Development and Community Outreach Coordinator Cindy van Winkle and her guide dog Boze
Training with a new guide dog can be an exciting experience, but that doesn’t mean there can’t be a few bumps along the way. Lighthouse Development and Community Outreach Coordinator Cindy Van Winkle recently completed training with her new guide dog Boze in September of 2016. She continues to strive towards building a working relationship with him based on trust.
Cindy and Boze learned how to work together to get on and off buses and ferries, find their way to work, cross busy streets, and walk up and down the steep hills of Seattle. Cindy is not new to having a guide dog, she enjoys the companionship of having someone by her side, Boze is Cindy’s seventh guide dog.
Boze is a long-haired German Shepard. He attended the Gallant Hearts Guide Dog Center in Jackson, Mississippi, one of the few guide dog centers that still accepts German Shepards for training. Although Boze’s first home after training didn’t work out for him, he found himself with a second chance and a new home in Seattle.
Boze was not used to the big city at first. He was hesitant when walking past loud noises like those made by road construction. When Boze guides Cindy down steep hills, he tends to walk down too quickly, but he will learn to set a slower pace over time. A rather vocal guide dog, he will occasionally let out a loud bark; a habit he will also eventually over come. Boze is adjusting well to his new surroundings and is excited for his adventures with Cindy in the big city!
