Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-09-26

W
compare with
the change
that comes
over a blind Mn r'cAN"
mans face when he discovers.
through a dog. that he can move
about and become a normal hui
man being again.
II ought 10 give Detroiters a
marked feeling Of pride TO know
that Detroit is in the forefront
of this movement 10 furnish
guide dogs. This is fairly new,
having come about in the last
FIVE years and less.
G. r. Mckee dropped In nj
fhe Times office yesterday with
Glenn Staines and three blind
people for whom Staines has
trained guide dogs.
Staines IL n Detroit druggist
whose Notwithstanding Dober-
nan dogs at his kennels In
Wal Oak. Five years ago an
Evansville man, a salesman for
Westinghouse. asked Staines To
train n guide dog for him.
Staines already was familiar
with training Dobermans for
police work. and the dog he
trained for the Evansville man
took 10 guide work readily. Two
more followed - all three of
these cases, nv the way. came
Staines' way because the blind
people were past middle age and
had been unable, because Of
their age. To get dogs from other
organizations.
That was the beginning Of
what now is known as the Path
Finder Project. Staines has
trained and distributed more
than so dogs. and they are in
use in FIVE states. He charges
$500. considerably less than
other groups charge.
The three blind people who
came Ia the office with StaInes
were Glenn Pothof of Muske-
gon. Ruth Barnhardt of West
Milton. O.. and Dorothy Satch-
field ~ Flint. Their dogs. Rhea.
Lady and Becky. caused some-
thing Of n sensation In the office
because they were so docIle and
friendly. I dare say that a third
of the stan stopped 10 pet
Becky, the sentimentalist Of the
three.
Young Pothoff was a piano
tuner al Muskegon. but the war
put IN end 10 that work. He
has a blind mother and blind
sister To support, and having his
dog Rhea was their salvation.
He still supports his family. now
doing il by door-to-door selling.
These dogs constantly surprise
their masters. They all have
run into unexpected things-wet
paint on porches, fresh cement.
puddles. Little things like this
cannot he anticipated The dogs
simply take these things rs they
come. and figure out the answer.
Becky. for example, tests out
puddle and II n IL not too deep,
or too wide. steps across and
stops to let her mistress know
how far To step In order 10 keep
her feet dry.
Staines told me that he Is
fully convinced that .Dobermans
make the best guide dogs. al
though. Of course. he admits
that other breeds are able.
"Dobermans," he said. "arent
nervous. The harder the prob
lem. the tighter the crisis. the
calmer they get. They are not
afraid 81 anything. Being afraid
L. what makes a dog do things
wrong-it's only q frightened
dog that bites"
BY way OF self-assurance he
cites one Of his dogs now owned
BY a woman in her 40's, who
with the dog TO guide her. made
n trip 10 Chicago. She went To
q hotel. registered. went 10 her
room. got up next day and had
breakfast in the coffee shop.
went 10 the Merchandise Mart
IN see" a radio program go on
the air. then went back TO her
hotel on the elevated. She was
a stranger in Chicago. and never
had seen or been on an elevated
train in her life. but the dog
got her through safely, crossing
Michigan boulevard and State
and Wabash streets, besides,
49, Staines' dogs get their traffic
training by going up and down
Woodward avenue with blind
trainers. and perhaps you have
seen them.
All are pedigreed dogs. but
ynost have some slight flaw