December 22, 2024 • 28 mins
On this episode of the Seeing Eye Dogs Show Harriet is joined by Seeing Eye Dogs handler Katy Beaton. Katy is matched with Golden Retriever Seeing Eye Dog Bowie and is going to share her story including her interesting PhD, archery, and her life and partnership with Bowie.
If you’re blind or have low vision and are interested in dog guide mobility, our friendly team is happy to chat with you about becoming a handler. You can email us at info@sed.org.au or call 1800 037 773 to chat about dog guide mobility, eligibility or assessment. Please note the team will be on holiday break from December 20, 2024 returning on January 6, 2025 ready to chat.
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Episode Transcript
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S1 (00:10):
On Vision Australia radio. You're listening to the Seeing Eye
dog show. With me, your host, Harriet Moffatt. On this episode,
I'm going to be joined by singer handler Katie Beaton.
Katie is matched with Golden Retriever seeing eye dog Bowie
and is going to share her story, including about her
interesting PhD archery hobby and her life and partnership with Bowie.
If you're blind or have low vision and are interested
(00:33):
in dog guide mobility, our friendly team are happy to
chat with you about becoming a handler. You can email
us at info at Sidorenko or call on 1800 037 773 to
chat about dog guide, mobility eligibility or assessment. And now
here's my interview with Katie. I hope you enjoy. Hi Katie,
(01:00):
thank you for joining me on the show today. Lovely
to be here. Could you please start off by introducing yourself.
S2 (01:05):
Hi, I'm Katie, I live in Melbourne. I'm 40 with
a PhD. I am also a legally blind archer, which
is a lot of fun because I shoot at things
I can't see. Also looking for work so that would
be good if I could find something that's a bit
more stable than contract and casual. Yeah, I think that's
about it. It's me and Beau and the cat.
S1 (01:25):
I have a lot of questions on archery and how
you got into that, and also what your PhD is
on with archery.
S2 (01:33):
Waverly City Archers had a commentary day for people who
are blind and vision impaired who might be interested in archery.
They have a couple of lovely people there who are
blind archers, and they basically told us how to do it.
There's some adaptive tech involved, and we do need a
sighted person as a spotter. But yeah, it's a lot
of fun.
S1 (01:54):
And the PhD. What is your PhD in?
S2 (01:58):
I have a doctorate in Doctor Who.
S1 (02:00):
So you're a doctor of Doctor Who? Yeah, that.
S2 (02:03):
That was the plan from the start. It's looking at
fans of Doctor Who, how we develop and express our
identity as a fan, and I did it as a
creative thesis where part of it is your standard, very
dry academic chapters, and then the other half is a
TV Bible, where I've got episode breakdowns of all of
(02:27):
my characters doing the things that fans do over the
course of a year. And it's like this research A
is over here and B is over here, and then
A influences B, but B influences A, and it all
mixes up into a lovely methodology.
S1 (02:40):
So you said you're looking for work. Are you looking
for Doctor Who related work?
S2 (02:45):
I will take anything. I don't think anyone wants me
in a kitchen, though.
S1 (02:50):
Is that because you burn things or.
S2 (02:53):
I think I think it might be something to do
with the dog in the kitchen. Okay, that.
S1 (02:58):
Does make sense. And you can bring your dog to archery.
I'm guessing you can bring bow to archery.
S2 (03:03):
Bow Bo does come to archery. I have a crate
for him that I keep behind the line. He was
so happy the first time I put that up for
him because he was like, great, I have got shade,
I've got my food and water, I've got a toy.
Wake me when you need me.
S1 (03:19):
I'll be on standby here resting and looking. Chill about
it whilst you have to work hard.
S2 (03:27):
Yeah, he had absolutely no interest in getting up, which
is really funny because one time I did try axe
throwing and he tried to chase the axe. I did
have him in a sit and a hold on the
collar just in case. And it was just a I
don't trust him to know that this is not a
Chase thing.
S1 (03:45):
If you've ever done any form of throwing a Kong
or that type of thing, what's the difference? He doesn't
know that the axe is inherently more dangerous.
S2 (03:53):
Exactly. And he was good. He didn't actually fully get
up to chase it. It was just this little. Uh oh. Okay.
S1 (04:03):
Just a just a dog kind of temporarily being a dog. Yes.
S2 (04:08):
I mean, he didn't even get a step. He barely
broke the sit, but he really wanted to chase it.
So could you.
S1 (04:16):
Please introduce, um, bow? And how long have you been
working together?
S2 (04:20):
So bow has actually got a few names. Technically, his
name is Tambo, and I said, that's great. I'm going
to name him Bowie. And he gets everything from Mr.
Bojangles to Tambourine Man. Um, generally it's bow or bow bow.
He is a golden retriever. I've had him just over
(04:40):
a year now. He is coming up on three, although
I don't think he knows that he's meant to be.
Growing up, he is still very much a puppy. He
is the biggest sook I have ever found. He likes
to come up to just put his head on my
knee and it's like, I don't want anything. I'm just.
(05:01):
I'm saying hello. Thank you for the pat. I'm going
away now.
S1 (05:05):
Almost like a check in. He's like, I'm just. I
just want to see that we're okay and you're okay.
And now I can go and do my own thing.
S2 (05:12):
Yep. And he does the same thing at the dog park,
which I will say is something that I did teach
and reinforce where because it is a fenced park, I
do feel safe letting him free run. Yeah, but I
lose track of him very quickly. So if I call him,
he'll come back. But he'll also, every few minutes come
back and just. Yep. Still here. Mum.
S1 (05:33):
What made you decide to apply for seeing Eye Dog?
S2 (05:35):
I've had four dogs now and when I had my second,
I was also injured in a completely unrelated thing. It
was not my dog's fault, but it left me with
a permanent injury, which means I now have to walk
with a forearm crutch. So I've got the dog on
the left, the crutch on the right, and when I
was trying to do the cane and crutch, which go
(05:57):
in different directions, think, rub your tummy, pat your head. Yes,
but also listen to the traffic and make sure that
a car is not coming too quick around a corner
when you try to step off a curb.
S1 (06:09):
Yeah, because it's like very different angles too, right? Like one,
you know, your crutch I'm guessing, is quite vertical, whereas
your cane is more in front of you too. So
it's like.
S2 (06:17):
Yep, it's basically ones going vertical and the others horizontal.
