VOA – CONNECT
EPISODE # 290
AIR DATE: 08 04 2023
TRANSCRIPT
OPEN
((VO/NAT/SOT))
((Topic Banner))
Dogs Helping People
((Ashlyn Cohill
Executive Director, Heeling House))
We train psychiatric, autism and mobility dogs.
((NATS))
Yeah. What brand is this?
((Ashlyn Cohill
Executive Director, Heeling House))
What we, as trainers, are going for and need to see is that the handler is capable of managing the dog and that the dog is able to perform the tasks for their person in a variety of situations.
((Animation Transition))
((Topic Banner))
Raising Ike
((Deborah Wydra
Teacher & Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
The ‘Walk & Talk’ covers my interaction with the dog. There will be exposure to people in retail store.
((Open Animation))
BLOCK A
((PKG)) TRAINING SERVICE DOGS
((TRT: 07:52))
((Topic Banner: Training Service Dogs))
((Producer/Camera/Editor: Jeff Swicord))
((Map: Ashburn, Virginia))
((Main characters: 2 female; 0 male))
((Sub characters: 0 female; 0 male))
((Blurb:
The demand for service dogs to assist people with special needs is growing throughout the U.S. We visit Heeling House, a non-profit organization that trains Psychiatric and mobility dogs for children and some adults.))
((NATS/MUSIC))
Hi, thank you. Thank you so much.
((Jackie Meline
Service Dog Owner))
I’ve been in a wheelchair my whole life. I have cerebral palsy, and then I also have a GI [gastrointestinal] condition that causes me not to be able to digest food.
I’ve lived at home until about a year and a half ago. I definitely wouldn’t be able to live on my own without Nathan.
((NATS))
Get it.
((Jackie Meline
Service Dog Owner))
Nathan is my arms and my legs. He helps me so much when I am out and about and when I am home.
((NATS))
Thank you.
((Jackie Meline
Service Dog Owner))
When I’m home without my caregiver, he really is my caregiver.
I heard about Heeling House maybe a little before the summer of 2019. And we started training together in August of 2020.
((NATS))
((Jackie Meline
Service Dog Owner))
He opens drawers and doors. He can turn off or turn on lights.
((NATS))
Get the light. Good boy.
((Jackie Meline
Service Dog Owner))
He picks up dropped items.
((NATS))
Good boy.
((Jackie Meline
Service Dog Owner))
And also can get me items that I can’t reach on my own.
((MUSIC))
((Jackie Meline
Service Dog Owner))
When you’re training with a service dog, the training kind of never really stops. It’s hard to put into words everything that Nathan and Heeling House has done for me.
((MUSIC/NATS))
So, you didn’t tell him to wait.
((MUSIC/NATS))
Stay.
Yeah, I think I gave you one that one time like, “Is this good enough?” And then…
((Ashlyn Cohill
Executive Director, Heeling House))
I had a dog who had a lot of behavioral problems, and she was kind of a…a problem child. And I loved her so much. I took her to classes and then I decided I was going to learn everything I could. And the program set me up with Kathy, who is the founder of the Heeling House.
And after doing this for like three or four years, I was like, “Hey, can I have a job? I will train dogs, do the service dog stuff.” Yeah. So, helping my dog brought me here to help other people with their dogs.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Ashlyn Cohill
Executive Director, Heeling House))
So, still doing all of our same expectations. So, we’re all going to be waiting at the door when we enter. We are going to have some nice walking.
((Ashlyn Cohill
Executive Director, Heeling House))
The puppies in our program have come to us from breeders throughout the country. They are ranging between ten weeks old and six months old.
((NATS))
((Ashlyn Cohill
Executive Director, Heeling House))
All right, Rob. Two rounds.
((Ashlyn Cohill
Executive Director, Heeling House))
Our puppy raisers are volunteers. They’re not professional trainers or anything. They’ve been training with them as soon as they get home. At minimum, potty training and basic obedience. Lots of socializing. So, even if they are little, we take them on field trips so they can experience the world.
