By ELSIE DENTON
News intern
June 27, 2007

Frequent visitors to Rosauers are familiar with Bill Caldwell and his Golden Labrador guide dog trotting to the supermarket to enjoy a cup of coffee. The pair is back, but don’t be fooled. Caldwell has a brand-new guide dog, Timmy, who will be just two years old as of the end of the month.

According to Caldwell, Timmy’s youth doesn’t affect his work ethic any. “He is a very sensitive dog. He really wants to please and is so willing to work. His personality is good. He loves everyone.”

Timmy’s mellow and easy-going personality might compel you to come pet him if you meet the pair on the street, but control yourself.

“You are not supposed to pet guide dogs unless you ask,” said Caldwell.

Guide Dogs for the Blind, the nonprofit organization that provides canine companions and care for over 1,900 visually impaired citizens, explains that petting a guide dog or otherwise distracting it while it is working detracts from the dog’s ability to focus and might put the handler-guide pair in a dangerous situation. Caldwell says if he is asked first he will generally give permission for you to greet Timmy, but it is still important to keep contact down to a minimum so as not to erode the bond formed between guide and owner.

“Guiding is hard work,” said Caldwell. “If he (Timmy) were to discover he could be rewarded for just being a pet, he wouldn’t want to work.”

Timmy is Caldwell’s second guide dog — his first, Keanu, had to be retired after he was attacked last year in the Rosauers parking lot by a larger dog.

Training a guide dog the second time around is less difficult, said Caldwell. “It is easier now that I am supposed to be an expert dog handler and already know my way around.”

Timmy has yet to navigate to some of the more difficult downtown locations like Bette’s Place restaurant but he has mastered the routes to Rosauers, where Caldwell likes to enjoy a cup of coffee, and Safeway, where the pair occasionally drops by to visit Caldwell’s daughter, Roxanne Fridlee.

Now that Caldwell is in Timmy’s capable paws Keanu can breathe easy. Even though he put in a valiant effort, Keanu was not able to return to the harness after the attack and continued to be jittery around large dogs. Caldwell retired him in April, but his old friend didn’t go far.

“He is with my daughter,” said Caldwell. “He was like part of the family; I wanted to keep him close.”

As much as he cared for Keanu Caldwell couldn’t keep his old friend in the house once Timmy came. Other dogs create distractions and weaken the bond formed between guide and handler.

“When I was going to retire Keanu I thought about how to keep him with me and still see him,” said Caldwell. “This way is really great. Keanu is doing really good and I can take Timmy down and let them play.”

Looking at the two golden labs it is easy to see why Guide Dogs for the Blind selected Timmy to be Keanu’s replacement. Weighing 30 pounds less than Keanu, Timmy could be his younger brother. If Timmy were to grow a bit more they might even be mistaken for twins, except for the black spot that graces Timmy’s right ear.

Caldwell is looking forward to his future with Timmy.

“He is a good pup,” said Caldwell. “He has lots of energy and we are starting to bond real well.”