Or at least that's how I think of it in
my head. I did try that for a little while
when my third dog was unable to continue, but I
really could not do it. I became housebound very quickly
because I wanted to live, and I ended up applying
(06:41):
for my beautiful seeing eye dog because I wanted to
get out of the house without support workers as my
only option.
S1 (06:50):
The dog handle is very different to the crutch in
the movement.
S2 (06:54):
So basically with the forearm crutch and the white cane,
I was having to actively focus on two movements, whereas
with the forearm crutch and my seeing eye dog, I
can actively focus on one and passively focus on the other.
My dog takes the load for me, and instead of
finding things by running into them and then moving around them,
(07:15):
we just move around them.
S1 (07:17):
Not only do you feel kind of safer, but it's
probably a bit more relaxed or less stressful. Don't get
home and as tired.
S2 (07:25):
It's a lot less stressful. And it's also when I
do have to stop and start, say, at a curb.
I don't have to find the rhythm again because it's
just there. And yeah, I am definitely coming home a
lot more relaxed. And I do have a little bit
of vision left, and I was really coming home with
lots of eye strain, lots of headaches because I was
trying to focus on not getting hit by cars, not
(07:48):
running into things, not falling over stuff. Whereas with my dog,
that's not a problem.
S1 (07:52):
How would you say that your life has changed since
being partnered with? I've written Bowie in my questions, but
I feel like I want to choose like a different
name each time. So I might go with Mr. Bojangles
this time.
S2 (08:02):
I also go with Mr. Golden Paws quite a lot
because that's his Instagram.
S1 (08:06):
As an influencer too, which is important, you know.
S2 (08:09):
Mhm. He just met Santa. He's getting a lot of
things for Christmas because he is on the nice list.
Oh yeah. He has basically given me my life back.
And I don't say that lightly because as someone who
has been visually impaired since birth, this was not a
problem until I had the additional injury. I could get
(08:30):
around with a cane or a dog if I chose.
It was easier with a dog, but I could do
it with a cane. That option has been removed from
for me now. And yeah, he's let me get back outside.
S1 (08:44):
Just having some freedom. And like you said, you know
there are support workers and stuff, but that's just not
the same, especially if you've kind of grown up actually
using the tools that you've used.
S2 (08:53):
Yeah, I had the nickname of Little Miss Independent. I
also always had the motto of, oh, you've said that
I can't watch me.
S1 (09:01):
Were you one of those kids who's, like, two? And, like,
running with a cane, like hooning about incredibly quickly.
S2 (09:07):
I actually did not get a cane until I was 16.
Mix of the 80s and 90s because it was. No.
You've got a little bit of vision. Use it. I
had a lot of bruises. Mum did her best. But again,
Little Miss Independent here. Yeah. So that was a lot
of fun. And it was I think I can't see
what the problem is so let's just go for it.
S1 (09:28):
I'm sure it impacted a lot of how you are
now with your dealing with challenges of like losing your
additional ability to use a cane, I guess.
S2 (09:37):
Um, yeah, that took a few years and a lot
of therapy to come to terms with, but we got
there and that is something that therapy is very good for.
S1 (09:48):
So for anyone out there that's having a hard time,
look into those professional supports and get some help.
S2 (09:54):
Yeah. And it's also if the first person you don't
click with keep looking, there will be someone out there
that will help.
S1 (10:00):
It's worth the wait, isn't it? A little bit like
with the dogs, you know. There's a precise match for everyone.
First person in your local area. Same as the dogs.
If we paid you to, you know, five other dogs,
they might not quite match the same way. Mhm.
S2 (10:16):
And I've had a dog who was not a great
match for me. Having the right match is fantastic and a.
Yeah I cannot stress how wonderful it is to have
the right match.
S1 (10:27):
Looking at Bowie being your perfect match, what are your
favorite things about him?
S2 (10:33):
This has nothing to do with the quality of his work,
which is impeccable. But after he has a bath, he
is a fluffy cloud and I love that.
S1 (10:42):
Is he creating additional clouds for you? Is my question.
S2 (10:46):
Actually, he does not shed a lot. It's amazing. Um,
being a golden retriever, he does blow coat like twice
a year. But yeah, the daily grooming, I get basically
nothing of him. Um, the most I really have to
do is this time of year. He seems to like
rolling in grass when he has the opportunity, which, uh,
(11:09):
attracts all of the burrs, which I then have to
comb out.
S1 (11:13):
Although maybe he's just doing that so that he gets
like the kind of, you know, attention, grooming, um, grooming time.
S2 (11:20):
I mean, you might be right, because one of the
things he does get, in addition to just the standard
brushing is paw balm, something to rub in to protect
their paws. It's not something he needs, but it's something
he likes. When I was with Guide Dogs, Vic and
Justin was there, he was the one who was doing
(11:41):
the matching and I said, Justin, I want a blonde female.
He calls me up a little bit later and says, yep,
I've got the dog for you. It's a black male.
S3 (11:52):
Yeah. Well.
S2 (11:53):
Um, all right, I'll see how we go. And sure enough,
he had the perfect match and move over to Cedar.
And Justin has as well. And I say, Justin, I
want anything other than a golden retriever. And he calls
me up and it's, I've got the perfect dog for you.
(12:14):
I mean, he's been right twice.
S3 (12:16):
When.
S1 (12:17):
He said, oh, I've got a match. It's not like
cannot decline this.
S2 (12:21):
It's really interesting because you can have preferences and you
can have like a hard line of, no, I won't
take a dog. That's a golden. But if you do that,
you do close off a lot of potential for a
dog who might be a golden but have the traits of,
you know, not a golden like, I think Beau might
actually be a cat.
S1 (12:42):
Which works quite well for you.
S2 (12:44):
Yeah, it works very well for me. And it's interesting
because if you're open to meeting the dog and going
for the test walk, you can see how the two
of you work together. Yeah. The thing is, when I
did my test walk with Bo. I wasn't told it
was a test walk because they wanted to see, um,
how I'd go with the crutch and the dog and
(13:06):
the everything else. Because it's the first time. And at
the end of the walk, he said, well, we were
considering him for you, and I've just my brain has
shut down. And yeah, it was just a, um, uh,
fast forward. I said, can I have another test walk
where I'm actually actively thinking about this dog as a
(13:28):
potential match for me, and yeah, sure. No problem. Fine.