((NATS))
((Ashlyn Cohill
Executive Director, Heeling House))
In the elevator, they do love to swing out and lay in open spaces.
((Ashlyn Cohill
Executive Director, Heeling House))
The mall is a great place that we take our dogs to learn to work through a lot of distractions, different environments.
((NATS))
((Ashlyn Cohill
Executive Director, Heeling House))
All right, let’s see how many of you all we could fit.
((Ashlyn Cohill
Executive Director, Heeling House))
We have different textures. So, like tile floors and carpets. There's things that are dropped on the ground that the dogs need to ignore. There are lots of people around that they need to learn that they can't always say ‘hi’ to, in addition to all the sounds and the noises.
((NATS))
((Ashlyn Cohill
Executive Director, Heeling House))
Same thing. Yes, exactly. It's just the implied.
((Ashlyn Cohill
Executive Director, Heeling House))
It offers us this ability that we can work in those environments and be far enough away that we can work the dog successfully while putting in some controlled challenges.
((NATS))
((Ashlyn Cohill
Executive Director, Heeling House))
All right, cool.
We're going to walk them against this. They should be close. They don't have to be too tight, but we want them to feel comfortable.
Chuck, are you afraid of…you're not afraid of heights?
So, he's like concerned. So, his…he might have a height thing. So, you're going to give him more space against the rail. So right now, forcing him is just going to make him feel kind of worse about it.
((NATS))
((Ashlyn Cohill
Executive Director, Heeling House))
Good job, Bud.
((Ashlyn Cohill
Executive Director, Heeling House))
So, the dog that was afraid of heights, he is about six months old. So, he's on this kind of cusp of a bunch of developmental periods right there.
((NATS))
((Ashlyn Cohill
Executive Director, Heeling House))
All right, Rob. Let me take his leash.
((Ashlyn Cohill
Executive Director, Heeling House))
So, we want him to work through it because he's going to have to learn to deal with situations as a service dog.
((NATS))
((Ashlyn Cohill
Executive Director, Heeling House))
You're going to show the treat to him.
((Ashlyn Cohill
Executive Director, Heeling House))
Giving him something, incentivizing that he can do well, is the best way to approach it.
((NATS))
((Ashlyn Cohill
Executive Director, Heeling House))
He said, no, forget this. Good job, dude.
((Ashlyn Cohill
Executive Director, Heeling House))
We don't teach any task work until the puppies are over 14 months old and they've been placed because we train the task work for the person.
((NATS))
((Ashlyn Cohill
Executive Director, Heeling House))
Good.
((Ashlyn Cohill
Executive Director, Heeling House))
But foundationally, we do try to kind of set them all up. So this way, that translates into task work that they could be doing as a grown up.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Ashlyn Cohill
Executive Director, Heeling House))
Aww, there you go. You’re friendly girl. Hi. Hi, how are you all?
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Ashlyn Cohill
Executive Director, Heeling House))
So, our older dogs right now are about 16 months old. So, they've gone through all of their socialization, their basic obedience training, and they're learning to work with their handlers. The service dogs gonna [going to] go to them. We train psychiatric, autism and mobility dogs.
((NATS))
Yeah. What brand is this?
((Ashlyn Cohill
Executive Director, Heeling House))
What we, as trainers, are going for and need to see is that the handler is capable of managing the dog and that the dog is able to perform the tasks for their person in a variety of situations.
((NATS))
((Ashlyn Cohill
Executive Director, Heeling House))
On the evaluation...
((Ashlyn Cohill
Executive Director, Heeling House))
For our psychiatric and autism task work, there is some overlap. It's kind of dependent on what the person exhibits and then what they need.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Ashlyn Cohill
Executive Director, Heeling House))
It is so satisfying to see the dogs on graduation day with their owners. So, we’ve learned that person and like how their life is impacted on the daily by their disability and then how these dogs come in and just change that for them.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Jackie Meline
Service Dog Owner))
Thank you.
