up on this curve, and I happened to take a peek with what site I do have, and I was about only two inches from the truck.
Leslie: Wow. That's crazy. These dogs, I mean, we keep hearing these stories again and again from leader dog users and guide dog users in general, just how much they do, right?
Yeah. We talk about their training and so many things, but they go home and they, they just really do so much [00:22:00] more so. Happy to hear that each one of your leader dogs has kept you safe throughout the years and that you gage are out there still working successfully. And, and we wanna thank you, Alan, today for joining us and sharing about your story.
Alan: Well, thank you you guys, for letting me be part of the broadcast system. And one other thing is with Gage. I think he's already sensed that I have no peripheral because we was walking through a door at the doctor's office and he wouldn't go through. And I said to the nurse, why the, when he go through the door and she said, there's a, uh, water cooler right close to the edge of the door.
And he, he had sent, I decided later that he had sent. Because I didn't see it. Mm-Hmm. And he had sensed that. So I called my trainer and she told me how to handle that in.
Leslie: That's wonderful. Yeah. They, they pick up on their people and they know what they need. So that's fantastic. And you always have the support of our Guide Dog mobility [00:23:00] instructors in those scenarios when you want a little, you know, feedback or instruction.
So that's great.
Alan: Now, I noticed you asked me one question on the sheet and that one of the things that I did share is that advantages of coming to the building is you get to meet. Students from other parts of the world that has dogs. And so you always meet new friends, but then the advantage of having it at home, it seems like you got more of a one-to-one training.
So that, that was the difference in the two and I wanted to point that out.
Leslie: Yeah, absolutely. Definitely pros and cons to both, um, formats of training, so that's wonderful. Thank you so much, Alan. We genuinely appreciate your time and we look forward to keeping up with you and all the things that you're doing.
Alan: Okay.
Leslie: All right. And thank you so much for listening to the Taking the Lead podcast. I'm Leslie Hoskins with host Timothy Kyo and Christina Hepner. We hope you enjoyed learning about a, his advocacy efforts and all of his wonderful leader dogs. Please join us next time as we continue to [00:24:00] dive into the world of blindness.
Christina: And if you'd like to learn more about applying to our free services at Leader Dog, you can head to leader dog.org or call us at (888) 777-5332. Don't forget, you can reach us at taking the lead@leaderdog.org with any questions or ideas. If you like today's podcast, make sure to hit subscribe and check us out wherever podcast Stream.