He was right. Again, I have decided that wherever Justin goes,
I have to follow.
S1 (13:37):
Okay.
S2 (13:38):
Um, he seems to have a magic touch.
S1 (13:41):
Well, I'm glad that the golden retriever worked out for you. Um,
out of curiosity, what was it that you didn't want
about a golden.
S2 (13:50):
Well, my previous boy, who was half golden, half lab,
he was not the good match for me, and I
thought all of the traits that were driving me up
the wall were golden. Turns out he was just an idiot.
And I say that with love. He is the sweetest dog.
He has taken to retirement like a duck to water.
A lot of his traits did not match me at all.
S1 (14:12):
And I guess that is the thing, you know? He.
Lots of dogs are not the right match for any person,
and it doesn't, you know, it's not a reflection on
on either of the beings, but.
S2 (14:22):
That's exactly.
S3 (14:23):
It.
S2 (14:23):
And I mean, I will say his guide work was fantastic.
It's just we did not click how it's preferable to click.
S1 (14:33):
Now being with Bowie for a year, would you say
that you have clicked pretty solidly now?
S2 (14:40):
I think we clicked pretty solidly within the first month.
S3 (14:43):
Okay.
S2 (14:44):
It's an interesting partnership because it's like he is. I mean,
obviously he's my dog, but he's also an extension of me.
I don't have to tell him. He knows. So it's
a really lovely relationship where he just. He knows what
I want. And there are times where I might need
to tell him something, and I can just do the
slightest twitch of the harness without anything verbal. And he
(15:07):
knows what that means too.
S1 (15:09):
That's amazing. It's very in tune.
S2 (15:12):
And I will say he and again, this is going
back to this is something that mirrors my second dog.
I had asked him to find left the other day,
and he's kind of just looked back at me slightly
and then turned right. It's like, okay, you were right.
I did actually mean right.
S1 (15:30):
Uh oh. Um, yeah, I guess you can. I guess
you can speak English. Um, when it comes to left
and right, it's better than I can.
S2 (15:37):
Yeah, it's a little embarrassing, but he's like, I know
you want the car. The car's not that way. It's
this way. Yep. I will follow you, because obviously you're
the one who knows.
S1 (15:50):
So what would you say that a typical day in
your life together is like.
S2 (15:56):
It's interesting because I don't really have a typical day
because I don't have work for a routine. The most
typical bit is we will end up at the dog park.
So we do a lot of residential walking, which is
lovely because I'm now getting out again. I wasn't able
to do that even. And the dog park is absolutely
fabulous because we get to work on all of the
(16:18):
fun little tricks. He knows high five. He knows shake.
We're working on all the other little bits and pieces.
He loves the agility stuff. I love the agility stuff.
Now that I know where it is and I don't
trip over.
S3 (16:29):
It, it's all obstacles.
S2 (16:31):
Yes, and I did get sighted help to learn that. Yeah.
Bruised my shins a couple of times. But now I
know what to do and where to move. But yeah,
he is fabulous. A lot of what we do is
also probably like shopping. We were going to go for
a golden retriever meet up on the weekend, but it
got cancelled because of the rain and this poor dog
(16:51):
got dragged around to at least five op shops.
S1 (16:55):
Instead of going and doing fun goals and stuff, you've
taken him shopping. That's not. That's not a good substitute. No.
S2 (17:02):
He also agreed it was not a good substitute. And look,
his work was fine, but he was just moping. So
about halfway through we went to Petbarn and I got
him a treat and he picked up.
S1 (17:13):
So who's the boss here? Is it you or him?
S2 (17:16):
Oh, it's definitely him. He lets me think I'm in charge.
But no, I'm aware. Very much like my second dog.
He would let me think that I was in control.
And we all knew that it was him, because it
was just so much easier to let him be in control.
And when it came to the important and safety things,
he would actually listen to me. And if I said, no,
(17:38):
we're not doing that today, it's fine, but you're making
it up to me. I know that I spoil my
dog massively so. But he's weight is fine, his temperament
is fantastic. He will work happily enough without treats. It's
just when you hit five op shops, I can understand
why he's like another one.
S1 (17:57):
This is one of those things. He's still a creature
with his own free will. Giving a bit of payment
every now and then does do quite a lot to
get them coming along.
S2 (18:05):
Yeah. And again, even if he is in a mood,
his work is still fabulous. It's just that's when he's
more likely to walk me through a puddle.
S3 (18:15):
Okay.
S1 (18:16):
Which didn't really ever hurt anyone. It's just that you
might have to change your socks.
S2 (18:20):
That's pretty much it. It's just that little bit of
a I'm not happy. I'll do it because I know
we need to do it, but I'm not happy.
S1 (18:30):
Are there any other kind of outings or activities that
you do together that you would like to share?
S2 (18:35):
Well, we want to see Santa recently, which was a
lot of fun. He loves Santa. Santa loved him. It
was quite interesting because when we went in, because we
go to Maya and Santa was very much hands off
until I said, it's okay, you're Santa. He's allowed to
say hello to you.
S3 (18:53):
It's different.
S1 (18:54):
Santa. Your magic. And therefore it's.
S3 (18:57):
Okay.
S2 (18:58):
That was pretty much it. It's. This is a once
a year thing.
S3 (19:02):
Yes.
S2 (19:02):
It's not going to affect his work if he says
hello to you once, we're fine. And it made Santa
and the dog very, very happy, which made me happy.
S1 (19:13):
And if you think about, like, the likelihood of him
meeting other Santas around in different times of the year,
it's quite small. It's not kind of. Yeah, it's kind
of a fair exemption to make. As long as you know,
you know, it doesn't become like a Christmas now every
25th of every month. So Santa is around every month.
S2 (19:32):
Exactly. It's also one of the things that I've taught
all of my dogs. Pretty much as soon as I
get them, I use two extra commands, which are go
say hello and back to work. And this did not
work very well with my third boy, because he was
a social butterfly. And, uh, that's all he wanted to do.
So we didn't do it too much. But yeah, Bo
(19:53):
knows he if he goes to say hello, he'll sit down,
have a quick pat on the head, and then if
I say back to work, he will line up and
be ready to go.
S1 (20:02):
Which I guess is probably a really important skill too,
not just for you and the people you know, but
if a member of the public does touch him, which,
you know, as we all know happens, he's got that
ability to not panic and not freak out and just go, okay, well,
now we're back.