((Jackie Meline
Service Dog Owner))
I definitely would recommend other people with special needs to look into getting a service dog.
((NATS))
((Jackie Meline
Service Dog Owner))
Go through.
((Jackie Meline
Service Dog Owner))
I think for my mental and emotional well-being, I don't even know how much I need Nathan before he came into my life.
He’s made me a more outgoing person. I'm just a lot more confident. We know each other so well and I really feel like we work as a team.
((NATS/MUSIC))
TEASE
((VO/NAT/SOT))
Coming up…
((Topic Banner))
Raising Ike
((Deborah Wydra
Teacher & Dog Raiser, Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
I always hope that my students see that message that, you know, service is a way of life for you.
((NATS))
BREAK ONE
USAGM SHARE
((LogOn Voice Diagnosis Tech (TV/R)
HEADLINE: LogOn: Could Your Voice Help Diagnose Your Next Illness?
TEASER: Technology analyzing thousands of voices may play a role in the future of medicine
BYLINE: Julie Taboh
DATELINE: Washington
PRODUCER: Julie Taboh, Adam Greenbaum
SCRIPT EDITORS: Michelle Quinn, Amy R
TRT: 1:54 & 2:00
[[Voice experts have long known that a person's voice can provide important information about their emotional, physical and mental health. Now a U.S. government-funded project is collecting and analyzing thousands of voices and using artificial intelligence to diagnose illnesses. VOA’s Julie Taboh has more.]]
((Courtesy: Allison Long/USF Health))
((NATS – patient’s voice being tested))
((NARRATOR))
Dr. Yael Bensoussan examines the vocal cords of a patient.
At the University of South Florida Health Voice Center, she treats patients with a range of voice disorders, such as upper airway, voice and swallowing disorders.
And lately, she’s been helping to lead a new project to build a database of 30,000 human voice recordings and train computers to detect diseases through changes in the human voice.
((Radio track: She spoke with VOA via Skype.))
((Dr. Yael Bensoussan, Voice Specialist)) ((SKYPE))
Not only to build that data, but also to develop the guidelines on how to share that data, how to collect that data, and also how to use that data for future AI [artificial intelligence] research. ((Courtesy: Weill Cornell Medicine))
((NARRATOR))
She works with a team of 45 investigators across 12 different universities in North America as well as a startup in Europe. ((NATS - Parkinson’s voice demo, Text on graphic: "Parkinson's disease"))
They study voice samples to help them detect illnesses like Parkinson’s disease…
((NATS - Glottic cancer voice demo, Text on graphic: "Glottic cancer"))
((NARRATOR))
cancer…
((NATS - Vocal fold paralysis demo, Text on graphic: "Vocal Fold Paralysis"))
((NARRATOR))
And voice disorders such as vocal fold paralysis…
The team also studies mood disorders such as depression and anxiety.
((Dr. Yael Bensoussan, Voice Specialist)) ((SKYPE))
So when somebody is depressed, sad, has anxiety, of course their speech changes.
((NARRATOR))
((Courtesy: NIH))
The study is one of four data-generation projects funded by the National Institutes of Health's Bridge to Artificial Intelligence program, designed to use AI to tackle complex biomedical challenges.
((Dr. Yael Bensoussan, Voice Specialist)) ((SKYPE))
They realized that there was such a big gap between the technology that we had available, and the clinical knowledge, and what we use in clinical care in our hospitals.
((NARRATOR))
And doing it while maintaining participants’ privacy.
[[Radio track: Grace Peng is one of the coordinators of the National Institutes of Health’s Bridge2AI program. She spoke with VOA via Zoom.]]
