Pine Tree Guide Dog Users (PTGDU)
“Opening Doors to Independence and Opportunity”
February 2026 Monthly News Update
Welcome to the Pine Tree Guide Dog Users Monthly News Update, a nationally recognized publication for guide dog handlers and others interested in the guide dog movement. Read the archives at www.PineTreeGuideDogUsers.org/monthly-news-updates
Community Connect
This section features community updates and more.
- What’s next? Find out at our PTGDU board meeting on Wednesday, February 4th at 6:30 PM via Zoom. Send us a message for the agenda and Zoom link. Everyone is welcome.
- No Cocoa for Canines. With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, it’s a good time to remember that chocolate and dogs are a dangerous mix. Chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine—stimulants that dogs struggle to metabolize. Generally, the darker the chocolate, the higher the risk of illness to dogs. You can learn more about chocolate poisoning from the experts at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.
- Love is in the air. The Seeing Eye has launched a heartwarming new page where its graduates can share original songs about their dogs. Some of these tributes are crafted with a little help from AI, blending human emotion and creative technology to honor their special partners.
- It’s National Pet Dental Health Month. Brushing your dog’s teeth is an easy, daily step towards protecting your dog’s overall health and vitality. Watch this how-to video from the Schwarzman Animal Medical Center to ensure your dog is getting the dental care it needs!
- Vet expenses? Maine residents may qualify for PTGDU’s Mary T. & Curtis D. Lovill Trust Fund for financial assistance of up to $2,500 for their guide dog’s emergency veterinary care. You can find the policy & application on our website.
Advocacy Matters
This section features news on access and legislative issues.
- Where’s my ride? Whether you’re searching for a rideshare vehicle or a friend’s car, The CurbToCar app can help riders find their ride using the phone’s camera. Co-designed with blind users through the MIT Assistive Tech Club, this free app for iPhones uses object detection and real-time tracking along with continuous audio feedback and distance estimation to locate the car.
- Real service animals. Wondering how to recognize a real service animal? PTGDU’s professionally designed flyer helps businesses and others differentiate legitimate service animals from those whose owners make false claims about a dog’s status in order to gain access or avoid “pet” fees.
Submissions from Members & Friends
This section features contributions shared by PTGDU members and friends.
Finding Joy in a Shared Challenge
By PTGDU member and book author Sue W. Martin
I love cross-country skiing. It’s exhilarating, it tests your balance and skill, and it’s fun.
Sharing my life with my guide dogs is all inclusive. It doesn’t begin when the harness goes on and it doesn’t end when the harness comes off.
Put those two things together and the next step becomes inevitable. Skiing with my dog.
It’s not complicated but it’s not easy.
Kasey is trained to guide me. When we ski together, she is not guiding me. She is not harnessed. When not wearing her harness, she considers herself off duty. Her rules of behavior change. And she’s young, energetic, and eager to interact with the world around her. I need to, at least somewhat, tame that eagerness without squelching her enthusiasm.
I started by skiing on our road. We live on a private, unpaved, dead-end road. When it snows, there’s always a layer of snow on the road, even after its plowed. My goal was to get her to stay on my left side and run along with me. Since she’s trained to pull out in harness, she naturally moves out ahead of me. I just needed to teach her not to pull too hard.
With skis on, poles in hand, and the loop of her long leash grasped around my left ski pole, we began.
At first, Kasey trotted nicely along on my left side. Then, it was like a light went on in her head. “Hey, we’re trotting down this road, I’m not wearing my harness, yahoo, let’s go!” Angling my right ski to slow down, I gave the command, “Steady,” and pulled back on her leash. When she stopped pulling, I praised her. We continued down the road as I repeated the process.
During our third trip down the road, I had her trotting nicely along on my left side. It was time to try skiing together for real.
We went to a local forest reserve with nicely groomed trails. And off we went. Occasionally, Kasey spun in a circle or two. But it didn’t interrupt our progress so I just laughed at her exuberance.
Then we came to the first hill.