S3 (20:16):
And the other interesting thing.
S2 (20:18):
So two points. One, I always do tell everyone, don't
touch most dogs. Most people will say no because they
are working dogs. They are our eyes. But two, we
were walking down the street and there was someone who
tried to pat him while we were walking. And I
know this because he veered off really hard so she
(20:39):
couldn't reach him. And out of the corner of my eye,
I could just see her hand trying to get to
his head. And he is like, no, you're not going
to touch me. And he kept going.
S1 (20:48):
I guess it would have been a wide enough footpath
like he he just veered you Video like an OBS.
So it's like he's he's like, oh, this this lady
is an obstacle for me.
S2 (20:56):
Exactly.
S3 (20:57):
It's quite smart.
S2 (20:59):
He's too smart. It's a little scary at times. Um,
I was in I. I'm in Petbarn quite a lot. Um,
I bought him an advent calendar, and they had a
few different options, and I let him choose. And I'm
so happy I have a witness because I didn't get
a recording of this. I held 1 in 1 hand,
one in the other. Let him sniff both and said,
(21:20):
which do you want? And he sniff, sniff. And then,
without actually putting his mouth on it, he put his
mouth like around. And he chose that advent calendar.
S1 (21:31):
Yeah. Kind of open mouth over it, not touching it.
S2 (21:34):
Yeah, that's exactly it. Like, he knows he's not allowed
to pick up stuff in store in harness. He's not
allowed to eat stuff off the ground. But he knows
he's also allowed to choose which one he wanted, and
that's what he wanted.
S1 (21:48):
So do you have any messages for anyone considering having
a dog go.
S2 (21:56):
A few different thoughts. If you're unsure, definitely talk to
an instructor. Definitely talk to other people. There are groups
all over the place. We will give you the positives
and negatives because let's face it, a cane does not
need to be fed or cleaned up after it. But
a cane also doesn't give you the kind of love
(22:16):
and support you get from a dog. Trying to think
what else? Because I've got so many things in my
head for this question.
S1 (22:23):
It's probably one of the biggest decisions that you'll make
because it, you know, could be, I guess, 8 to
10 years. I mean, you know, in an ideal and
potentially a bit less, um, of your life and it's
like basically 24 over seven lifestyle change.
S2 (22:37):
It is it's also being prepared for when it comes
to the end, when you are going to need to
say goodbye when it comes to retirement, if you're not
able to keep them, it can be heartbreaking, but it
can also be really liberating. Um, my retired boy is
currently with my pharmacist of all people, so I get
(23:00):
updates fairly frequently about how happy he is being a
teething toy for a German Shepherd puppy.
S3 (23:06):
Lovely.
S2 (23:08):
But I'm lucky in that regard because I know not
everyone would get or would want those kind of updates
because it can be really hard and you just need
to have the compartmentalised break. It's my working dog is
now with someone else. It's now their dog. With my
second boy, I didn't get the chance to retire him.
He passed away very suddenly from cancer. And yeah, that
(23:31):
was heartbreaking in itself because a dog is still going
to have medical issues. It's not something that you think
about when you sign up for it. And I would
not change a thing. I'd go back and say, yes, Justin,
I'll take the black male and not the white female
I asked for. And fine. He was trying to think
the thoughts. Zeke was my perfect dog. As in, I
(23:56):
used to go by cat. I was cat and dog.
And when dog died, so did Cat. So it can be. Really? Um.
I'm not having a good word time, am I? I feel.
S3 (24:07):
Like that's a.
S1 (24:08):
But, I mean, it's kind of hard to put into words,
and I'm. And I'm sorry that you went through that because,
you know, I can't imagine how awful that would have
been to, like you said, it's not something you think about.
You know, it's not in the realms of like, oh,
you know, you get this. This dog died and they said, yeah. Oh, they,
they have they have health, they have bodies that they,
you know, that do and don't work like, like the
(24:30):
rest of us.
S3 (24:31):
Yeah.
S2 (24:32):
It's very much you need to be put the dog's
needs first. Not so much in the realms of oh
how to word this one. So yes, you have a
seeing eye dog who is working for you because you
need them to help you, but you need to make
(24:52):
sure that they are taken care of because they can't
take care of themselves. You need to be the one
to provide. Um, and I think that's a really important
thing to think of because they're not robots. They're not
a cane. You can't just shove them in the corner.
I mean, you can, but you're going to get a
(25:13):
call from people who aren't going to be happy.
S3 (25:16):
Know it.
S1 (25:17):
And they, you know, you got to advocate for them
all the time.
S2 (25:21):
Yes. The amount of positive absolutely does outweigh the negative,
but the negative is still there, I think. Rideshare refusal
I think people who you go to get on a
train as someone is exiting and they scream and then
run back into the train, up the carriage and then
out the other door, and they do it loudly enough
(25:44):
that you can hear them the whole way.
S3 (25:45):
Yeah.
S2 (25:46):
The same day that happened, I had someone else who
opened the door for me on a different train. And yep,
there's a seat here. It's free if you'd like it.
You never know what you're going to get with a
general public.
S1 (25:57):
Even on the same day, it's kind of crazy. You
get the polar opposites of things.
S2 (26:03):
So you will absolutely end up with more freedom to
move easily. It's like a hot knife through butter. You
just move. Whereas you're also going to have some, uh,
interesting experiences that you might have to deal with.
S1 (26:18):
So do you have any messages for supporters of seeing
to finish off?
S2 (26:23):
Uh, to supporters of seeing eye dogs, I love you
and thank you. And I cannot tell you how grateful
I am to have Bo, who is currently asleep and
snoring behind me. Yep, you guys make a difference that
I know you know, and I know you get the updates,
but that's nowhere near enough or close enough to the
(26:44):
difference it makes.
S1 (26:45):
Well, thank you so much for coming on the show
and sharing your story.
S2 (26:49):
Thank you for having me. It's been a lot of fun.
S1 (26:57):
We've been listening to the Seeing Eye Dog show on
Vision Australia Radio. I hope you enjoyed my interview with Katie.
If you're blind or have low vision and are interested
in learning about becoming a handler, email us at info
at Sidorenko or give us a ring on 1800 037 773 to
chat about dogs and mobility eligibility or assessment. This is
(27:20):
the final episode to be aired in 2024. What a
year it's been. Thank you for joining me and for
listening to the show. As always, I much appreciate your support.