((Grace Peng, National Institutes of Health)) ((Zoom))
We want to think about the ethics associated with collecting people's voices. And how do we keep it private? ((NARRATOR))
((Courtesy: NIH))
The study will start enrolling participants in the coming year. ((Julie Taboh, VOA News, Washington))
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK B
((PKG)) RAISING IKE, THE SERVICE COMPANION
((TRT: 14:40))
((Topic Banner: Raising Ike, The Service Companion))
((Producer: Faiza Elmasry))
((Camera/Editor: Lisa Vohra))
((Map: Oakton, Virginia))
((Main characters: 1 female; 0 male))
((Sub characters: 1 female, 1 male))
((Blurb:
We spend some time with Deborah Wydra, who has been raising service dogs since she was in high school. Find out what it entails to get their current puppy, Ike, ready to enter phase 1 of his formal training, and the bond that she and her husband have cultivated with Ike.))
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Deborah Wydra
Teacher & Dog Raiser, Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
Hello there, sir. How are you?
I'm Deb Wydra, and I teach English at Chantilly High School, and I'm also a puppy raiser for Guiding Eyes for the Blind.
Our job as raisers is to start with them in about three months old, somewhere in that area, and gradually increase the time and duration that we expose that puppy to really intense experiences in society. So, that's why coming into a school, which is what I do with my puppies, can be really intense. That's a lot of dynamic. It's a lot of people in a small space. It's a lot of noise. It's fire drills. It's just all of the things that create a great list of experiences for a guide dog that will need to go out someday and not be rattled by an emergency vehicle going by or someone touching them or someone stepping on them. So, they learn all of that as they go through that year of training.
((NATS))
((Deborah Wydra
Teacher & Dog Raiser, Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
He will be chewing loudly because he’s a little nervous. There’s a lot of people in here. He knows you’re here and he’s just saying, “Okay, well I’m just going to try to work out my stress by chewing aggressively on a yak cheese thing.”
((Deborah Wydra
Teacher & Dog Raiser, Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
The students really love when I bring Ike in. Ike does bring an element of calm to the room, sometimes a little bit of fun. Many times, I will say, they don't even know he's there. He's next to me. He's very quiet. All the dogs I raise, they’re usually very quiet. They can lie down for the whole school day, which is what they'll probably do with a guide dog user someday. They'll just go to work and they'll be under a desk and it'll be very quiet for most of the day.
((NATS))
((Deborah Wydra
Teacher & Dog Raiser, Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
I’m answering these questions.
((Deborah Wydra
Teacher & Dog Raiser, Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
Sometimes, for students, it’s a struggle having a dog in the classroom. So I have to remind them, he’s basically a service dog and you can’t touch him, just as you wouldn’t touch a real guide dog out working, because it breaks their concentration and it can cause some trouble for them. So what we want to do is honor their space and remember that they are a service dog and they’re working and your job is to just let them be.
((NATS))
((Deborah Wydra
Teacher & Dog Raiser, Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
As we travel through our day, I will take Ike out when I have my lunch break, and that’ll be pretty good for him. He has to get used to being in a place for about six to seven hours before he takes a break, just as he’ll do when he is working with an actual person who needs a guide dog.
I always hope that my students see that message that, you know, service is a way of life for you.
((NATS))
((Student))
I think it’s really cool how Ms. Wydra trains service dogs. She’s giving back to the community in a really nice way and I think that’s really admirable of her.
((NATS))
((Deborah Wydra
Teacher & Dog Raiser, Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
You’re such a movie star.
((Deborah Wydra
Teacher & Dog Raiser, Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
I grew up around dogs and spent a lot of time with dogs and we would take them backpacking. They came everywhere with us. And when I was in school in California, one of my classmate’s mother was blind. And that got me interested in the world of service dogs and the service dog I introduced to her. And she didn't realize that service dogs are free. And right after that, she got her first guide dog. And I realized what an amazing feat of independence having one of these dogs is.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Deborah Wydra
Teacher & Dog Raiser, Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
Ike, get busy.
((Deborah Wydra
Teacher & Dog Raiser, Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
These are examples of some of the dogs that we’ve raised and, of course, Farrow, who’s up here, she decided that being a guide dog was not as, really not her thing, and she prefers instead to live here with us. Sometimes dogs will have medical concerns and it would just be too costly for someone who is blind or visually impaired to take care of that dog. There’s no way you can possibly keep making VET [veterinarian] visits and doing things that are time intensive.
