Jazz leads the way

Danette Goulet

NEWPORT BEACH -- He was obedient to the point that he lay docilely on

a blue and white checkered cloth on top of a table while 30 pairs of eyes

studied him.

Jazz is a black Labrador retriever and a guide dog for 76-year-old

Warren “Duke” Henderickson of Newport Beach.

Henderickson brought his companion of the last six years to visit Lori

Manz’s fifth-grade class at Andersen Elementary School on Thursday to

teach students about guide dogs and compassion.

“I think it’s really nice to know what other people have to go

through,” said Leila Khatiblou, 11.

“It was fun hearing about it from his point of view, instead of just

being told about it,” added Alison Luke, 11.

Although Henderickson did not explain how he lost his sight in 1987 to

a virus that damaged his retinas beyond surgical repair, he was eager to

share with students the experience of getting Jazz and how special the

dog is.

He told students about Jazz’s breed, his 19 weeks of training to be a

guide dog, his duties as a seeing-eye dog and finally Henderickson’s own

duties and responsibilities to Jazz.

“The last part of the training is they take me and I go to school with

the dog for a whole month and he trains me, because he already knows what

he’s doing,” Henderickson said.

It was the dog’s ability and intelligence that really impressed the

children.

“I like how it’s just amazing that the dog can learn as much and he

can,” said Dillon Yowell, whose grandmother, Doreen Adams, was

instrumental in getting Henderickson the dog six years ago and in

bringing both into the classroom Thursday.