If you want more seeing Eye Dog Show, you can
head to our Omni FM platform or your preferred podcast
provider for more show podcasts. We'll be back next year
with more Seeing Eye Dog show. Have a happy New Year!
On Vision Australia radio. You're listening to the Seeing Eye
dog show. With me, your host, Harriet Moffatt. On this episode,
I'm going to be joined by singer handler Katie Beaton.
Katie is matched with Golden Retriever seeing eye dog Bowie
and is going to share her story, including about her
interesting PhD archery hobby and her life and partnership with Bowie.
If you're blind or have low vision and are interested
(00:33):
in dog guide mobility, our friendly team are happy to
chat with you about becoming a handler. You can email
us at info at Sidorenko or call on 1800 037 773 to
chat about dog guide, mobility eligibility or assessment. And now
here's my interview with Katie. I hope you enjoy. Hi Katie,
(01:00):
thank you for joining me on the show today. Lovely
to be here. Could you please start off by introducing yourself.
S2 (01:05):
Hi, I'm Katie, I live in Melbourne. I'm 40 with
a PhD. I am also a legally blind archer, which
is a lot of fun because I shoot at things
I can't see. Also looking for work so that would
be good if I could find something that's a bit
more stable than contract and casual. Yeah, I think that's
about it. It's me and Beau and the cat.
S1 (01:25):
I have a lot of questions on archery and how
you got into that, and also what your PhD is
on with archery.
S2 (01:33):
Waverly City Archers had a commentary day for people who
are blind and vision impaired who might be interested in archery.
They have a couple of lovely people there who are
blind archers, and they basically told us how to do it.
There's some adaptive tech involved, and we do need a
sighted person as a spotter. But yeah, it's a lot
of fun.
S1 (01:54):
And the PhD. What is your PhD in?
S2 (01:58):
I have a doctorate in Doctor Who.
S1 (02:00):
So you're a doctor of Doctor Who? Yeah, that.
S2 (02:03):
That was the plan from the start. It's looking at
fans of Doctor Who, how we develop and express our
identity as a fan, and I did it as a
creative thesis where part of it is your standard, very
dry academic chapters, and then the other half is a
TV Bible, where I've got episode breakdowns of all of
(02:27):
my characters doing the things that fans do over the
course of a year. And it's like this research A
is over here and B is over here, and then
A influences B, but B influences A, and it all
mixes up into a lovely methodology.
S1 (02:40):
So you said you're looking for work. Are you looking
for Doctor Who related work?
S2 (02:45):
I will take anything. I don't think anyone wants me
in a kitchen, though.
S1 (02:50):
Is that because you burn things or.
S2 (02:53):
I think I think it might be something to do
with the dog in the kitchen. Okay, that.
S1 (02:58):
Does make sense. And you can bring your dog to archery.
I'm guessing you can bring bow to archery.
S2 (03:03):
Bow Bo does come to archery. I have a crate
for him that I keep behind the line. He was
so happy the first time I put that up for
him because he was like, great, I have got shade,
I've got my food and water, I've got a toy.
Wake me when you need me.
S1 (03:19):
I'll be on standby here resting and looking. Chill about
it whilst you have to work hard.
S2 (03:27):
Yeah, he had absolutely no interest in getting up, which
is really funny because one time I did try axe
throwing and he tried to chase the axe. I did
have him in a sit and a hold on the
collar just in case. And it was just a I
don't trust him to know that this is not a
Chase thing.
S1 (03:45):
If you've ever done any form of throwing a Kong
or that type of thing, what's the difference? He doesn't
know that the axe is inherently more dangerous.
S2 (03:53):
Exactly. And he was good. He didn't actually fully get
up to chase it. It was just this little. Uh oh. Okay.
S1 (04:03):
Just a just a dog kind of temporarily being a dog. Yes.
S2 (04:08):
I mean, he didn't even get a step. He barely
broke the sit, but he really wanted to chase it.
So could you.
S1 (04:16):
Please introduce, um, bow? And how long have you been
working together?
S2 (04:20):
So bow has actually got a few names. Technically, his
name is Tambo, and I said, that's great. I'm going
to name him Bowie. And he gets everything from Mr.
Bojangles to Tambourine Man. Um, generally it's bow or bow bow.
He is a golden retriever. I've had him just over
(04:40):
a year now. He is coming up on three, although
I don't think he knows that he's meant to be.
Growing up, he is still very much a puppy. He
is the biggest sook I have ever found. He likes
to come up to just put his head on my
knee and it's like, I don't want anything. I'm just.
(05:01):
I'm saying hello. Thank you for the pat. I'm going
away now.
S1 (05:05):
Almost like a check in. He's like, I'm just. I
just want to see that we're okay and you're okay.
And now I can go and do my own thing.
S2 (05:12):
Yep. And he does the same thing at the dog park,
which I will say is something that I did teach
and reinforce where because it is a fenced park, I
do feel safe letting him free run. Yeah, but I
lose track of him very quickly. So if I call him,
he'll come back. But he'll also, every few minutes come
back and just. Yep. Still here. Mum.
S1 (05:33):
What made you decide to apply for seeing Eye Dog?
S2 (05:35):
I've had four dogs now and when I had my second,
I was also injured in a completely unrelated thing. It
was not my dog's fault, but it left me with
a permanent injury, which means I now have to walk
with a forearm crutch. So I've got the dog on
the left, the crutch on the right, and when I
was trying to do the cane and crutch, which go
(05:57):
in different directions, think, rub your tummy, pat your head. Yes,
but also listen to the traffic and make sure that
a car is not coming too quick around a corner
when you try to step off a curb.
S1 (06:09):
Yeah, because it's like very different angles too, right? Like one,
you know, your crutch I'm guessing, is quite vertical, whereas
your cane is more in front of you too. So
it's like.
S2 (06:17):
Yep, it's basically ones going vertical and the others horizontal.
Or at least that's how I think of it in
my head. I did try that for a little while
when my third dog was unable to continue, but I
really could not do it. I became housebound very quickly
because I wanted to live, and I ended up applying
(06:41):
for my beautiful seeing eye dog because I wanted to
get out of the house without support workers as my
only option.
S1 (06:50):
The dog handle is very different to the crutch in
the movement.