((NATS)
((Deborah Wydra
Teacher & Dog Raiser, Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
You are trying to steal treats. That’s not lady like.
((Deborah Wydra
Teacher & Dog Raiser, Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
I found out about Guiding Eyes for the Blind when I was working with Guide Dogs for the Blind, and I remember the folks at Guide Dogs for the Blind saying, “If you ever go to the East Coast, you have to check out Guiding Eyes for the Blind, that they're another really reputable service dog agency and nonprofit. So we moved here and years later, when I was considering this as a great hobby for my children, I said, “Oh, I've heard of this wonderful organization, Guiding Eyes for the Blind. Let's go ahead and look for their website and we’ll look up and see what we need to do to raise a puppy.” And sure enough, found their
((Courtesy: Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
Website, and applied, and went through all of the training, and got our first puppy.
((MUSIC))
((Deborah Wydra
Teacher & Dog Raiser, Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
While Guiding Eyes puppies are going through their training, we do train them how to be polite in kennels. Ike actually has never barked in the kennel. He's very quiet, and the expectation is while he's here in the kennel, that he's lying down. We do not open the door until he is lying down and behaving and quiet, and then we will open the door and let him out.
((NATS)
((Paul Wydra
Deborah’s Husband & Dog Raiser))
Free.
((Deborah Wydra
Teacher & Dog Raiser, Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
So, I’m going to start cooking and unfortunately, Ike will come over and get very interested in what I’m doing. And there is a lot of hot stuff over here. So, I'm going to have to go place.
“Ike, go place.”
And this is a skill he’ll need to learn and improve on as he gets off of the step here.
And this is a skill that a guide dog user will use pretty frequently. Now, he is not great at it here in the kitchen. He will nail it every time at class. So, everybody thinks Ike is the best at this and actually he's not. So, we're really, really working with him. So, one of the techniques that Guiding Eyes found works really well is to intermittently give him treats while he's behaving here. And every once in a while, I'll come over to him, and say, “Yes.” And he knows, “Oh, I think he’s doing something good here by staying in place.”
My husband has always been like 100 percent behind this.
((NATS))
((Paul Wydra
Deborah’s Husband & Dog Raiser))
Up.
I got into raising guide dogs because of my wonderful wife. Never occurred to me to do it. And then she's like, “Hey, I did it when I was a kid.” And I was like, “Hey, it sounds like fun. Let's give it a try.” And seven dogs later, here I am.
((Paul Wydra
Deborah’s Husband & Dog Raiser))
One of the things I love about him is, he's very cuddly. He's also one of the best behaved dogs that we've ever had. So, just as an example, “Ike, heel.” That's literally perfect. Like that's the definition of how he's supposed to do that command. When there are people around, he sometimes gets excited and it's a little bit more of a struggle, but…uh, uh, uh, come on, Ike. This way, good boy. Sit…nice.
How long the dog can guide sometimes depends on how stressful it is. So a dog, maybe in New York City, can’t guide as long as a dog that’s living in Vermont.
((NATS))
((Paul Wydra
Deborah’s Husband & Dog Raiser))
Free.
((Deborah Wydra
Teacher & Dog Raiser, Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
Guiding Eyes has found that the dogs best suited are Labrador Retrievers and German Shepherds. So, those are the two breeds that they work with primarily.
They seem to have that ability
((Courtesy: Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
((Deborah Wydra
Teacher & Dog Raiser, Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
to people please, to love, to have the stamina to go out and work, and they love to work. That's really what they live for.
So, they seem to make the best guides. They're good size. They're easy to care for in the home.
((Courtesy: Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
((Deborah Wydra
Teacher & Dog Raiser, Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
It helps people stay social. And they also do provide a lot of protection that's needed. People who use guide dogs tell wonderful stories about, “Yeah, I was getting ready to go into the elevator and my dog wouldn't lead me into the elevator and, you know, I was puzzled.
