Recently, I visited a dear friend of mine and we started composing a song. The first line was, “I love my dog.” We asked this 95-year-old gracious beautiful musician what the next line should be, and she replied, “And my dog loves me.”

I’m calling my new Seeing Eye dog Jessica for the public. I don’t usually give out her real name because people talk to her. It’s come to me that everyone knows not to pet a Seeing Eye dog; however, people don’t know not to talk to a Seeing Eye dog.

This is because not only does petting distract the dog, talking, winking, looking, waving fingers, all distract as well.

Why do I or you care?

Because when you do just one of these things, it decreases the training. When you decrease the training just by one pet, or one “Hi” or one look, you undermine our success and safety on the street!

I know it looks harmless when you pet or talk to my dog, however, you are not the only one in my day who does this! You can imagine that I meet 10, 20, 30 people a day. When all of you are doing this little thing, it becomes a big thing. After a week or month, then, when I’m walking across a street, someone may say “Hi,” my dog may look, get distracted, and I get hit by a car.

I’m pleading with you to not pet, or distract my or anyone’s Seeing Eye dog, it’s a matter of safety and, besides this, it’s a Class 3 misdemeanor.

My new cute 45-pound-yellow lab is depending on you.

I’m sure you can imagine how important it is to get her off on the right foot/paws.

Please watch this 23-minute video and learn how a Seeing Eye team works.

In doing this you will change the way you see and change the way you live. You will also ensure that I and other folks with guide dogs will have a long and successful life together.