Guide Dogs Train at Mote Aquarium

MARINE MAMMALS ARE A COMMON SIGHT AT MOTE SCIENCE EDUCATION AQUARIUM IN SARASOTA. BUT LAST WEEK, DOGS WALK THROUGH THE HALLS AS PART OF THE UNIQUE FIELD TRIP. THE VISIT IS PART OF THEIR TRAINING TO BECOME SERVICE GUIDE DOGS WGCUS EILEEN KELLEY HAS THE STORY. >> THEIR LITTLE NOSES TURN UPWARD AS SEA CREATURES SEEMINGLY GLIDE BEFORE THEIR EYES. THERE'S A MOMENT OF STILLNESS AND ON BEFORE TALES. START WAGGING. ONE OF THE STUDENTS IS ARTHUR. THIS ONE IS GONE. AND THEN THERE'S CHATTER GUIDE DOGS IN TRAINING, TESTING THEIR SKILLS AT SPOTTING ELEVATORS AND EMPTY CHAIRS AT THE MOTE SCIENCE EDUCATION AQUARIUM. THE DAX IN LEARNING TO NAVIGATE CROWDS AND MANAGING IMPULSES TO OVERCOME SMELLS AND OTHER DISTRACTIONS. LIKE A GAGGLE OF CHILDREN FOR CHINA AT SEA TURTLE FOR THE TRULY GIFTED STUDENTS. THE RUSH OF IT ALL SO BRIEF FOR THE REST OF THE STUDENT GUIDE DOGS IN TRAINING. THEY'LL HAVE OTHER CHANCES TO GET THERE. BUT WHAT GOES IN CHECK, ACCORDING TO DOGS IN CONSTRUCTOR CHELSEA OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR THAT MOMENT IS RECOVERING. SO IT'S OKAY FOR DOGS TO MAYBE. >> THE LITTLE SUSPICIOUS OR LIKE JUST NOT KNOW HOW TO. WE KNOW. >> WE ACTED BASED. THEY'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE. WE'RE LOOKING FOR THERE IS RECOVERING. SO WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT WILL THEY DO IF THEY SEE SOMETHING THAT STARTLES THEM SURPRISES THEM. WE WON'T SEE THEM RECOVERING BEING ABLE TO DO THEIR JOB. STILL. AND WE GET THAT BY HAVING A CONFIDENT DOT. >> FOR THE LAST 2 AND A HALF YEARS, ALL DIRT HAS BEEN AN INSTRUCTOR WITH THE MANATEE COUNTY ORGANIZATION, ARTHUR, GLENN, AND CHEDDAR OR STUDENTS IN TRAINING. SO A LOT OF THE TIMES ARE DOGS HAVEN'T SEEN THINGS LIKE THIS BEFORE AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY CAN BE COOL, CALM, COLLECTED, CONFIDENT IN ON FIRE. >> RENTS. >> SO DOING THAT ARE ALSO PRACTICING THE SKILLS THAT THEY ARE READY NOW IF YOU'D LIKE, THIS ARE SO IMPORTANT, IT REALLY HELPS BUILD THEIR CONFIDENCE IN ANY ENVIRONMENT. >> THE STUDENTS WERE GETTING IN SOME NECESSARY FIELDWORK TO ONE DAY HELP THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED. >> THIS IS A CHEDDAR'S FIRST RODEO SAID TO SPEAK. THE 15 MONTH-OLD HAS BEEN TO MOTE BEFORE. >> TESTING HIS STEADINESS AROUND THE SEALIFE CHILDREN AND OTHER DOGS. WHICH PROVED TO BE A CHALLENGE FOR CHEDDAR, SAYS TRAINER DILLARD REPLY. I WOULD SAY THE MOST DISTRACTING THING FOR HIM WAS JUST WORKING AROUND THE OTHER DOGS. I DID CHALLENGE HIM A LITTLE BIT AND MADE HIM WORK A LITTLE CLOSER. >> TO GIVE THEM SOME PRACTICE. HE'LL BE DOING THAT. A LOT IN COLLEGE AND I WAS SUPER IMPRESSED BY HOW HE DID WITH ALL THE DISTRACTIONS TO. >> SOON CHEDDAR WILL GRADUATE AND BE READY FOR HIS NEXT CHAPTER. COLLEGE AS PART OF THIS CONTINUED TRAINING, HE WILL BE WORKING WITH THE CERTIFIED TRAINER TO HONE IN ON HIS SKILLS IN ONE DAY, BE A GUIDE DOG. >> WE WORKED ON ALL THE FOUNDATIONS AND HE HAS NOW GOTTEN TO BE TO THE AGE WHERE HE'S READY TO COME TO COLLEGE, WHERE HE WILL BEGIN HIS FORMAL TRAINING. SO HE'LL WORK WITH OUR CERTIFIED INSTRUCTORS AND HE WILL BEGIN WORKING ON HIS TRAINING. WRY ALSO LIKE TO SAY HE GETS TO HAVE A CHANCE TO MAYBE PICK OUT HIS MAJOR AND SEE WHAT'S GOING TO WORK FOR HIM. >> AND HER DOG LOVERS WHO THINK THIS PRETTY CALL YOU'RE IN LUCK. THERE ARE ALWAYS PLENTY OF VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK WITH THE DOGS BEFORE THEY HEAD OFF TO COLLEGE AND THEN ONE DAY GET PAIRED WITH A HUMAN. >> IT REALLY HELPS TO VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE. THEY'RE INDEPENDENTS HACK AND REALLY HELP THEM NAVIGATE THE WORLD WITH A REALLY ADORABLE PARTNER. AND JUST SEEING THOSE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN PEOPLE WHO ARE VISUALLY IMPAIRED AND DOGS IS JUST ABSOLUTELY MATCH. IT. >> INDEED. >> NO MATTER IF YOU HAVE 2 LEGS OR 4 LEGS. >> AND SOMETIMES A WACKY, BUT STEPPING OUTSIDE THE FAMILIAR WALLS OF THE CLASSROOM FOR REAL-LIFE VIEW OF THE WORLD, INCLUDING SEA CREATURES. IT CAN TRULY BE MAGICAL. YEAH, I THINK HE DID A VERY GOOD JOB. VERY PROUD OF THEM. >> THE WGCU NEWS THIS IS