And then I heard someone behind me say, “Please stop. There's no elevator there. It's an open shaft. Don't go forward.” So, you know, that's just one example of how
((Courtesy: Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
((Deborah Wydra
Teacher & Dog Raiser, Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
guide dogs will protect their user. They will body block in traffic. They will just do these amazing things to make sure that they keep their person safe.
((NATS/MUSIC))
TEASE
((VO/NAT))
((Banner))
More to come after the break…
BREAK TWO
USAGM
((LogOn Underwater Drones (TV, R)
HEADLINE: LogOn: Underwater Drones Take Off Like Those in the Air
TEASER: The discovery of the Endurance shipwreck in Antarctic waters this year has encouraged hobbyists to take up underwater drones
BYLINE: Genia Dulot
VIDEOGRAPHER: Genia Dulot
PRODUCER: Genia Dulot
SCRIPT EDITORS: Michelle Quinn
TRT: 2:01
[[As they overcome the challenges of operating in water, underwater drones are becoming more available for hobbyists, researchers and public agencies. Genia Dulot reports.)) ((NARRATION))
Jesuit Robotics, a high school robotics team from Sacramento, California, has been designing remotely operated vehicles, or ROVs, for more than a decade.
[[For Radio: Charlie Diaz, a member of the Jesuit Robotics team]]
((Charlie Diaz, Jesuit Robotics))
We developed the grippers ourselves, the cameras, our modularly adjustable buoyancy systems.
((BROLL: Shots of Jesuit Robotics team))
((NARRATION))
Jesuit Robotics recently exhibited its underwater drone at a competition in Long Beach, California. Called the Manatee, this underwater drone can map shipwrecks or work on environmental projects.
((Charlie Diaz, Jesuit Robotics))
We have our custom AI detection software. … Our bottom gripper helps us to restore seagrass beds.
((NARRATION))
((Courtesy: FALKLANDS MARITIME HERITAGE TRUST, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC / AFP))
Entrancing many, the recent discovery by ROV of the Endurance, which sank in Antarctic waters in 1915. That effort cost an estimated $10 million.
ROVs have been slow to take off among hobbyists, however. Several startup companies are making design changes and adding technology to make drones work better underwater and reduce costs.
Blue Robotics, a Los Angeles firm, works on waterproofing underwater drone parts such as the thruster, which propels the ROV in the right direction, and has added various sensors measuring temperature, pressure and depth.
[[For Radio: Rustom Jehangir is founder and CEO of Blue Robotics]]
((Rustom Jehangir, CEO Blue Robotics))
Instead of trying to protect the motor from the water, why don’t we make a waterproof motor? That’s really the innovation here.
((Courtesy: Blue Robotics))
((NARRATION))
These new underwater drones cannot go to the deep sea, but they are being used in conditions unsafe for human divers, and by hobbyists, says Fritz Stahr, an ocean technology expert.
[[For Radio: Fritz Stahr, a judge at the competition, and chief technology officer at Open Ocean Robotics, a marine technology firm.]]
((Fritz Stahr, Ocean Tech Expert))
The ability for everybody or more people to be that explorer, to be that person who understands what’s going on in their local environment, is really important.
((NARRATION))
Unlike aerial drones, technology has yet to solve the problem of underwater communications. For now, these drones are controlled by a tether.
((Genia Dulot for VOA News, Los Angeles))
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK C
((PKG)) RAISING IKE, THE SERVICE COMPANION contd.
((NATS))
So, she is fully up to date on everything.
((Deborah Wydra
Teacher & Dog Raiser, Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
So today, we are here getting Ike’s last vaccine. When we do our VET [veterinarian] visits, we actually have a whole list of things that we have to go through from the time we get the puppy, sometimes at about three months. Ike joined us when he was almost a year.
((VET Doctor))
As far as I can see, things look okay.