S2 (06:54):
So basically with the forearm crutch and the white cane,
I was having to actively focus on two movements, whereas
with the forearm crutch and my seeing eye dog, I
can actively focus on one and passively focus on the other.
My dog takes the load for me, and instead of
finding things by running into them and then moving around them,
(07:15):
we just move around them.
S1 (07:17):
Not only do you feel kind of safer, but it's
probably a bit more relaxed or less stressful. Don't get
home and as tired.
S2 (07:25):
It's a lot less stressful. And it's also when I
do have to stop and start, say, at a curb.
I don't have to find the rhythm again because it's
just there. And yeah, I am definitely coming home a
lot more relaxed. And I do have a little bit
of vision left, and I was really coming home with
lots of eye strain, lots of headaches because I was
trying to focus on not getting hit by cars, not
(07:48):
running into things, not falling over stuff. Whereas with my dog,
that's not a problem.
S1 (07:52):
How would you say that your life has changed since
being partnered with? I've written Bowie in my questions, but
I feel like I want to choose like a different
name each time. So I might go with Mr. Bojangles
this time.
S2 (08:02):
I also go with Mr. Golden Paws quite a lot
because that's his Instagram.
S1 (08:06):
As an influencer too, which is important, you know.
S2 (08:09):
Mhm. He just met Santa. He's getting a lot of
things for Christmas because he is on the nice list.
Oh yeah. He has basically given me my life back.
And I don't say that lightly because as someone who
has been visually impaired since birth, this was not a
problem until I had the additional injury. I could get
(08:30):
around with a cane or a dog if I chose.
It was easier with a dog, but I could do
it with a cane. That option has been removed from
for me now. And yeah, he's let me get back outside.
S1 (08:44):
Just having some freedom. And like you said, you know
there are support workers and stuff, but that's just not
the same, especially if you've kind of grown up actually
using the tools that you've used.
S2 (08:53):
Yeah, I had the nickname of Little Miss Independent. I
also always had the motto of, oh, you've said that
I can't watch me.
S1 (09:01):
Were you one of those kids who's, like, two? And, like,
running with a cane, like hooning about incredibly quickly.
S2 (09:07):
I actually did not get a cane until I was 16.
Mix of the 80s and 90s because it was. No.
You've got a little bit of vision. Use it. I
had a lot of bruises. Mum did her best. But again,
Little Miss Independent here. Yeah. So that was a lot
of fun. And it was I think I can't see
what the problem is so let's just go for it.
S1 (09:28):
I'm sure it impacted a lot of how you are
now with your dealing with challenges of like losing your
additional ability to use a cane, I guess.
S2 (09:37):
Um, yeah, that took a few years and a lot
of therapy to come to terms with, but we got
there and that is something that therapy is very good for.
S1 (09:48):
So for anyone out there that's having a hard time,
look into those professional supports and get some help.
S2 (09:54):
Yeah. And it's also if the first person you don't
click with keep looking, there will be someone out there
that will help.
S1 (10:00):
It's worth the wait, isn't it? A little bit like
with the dogs, you know. There's a precise match for everyone.
First person in your local area. Same as the dogs.
If we paid you to, you know, five other dogs,
they might not quite match the same way. Mhm.
S2 (10:16):
And I've had a dog who was not a great
match for me. Having the right match is fantastic and a.
Yeah I cannot stress how wonderful it is to have
the right match.
S1 (10:27):
Looking at Bowie being your perfect match, what are your
favorite things about him?
S2 (10:33):
This has nothing to do with the quality of his work,
which is impeccable. But after he has a bath, he
is a fluffy cloud and I love that.
S1 (10:42):
Is he creating additional clouds for you? Is my question.
S2 (10:46):
Actually, he does not shed a lot. It's amazing. Um,
being a golden retriever, he does blow coat like twice
a year. But yeah, the daily grooming, I get basically
nothing of him. Um, the most I really have to
do is this time of year. He seems to like
rolling in grass when he has the opportunity, which, uh,
(11:09):
attracts all of the burrs, which I then have to
comb out.
S1 (11:13):
Although maybe he's just doing that so that he gets
like the kind of, you know, attention, grooming, um, grooming time.
S2 (11:20):
I mean, you might be right, because one of the
things he does get, in addition to just the standard
brushing is paw balm, something to rub in to protect
their paws. It's not something he needs, but it's something
he likes. When I was with Guide Dogs, Vic and
Justin was there, he was the one who was doing
(11:41):
the matching and I said, Justin, I want a blonde female.
He calls me up a little bit later and says, yep,
I've got the dog for you. It's a black male.
S3 (11:52):
Yeah. Well.
S2 (11:53):
Um, all right, I'll see how we go. And sure enough,
he had the perfect match and move over to Cedar.
And Justin has as well. And I say, Justin, I
want anything other than a golden retriever. And he calls
me up and it's, I've got the perfect dog for you.
(12:14):
I mean, he's been right twice.
S3 (12:16):
When.
S1 (12:17):
He said, oh, I've got a match. It's not like
cannot decline this.
S2 (12:21):
It's really interesting because you can have preferences and you
can have like a hard line of, no, I won't
take a dog. That's a golden. But if you do that,
you do close off a lot of potential for a
dog who might be a golden but have the traits of,
you know, not a golden like, I think Beau might
actually be a cat.
S1 (12:42):
Which works quite well for you.
S2 (12:44):
Yeah, it works very well for me. And it's interesting
because if you're open to meeting the dog and going
for the test walk, you can see how the two
of you work together. Yeah. The thing is, when I
did my test walk with Bo. I wasn't told it
was a test walk because they wanted to see, um,
how I'd go with the crutch and the dog and
(13:06):
the everything else. Because it's the first time. And at
the end of the walk, he said, well, we were
considering him for you, and I've just my brain has
shut down. And yeah, it was just a, um, uh,
fast forward. I said, can I have another test walk
where I'm actually actively thinking about this dog as a
(13:28):
potential match for me, and yeah, sure. No problem. Fine.
He was right. Again, I have decided that wherever Justin goes,
I have to follow.
S1 (13:37):
Okay.
S2 (13:38):
Um, he seems to have a magic touch.
S1 (13:41):
Well, I'm glad that the golden retriever worked out for you. Um,
out of curiosity, what was it that you didn't want
about a golden.
