At Thursday's meeting, Smith told how she and 24 other blind students spent three weeks of training, with and without their dogs. Before they received their dogs they were told the dog's name and how old it was. The personality of the dog and blind person are also a factor in the selection process. Vivian Smith said her daughter's and Brinkley's personalities are very much alike.

In Rochester the students were trained a couple of days without the dogs. They were taught how to use the harness, how to hold it and what commands to give. When they first received the dogs, they only had them for two hours. Once the dogs and students got to know each other, they spent all their time together. The dogs also stayed in the rooms with the students.

The training center was located outside of Rochester. As part of the training, students would go into Rochester to learn how to get around in a town. They went to Detroit to learn how to maneuver with their dog in a city, and also took the dogs to the mall.

As a sort of final exam, a "mystery tour" was planned at the end of the training. Students and their dogs were put into pairs, taken into Rochester, and told to find their way back to the training center. Smith smiled and told the group she was lucky, her partner had some sight, so it didn't take them long to get back.

Since she has been home, there have been some adjustments, but for the most part, Smith and Brinkley are doing just fine together. They are getting ready to attend college at William Woods University in Fulton. Also, they will talk to other Lions clubs about her experiences with Brinkley.

This article first appeared in Saturday, July 20, 1996 edition of The Mexico Ledger, Mexico Missouri

Photographs are from the Leader Dog UPDATE, Vol. 3, Issue 11 - Summer 1996.