((Deborah Wydra
Teacher & Dog Raiser, Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
We’re hoping Ike makes it.
((VET Doctor))
Yeah.
((Deborah Wydra
Teacher & Dog Raiser, Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
Right Ike? A lot just riding on you right now.
((VET Doctor))
All of our hopes and dreams, Ike.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Jennifer Bartolotta
Regional Instructor, Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
Our puppy, Ike, is doing his ‘Walk and Talk’, which is basically an evaluation to see where he is in the program at this point, and if there's anything that we need to continue to help him with. He's getting very close to going back to Guiding Eyes for his formal harness training. So, this is just checking out where he is at this point in our program.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Deborah Wydra
Teacher & Dog Raiser, Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
There will be exposure to people in a retail store.
((NATS))
Very strange dog.
Ike, let’s go.
((Deborah Wydra
Teacher & Dog Raiser, Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
The ‘Walk and Talk’ covers my interaction with the dog.
((NATS))
((Jennifer Bartolotta
Regional Instructor, Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
I would work on seeing if you can get him to be a little more fluid rather than making that hesitation and stopping.
Guiding Eyes graduates about 150 guide dogs teams every year. And we have about 450 puppies on puppy program, working toward becoming guide dog.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Deborah Wydra
Teacher & Dog Raiser, Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
We’re all here for you, sweetie.
((Jennifer Bartolotta
Regional Instructor, Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
With body handling, the guide dogs are always going to be touched a lot. As, you know, the graduates are working with them, and wanting to get a hold of them, and get their harness on and things like that. So, we want the dogs to be very comfortable with VET exams and any kind of body handling.
((NATS))
((Paul Wydra
Deborah’s Husband & Dog Raiser))
Nice job!
((Paul Wydra
Deborah’s Husband & Dog Raiser))
We practice it probably, for me, at least not maybe daily but definitely weekly, that sort of procedure. But then daily, we’re definitely snuggling with him and doing other things.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Deborah Wydra
Teacher & Dog Raiser, Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
You’re so nice and gentle with him.
What’s so good about this is, of course, Paul and I don’t have younger children at home. So, Ike is able to have exposure to smaller humans. And the point of having him greet smaller children is, so that he can learn to behave and become accustomed to humans of all ages and sizes.
((NATS))
((Jennifer Bartolotta
Regional Instructor, Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
I think Ike is ready to go and continue on his journey to become a guide dog. And he will go back to New York now and he will have his ‘In for Training’ Test [further testing of temperament and ability].
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Deborah Wydra
Teacher & Dog Raiser, Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
Is it raining out there? Did you check up in the room and make sure we had everything?
((Paul Wydra
Deborah’s Husband & Dog Raiser))
I think we have everything.
((Deborah Wydra
Teacher & Dog Raiser, Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
Okay.
Going to college is what I refer to that time when he's going to leave me a puppy raiser, not a professional trainer at all.
So today, we are driving a van up to Guiding Eyes. My husband is cleared to drive the van, so we’re driving a big van up I-95 [Interstate 95] that says Guiding Eyes for the Blind on the side. What we’ll be doing is dropping Ike and another puppy off at the training center.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Deborah Wydra
Teacher & Dog Raiser, Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
You ready to get busy one more time?
Today’s his last day, so we’ll be saying goodbye to him when we drop him off at Guiding Eyes.
That’s a good boy.
It is a very, very emotional experience, and you know that this animal you've spent so much time with is going to do something really great for another person. So yeah, sorry about that. Get emotional.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Deborah Wydra
Teacher & Dog Raiser, Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
This is always an exciting day when we load up the van and watch the dogs go up. Of course we’re happy that we get to go up with Ike, and be with him on his journey, and then turn him over when we get to Guiding Eyes.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Paul Wydra
Deborah’s Husband & Dog Raiser))
It’s kind of a game of tetris, putting all of our stuff in and making sure the puppies are situated. All the activity keeps us from thinking about the fact that we’re, this is our last day with Ike. ((NATS/MUSIC))
((Deborah Wydra
Teacher & Dog Raiser, Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
This is Ike’s little montage.