What a thrill! I picked up speed. We flew down the trail together. She ran straight and true and my skis stayed nicely in the groomed tracks. Knees slightly flexed and leaning forward, I adjusted to each change and bend in the trail as it came. Then the trail leveled out. I praised Kasey effusively and we continued.
Another hill. We flew together with Kasey pulling a bit harder. “Steady,” I instructed. She eased her pull. The trail leveled out. And we continued. I kept up a running dialog with Kasey, ensuring her engagement in this new activity.
At the half-way point, we took a break. Taking off my mittens, I crouched before her, held her face gently in my hands, and told her what a good girl she was.
After two hours, we cruised down the last hill and skied out of the forest. We had done it!
About the author. Sue Martin is happily retired and living in northern Michigan where she delights in exploring the great outdoors. When she’s not hiking or skiing, she’s writing, taking care of her plants, or just hanging out in front of the fire with her husband, Jim. Sue is currently working her sixth dog, a female German shepherd from The Seeing Eye.
Gear, Supplies and Dog Toys
This section features a brief description of items favored by guide dog teams but is not intended as an endorsement of the actual products.
Safeguard your dog from winter’s cold and wet weather. Ruffwear’s gray Highlands Pad is a lightweight, backpacking dog bed with an easy-to-clean microsuede sleeping surface and accordion-fold design for compact and easy transport. The closed-cell foam and synthetic down insulate from hard, cold surfaces, while the non-slip waterproof base ensures a dry spot for your pup. Perfect for protecting your dog at the bus stop, or from car and other floors that are wet from snow melt and covered with sand and deicing chemicals. Size medium measures approximately 23 x 33 x 1 inches when flat and 12 x 5 x 5 inches when folded. Weighs 12 ounces. $50.00.
PTGDU Recipe of the Month
This section features a favorite recipe from the guide dog community.
Guiding Eyes for the Blind
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with this special guide dog recipe filled with a blend of dedication, love, and teamwork.
Ingredients
A touch of Home Litter Care Volunteers for round-the-clock nurturing of our future guide dogs.
A generous scoop of Early Socialization Volunteers to introduce newborn pups to gentle hands and the wonders of the world.
A spoonful of Home Socializers, ensuring young puppies experience new sights, sounds, and textures with confidence.
A handful of Puppy Wranglers to help manage active, curious pups during events.
A few frames from our Puppy Test and IFT Videographers, capturing vital milestones in training.
A sprinkle of Drivers, who transport dogs, puppies, and supplies wherever they need to go.
A strong foundation of Puppy Raisers, providing love, socialization, and early training.
A pinch of Puppy Sitters, ready to step in when a raiser needs a helping hand.
A dollop of Region Coordinators, guiding and supporting raisers every step of the way.
A splash of Class Helpers, ensuring smooth training sessions
A swirl of Region Social Media Volunteers, sharing inspiring stories and updates.
A dash of Kennel Volunteers providing daily care, comfort, companionship, and enrichment at the Canine Development Center and Training School.
A hearty helping of Brood/Stud Fosters and Sitters, giving our breeding dogs the best care and love in a home environment.
A drizzle of Puppy and Dog Massage Volunteers to soothe muscles and promote relaxation in our hardworking dogs.
A pinch of Administrative Volunteers preparing supplies and assisting with genetics, adoptions, student services, and fundraising efforts.
A final garnish of Ambassador and Event Volunteers, spreading awareness and enthusiasm in the community and connecting us with future supporters and friends.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Combine all ingredients with passion, patience, and unwavering dedication.
- Mix thoroughly in an environment filled with encouragement and expert guidance.
- Proof your puppy – allow time for growth, learning, and bonding.
- Season with love and positive reinforcement.
- Serve with a full heart and the joy of knowing a life has been changed forever with a Guiding Eyes guide dog at their side!
About Us
This monthly news update is a publication of Pine Tree Guide Dog Users (PTGDU), an independent, nonprofit membership organization serving blind and low vision residents of Maine and beyond. Founded in 1997, PTGDU works to promote the equality and inclusion of guide dog teams in all aspects of life. Visit us on the web or follow us on Facebook.