S2 (13:50):
Well, my previous boy, who was half golden, half lab,
he was not the good match for me, and I
thought all of the traits that were driving me up
the wall were golden. Turns out he was just an idiot.
And I say that with love. He is the sweetest dog.
He has taken to retirement like a duck to water.
A lot of his traits did not match me at all.
S1 (14:12):
And I guess that is the thing, you know? He.
Lots of dogs are not the right match for any person,
and it doesn't, you know, it's not a reflection on
on either of the beings, but.
S2 (14:22):
That's exactly.
S3 (14:23):
It.
S2 (14:23):
And I mean, I will say his guide work was fantastic.
It's just we did not click how it's preferable to click.
S1 (14:33):
Now being with Bowie for a year, would you say
that you have clicked pretty solidly now?
S2 (14:40):
I think we clicked pretty solidly within the first month.
S3 (14:43):
Okay.
S2 (14:44):
It's an interesting partnership because it's like he is. I mean,
obviously he's my dog, but he's also an extension of me.
I don't have to tell him. He knows. So it's
a really lovely relationship where he just. He knows what
I want. And there are times where I might need
to tell him something, and I can just do the
slightest twitch of the harness without anything verbal. And he
(15:07):
knows what that means too.
S1 (15:09):
That's amazing. It's very in tune.
S2 (15:12):
And I will say he and again, this is going
back to this is something that mirrors my second dog.
I had asked him to find left the other day,
and he's kind of just looked back at me slightly
and then turned right. It's like, okay, you were right.
I did actually mean right.
S1 (15:30):
Uh oh. Um, yeah, I guess you can. I guess
you can speak English. Um, when it comes to left
and right, it's better than I can.
S2 (15:37):
Yeah, it's a little embarrassing, but he's like, I know
you want the car. The car's not that way. It's
this way. Yep. I will follow you, because obviously you're
the one who knows.
S1 (15:50):
So what would you say that a typical day in
your life together is like.
S2 (15:56):
It's interesting because I don't really have a typical day
because I don't have work for a routine. The most
typical bit is we will end up at the dog park.
So we do a lot of residential walking, which is
lovely because I'm now getting out again. I wasn't able
to do that even. And the dog park is absolutely
fabulous because we get to work on all of the
(16:18):
fun little tricks. He knows high five. He knows shake.
We're working on all the other little bits and pieces.
He loves the agility stuff. I love the agility stuff.
Now that I know where it is and I don't
trip over.
S3 (16:29):
It, it's all obstacles.
S2 (16:31):
Yes, and I did get sighted help to learn that. Yeah.
Bruised my shins a couple of times. But now I
know what to do and where to move. But yeah,
he is fabulous. A lot of what we do is
also probably like shopping. We were going to go for
a golden retriever meet up on the weekend, but it
got cancelled because of the rain and this poor dog
(16:51):
got dragged around to at least five op shops.
S1 (16:55):
Instead of going and doing fun goals and stuff, you've
taken him shopping. That's not. That's not a good substitute. No.
S2 (17:02):
He also agreed it was not a good substitute. And look,
his work was fine, but he was just moping. So
about halfway through we went to Petbarn and I got
him a treat and he picked up.
S1 (17:13):
So who's the boss here? Is it you or him?
S2 (17:16):
Oh, it's definitely him. He lets me think I'm in charge.
But no, I'm aware. Very much like my second dog.
He would let me think that I was in control.
And we all knew that it was him, because it
was just so much easier to let him be in control.
And when it came to the important and safety things,
he would actually listen to me. And if I said, no,
(17:38):
we're not doing that today, it's fine, but you're making
it up to me. I know that I spoil my
dog massively so. But he's weight is fine, his temperament
is fantastic. He will work happily enough without treats. It's
just when you hit five op shops, I can understand
why he's like another one.
S1 (17:57):
This is one of those things. He's still a creature
with his own free will. Giving a bit of payment
every now and then does do quite a lot to
get them coming along.
S2 (18:05):
Yeah. And again, even if he is in a mood,
his work is still fabulous. It's just that's when he's
more likely to walk me through a puddle.
S3 (18:15):
Okay.
S1 (18:16):
Which didn't really ever hurt anyone. It's just that you
might have to change your socks.
S2 (18:20):
That's pretty much it. It's just that little bit of
a I'm not happy. I'll do it because I know
we need to do it, but I'm not happy.
S1 (18:30):
Are there any other kind of outings or activities that
you do together that you would like to share?
S2 (18:35):
Well, we want to see Santa recently, which was a
lot of fun. He loves Santa. Santa loved him. It
was quite interesting because when we went in, because we
go to Maya and Santa was very much hands off
until I said, it's okay, you're Santa. He's allowed to
say hello to you.
S3 (18:53):
It's different.
S1 (18:54):
Santa. Your magic. And therefore it's.
S3 (18:57):
Okay.
S2 (18:58):
That was pretty much it. It's. This is a once
a year thing.
S3 (19:02):
Yes.
S2 (19:02):
It's not going to affect his work if he says
hello to you once, we're fine. And it made Santa
and the dog very, very happy, which made me happy.
S1 (19:13):
And if you think about, like, the likelihood of him
meeting other Santas around in different times of the year,
it's quite small. It's not kind of. Yeah, it's kind
of a fair exemption to make. As long as you know,
you know, it doesn't become like a Christmas now every
25th of every month. So Santa is around every month.
S2 (19:32):
Exactly. It's also one of the things that I've taught
all of my dogs. Pretty much as soon as I
get them, I use two extra commands, which are go
say hello and back to work. And this did not
work very well with my third boy, because he was
a social butterfly. And, uh, that's all he wanted to do.
So we didn't do it too much. But yeah, Bo
(19:53):
knows he if he goes to say hello, he'll sit down,
have a quick pat on the head, and then if
I say back to work, he will line up and
be ready to go.
S1 (20:02):
Which I guess is probably a really important skill too,
not just for you and the people you know, but
if a member of the public does touch him, which,
you know, as we all know happens, he's got that
ability to not panic and not freak out and just go, okay, well,
now we're back.
S3 (20:16):
And the other interesting thing.