Oh, my gosh! That looks so cute. That’s beautiful. What do you think Katie? Is he going to do it?
((Katie
Regional Instructor, Guiding Eyes for the Blind))
Yeah, I think so. I think he is.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Deborah Wydra and Paul Wydra))
Ready? I’m ready. Let’s go. It’s an adventure.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Text on screen))
Ike passed phase 1 (of 3) of his ‘In for Training' Test to become a Guide Dog.
He is now in phase 2: Harness Training.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((PKG)) NATURE: DAIRY FARM
((TRT: 02:00))
((Topic Banner: Nature: Dairy Farm))
((Camera/Editor: Jeff Swicord))
((Text on screen:
Dairy cows enjoying grazing,
playing with farmer, being milked.))
CLOSING BUMPER ((ANIM))
voanews.com/connect
BREAK THREE
USAGM SHARE
((LogOn: Space Camera (TV, R)
HEADLINE: LogOn: Giant Camera Focuses on the Invisible
TEASER: Camera will document the universe for 10 years, gathering data for dark energy and dark matter research
BYLINE: Matt Dibble
VIDEOGRAPHER: Matt Dibble
PRODUCER: Matt Dibble
SCRIPT EDITORS: Michelle Quinn, Reifenrath
TRT: 1:55
[[In California, a camera the size of a car is being prepared for its mission: documenting unseen phenomena in the universe. Matt Dibble has the story.]]
((Courtesy: SLAC))
((NARRATOR))
At the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in Menlo Park, California
((Courtesy: SLAC))
((NARRATOR))
engineers are building the world’s largest digital camera. The LSST camera, as it’s called,
((Courtesy: Rubin Observatory/NSF/AURA))
((NARRATOR))
will be installed at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in southern Chile to record images of the night sky over a ten-year period.
((Courtesy: Rubin Observatory/NSF/AURA))
((NARRATOR))
By observing a wide swath of the universe over time, researchers expect to gain insight into some of science’s biggest questions.
[[For Radio: PhD student Theo Schutt is running final tests on the camera.]]
((Theo Schutt, Stanford University Ph.D Student))
How old is the universe, how fast is it expanding, why is it expanding?
So we're really like going for the 95% of the universe that we basically don't understand at all.
((Courtesy: NASA))
((NARRATOR))
Scientists theorize that 95% of the universe is made up of dark energy and dark matter, which can’t be seen directly.
((Courtesy: SLAC))
((NARRATOR))
However, the effect that dark energy has on its surroundings can potentially be detected if observed over time.
[[For Radio: ...says astrophysicist Aaron Roodman, who leads the camera project.]]
((Aaron Roodman, Rubin Observatory Deputy Director))
We can study it by looking at galaxies, ((Courtesy: NASA)) studying how the light from distant galaxies has been bent by all the matter between us and the distant galaxy.
((Courtesy: Rubin Observatory/NSF/AURA/ Todd Mason Productions))
((NARRATOR))
The camera will record on most nights, essentially compiling a time-lapse movie.
((NARRATOR))
Each image will be made up of about 3 billion pixels, ((Courtesy: Rubin Observatory/NSF/AURA)) about 300 times the size of a smartphone image. ((end courtesy))
((NARRATOR)) ((Mandatory CG: SLAC))
Funded by the US government, the project will share images ((Courtesy: Rubin Observatory/NSF/AURA))
with international researchers, directing attention to short-lived phenomena as they happen.
((Aaron Roodman, Rubin Observatory Deputy Director))
Within two minutes, we will compare ((Courtesy: NASA))
the objects we see in it — the stars, galaxies, asteroids ((end courtesy)) — with how they previously appeared in prior images. And we will flag any differences.
((NARRATOR))
Researchers are eagerly expecting the unexpected.
((Matt Dibble for VOA News, Menlo Park, California))
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
SHOW ENDS
