BJ Blahnik And His Leader Dog Jackson
Author: Matt Nelson
BJ Blahnik And His Leader Dog Jackson
Matt Nelson
On May 1st, Lions Club Member BJ Blahnik, from Wisconsin, gave presentations to the Broadwater County Elementary and Middle School students about his Leader Dog Jackson, a guide dog, and what he has experienced in life, being blind.
Lion Richard Heida, a Townsend representative of the Lions Club, accompanied BJ and Jackson. Mr. Steven Cook, the Principal of the Elementary School and Mr. Brad Racht, the Principal of the Middle School, who were also present during their respective sessions, helped gather the students and had them ready to listen and learn.
BJ began his presentation, “Hello. This is my 1st time ever coming to Montana. I am here and I am really enjoying myself. I am going to talk to you a bit about how Leader Dog Jackson helps me around. You may not realize it, but I can’t see very well. I don’t really look like I am having a vision problem. It may not look like I can’t see. But I can’t see any one of you. I can’t see the color of your clothes. But that’s OK because I can hear that all of you are ready to learn."[
After visiting several eye doctors, about the age of 12, BJ was informed that he is visually impaired from a condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa or RP for short. In his early 20’s, he heard about Leader Dogs for the Blind in Rochester Hills, Michigan. They train dogs for people who are blind and/or visually impaired. Their training helps someone navigate through life safely and independently. That’s the key word: Safely. The total cost of training for Leader Dog Jackson was $100,000. He did not need to pay anything because of organizations like Lions Clubs International, who helped cover those costs.
"How does it work? I hold Jackson’s harness with my left hand. I give him commands like Forward, Left, Right, and find the curb. When he is walking, I can feel him going up and down, like when going up and down stairs. I can feel him turning left or right. At all times, I walk around absolutely assured that I am safe, because the dog is looking at the ground, the branches in the trees and the signs that may stick over the sidewalk. When crossing an intersection, Jackson will determine if it is safe to cross based on the traffic around him.”
To help ensure Leader Dog Jackson is always watching for hand commands, as well as listening to other commands, BJ plays a game called touch. BJ use his hand and asked Jackson to touch his hand in many different spots. This helps the dog to always be looking for hand commands just in case he cannot hear BJ. Throughout all the trainings and techniques, BJ always rewarded Jackson with praise and treats.
The duo of BJ and Jackson then began to discuss the rules when being around a guide dog or even any service animal. BJ stated it is never ok to pet the dog, especially when he is holding the harness handle. He even said, “You should not look at the dog’s eyes because it may cause him to be distracted." He stated "dogs are either working or playing and when he is using Jackson, it is very important he stays focused on helping guide me safely."
After the demonstration was completed and the questions were asked, BJ presented a small stuffed yellow dog to Mr. Cook and suggested the school create a way on how to name the dog. “This will help all of you remember my visit and what to do when you meet a service dog,” BJ stated. All of the children were very enthused and excited on what they thought the dog should be named.
On behalf of Leader Dogs for the Blind, BJ closed his visit with thanking the school and the Lions Clubs of Montana for allowing him to speak with the school. It was such a delight listening to BJ and seeing his presentation to the K- 5 students at the Townsend Elementary School, as well as seeing the very happy faces and hearing the loud cheers of the kids.
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PhotoCredit: Matt Nelson
Image 1 Caption: Mr. BJ Blahnik, standing with his Leader Dog Jackson, is talking to the Broadwater County Elementary Students, grades K-5.
Photo Credits: Matt Nelson