S2 (20:18):
So two points. One, I always do tell everyone, don't
touch most dogs. Most people will say no because they
are working dogs. They are our eyes. But two, we
were walking down the street and there was someone who
tried to pat him while we were walking. And I
know this because he veered off really hard so she
(20:39):
couldn't reach him. And out of the corner of my eye,
I could just see her hand trying to get to
his head. And he is like, no, you're not going
to touch me. And he kept going.
S1 (20:48):
I guess it would have been a wide enough footpath
like he he just veered you Video like an OBS.
So it's like he's he's like, oh, this this lady
is an obstacle for me.
S2 (20:56):
Exactly.
S3 (20:57):
It's quite smart.
S2 (20:59):
He's too smart. It's a little scary at times. Um,
I was in I. I'm in Petbarn quite a lot. Um,
I bought him an advent calendar, and they had a
few different options, and I let him choose. And I'm
so happy I have a witness because I didn't get
a recording of this. I held 1 in 1 hand,
one in the other. Let him sniff both and said,
(21:20):
which do you want? And he sniff, sniff. And then,
without actually putting his mouth on it, he put his
mouth like around. And he chose that advent calendar.
S1 (21:31):
Yeah. Kind of open mouth over it, not touching it.
S2 (21:34):
Yeah, that's exactly it. Like, he knows he's not allowed
to pick up stuff in store in harness. He's not
allowed to eat stuff off the ground. But he knows
he's also allowed to choose which one he wanted, and
that's what he wanted.
S1 (21:48):
So do you have any messages for anyone considering having
a dog go.
S2 (21:56):
A few different thoughts. If you're unsure, definitely talk to
an instructor. Definitely talk to other people. There are groups
all over the place. We will give you the positives
and negatives because let's face it, a cane does not
need to be fed or cleaned up after it. But
a cane also doesn't give you the kind of love
(22:16):
and support you get from a dog. Trying to think
what else? Because I've got so many things in my
head for this question.
S1 (22:23):
It's probably one of the biggest decisions that you'll make
because it, you know, could be, I guess, 8 to
10 years. I mean, you know, in an ideal and
potentially a bit less, um, of your life and it's
like basically 24 over seven lifestyle change.
S2 (22:37):
It is it's also being prepared for when it comes
to the end, when you are going to need to
say goodbye when it comes to retirement, if you're not
able to keep them, it can be heartbreaking, but it
can also be really liberating. Um, my retired boy is
currently with my pharmacist of all people, so I get
(23:00):
updates fairly frequently about how happy he is being a
teething toy for a German Shepherd puppy.
S3 (23:06):
Lovely.
S2 (23:08):
But I'm lucky in that regard because I know not
everyone would get or would want those kind of updates
because it can be really hard and you just need
to have the compartmentalised break. It's my working dog is
now with someone else. It's now their dog. With my
second boy, I didn't get the chance to retire him.
He passed away very suddenly from cancer. And yeah, that
(23:31):
was heartbreaking in itself because a dog is still going
to have medical issues. It's not something that you think
about when you sign up for it. And I would
not change a thing. I'd go back and say, yes, Justin,
I'll take the black male and not the white female
I asked for. And fine. He was trying to think
the thoughts. Zeke was my perfect dog. As in, I
(23:56):
used to go by cat. I was cat and dog.
And when dog died, so did Cat. So it can be. Really? Um.
I'm not having a good word time, am I? I feel.
S3 (24:07):
Like that's a.
S1 (24:08):
But, I mean, it's kind of hard to put into words,
and I'm. And I'm sorry that you went through that because,
you know, I can't imagine how awful that would have
been to, like you said, it's not something you think about.
You know, it's not in the realms of like, oh,
you know, you get this. This dog died and they said, yeah. Oh, they,
they have they have health, they have bodies that they,
you know, that do and don't work like, like the
(24:30):
rest of us.
S3 (24:31):
Yeah.
S2 (24:32):
It's very much you need to be put the dog's
needs first. Not so much in the realms of oh
how to word this one. So yes, you have a
seeing eye dog who is working for you because you
need them to help you, but you need to make
(24:52):
sure that they are taken care of because they can't
take care of themselves. You need to be the one
to provide. Um, and I think that's a really important
thing to think of because they're not robots. They're not
a cane. You can't just shove them in the corner.
I mean, you can, but you're going to get a
(25:13):
call from people who aren't going to be happy.
S3 (25:16):
Know it.
S1 (25:17):
And they, you know, you got to advocate for them
all the time.
S2 (25:21):
Yes. The amount of positive absolutely does outweigh the negative,
but the negative is still there, I think. Rideshare refusal
I think people who you go to get on a
train as someone is exiting and they scream and then
run back into the train, up the carriage and then
out the other door, and they do it loudly enough
(25:44):
that you can hear them the whole way.
S3 (25:45):
Yeah.
S2 (25:46):
The same day that happened, I had someone else who
opened the door for me on a different train. And yep,
there's a seat here. It's free if you'd like it.
You never know what you're going to get with a
general public.
S1 (25:57):
Even on the same day, it's kind of crazy. You
get the polar opposites of things.
S2 (26:03):
So you will absolutely end up with more freedom to
move easily. It's like a hot knife through butter. You
just move. Whereas you're also going to have some, uh,
interesting experiences that you might have to deal with.
S1 (26:18):
So do you have any messages for supporters of seeing
to finish off?
S2 (26:23):
Uh, to supporters of seeing eye dogs, I love you
and thank you. And I cannot tell you how grateful
I am to have Bo, who is currently asleep and
snoring behind me. Yep, you guys make a difference that
I know you know, and I know you get the updates,
but that's nowhere near enough or close enough to the
(26:44):
difference it makes.
S1 (26:45):
Well, thank you so much for coming on the show
and sharing your story.
S2 (26:49):
Thank you for having me. It's been a lot of fun.
S1 (26:57):
We've been listening to the Seeing Eye Dog show on
Vision Australia Radio. I hope you enjoyed my interview with Katie.
If you're blind or have low vision and are interested
in learning about becoming a handler, email us at info
at Sidorenko or give us a ring on 1800 037 773 to
chat about dogs and mobility eligibility or assessment. This is
(27:20):
the final episode to be aired in 2024. What a
year it's been. Thank you for joining me and for
listening to the show. As always, I much appreciate your support.
If you want more seeing Eye Dog Show, you can
head to our Omni FM platform or your preferred podcast
provider for more show podcasts. We'll be back next year
with more Seeing Eye Dog show. Have a happy New Year!
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