SEPARATION ANXIETY\Sad goodbye in store for Simi girl training Guide Dog for Blind.

Byline: Alicia Doyle Daily News Staff Writer

Her puppy close by her side, 9-year-old Kimberly Chierichetti had tears in her eyes as she watched Dijon, a Guide Dog for the Blind, being led away from a young girl who had cared for the dog for more than a year.

One by one, other youngsters were separated from their companions - black Labradors, yellow Labradors and German Shepherds - all dogs who had lived for months with their temporary owners and were being sent away to a special school.

While the dogs learn how to be the eyes for a new blind owner, the youngsters who grew to love them will learn to deal with loss.

Looking down at Geisha, a black Labrador Kimberly adopted just after Halloween, the youngster was reminded of what she, too, must face when her dog is old enough to begin doing the job she's being raised for.

"When Geisha goes back are we gonna get another puppy?" Kimberly asked her mother, Sam Chierichetti, who rarely talks with Kimberly about the day when they must return Geisha.

Kimberly witnessed other puppy raisers going through painful goodbyes for the first time in January, during a Guide Dogs for the Blind field day in Ventura.

The day was filled with various tests - obstacles the dogs must learn to overcome if they are to take their place by the sides of blind people.

But it was also the end point for many raisers who had become attached to the puppies they had temporarily adopted.

"When we adopted Geisha, we knew we would someday have to give Geisha up," Sam Chierichetti said. "But this was the first time Kimberly actually saw it. In Kimberly's mind, by wanting another puppy, she's probably just reassuring herself that she's not going to be lonely when she has to say goodbye."

Since Kimberly adopted Geisha, she has been familiarizing the puppy with public situations, teaching her different commands.

"Sit," "come," "wait" and "stand" are words Geisha clearly has come to understand.

But like a child, the puppy sometimes disobeys.

When Kimberly and her mother take Geisha to the supermarket, the canine devours any small object she sees on the floor. During a short trip to the store, Kimberly spends much of her time prying pieces of candy, cigarette butts - even blunt pieces of glass - from Geisha's mouth.

On occasion, Kimberly has had to pick up after Geisha when the puppy sporadically has gone to the bathroom in public places.

But despite creating sometimes embarrassing situations, Geisha is slowly learning how to behave in public.

When Kimberly brings the dog to her third-grade class at Madera Elementary School, Geisha sits obediently at Kimberly's feet. Aside from the dog's occasional snoring, Geisha's presence could easily go unnoticed.

At weekly ballet classes, Geisha rests quietly near Kimberly's side, watching Kimberly in the mirror as she practices.

During the Guide Dogs for the Blind field day, Geisha was among 90 Guide Dogs in training who passed a series of tests with flying colors.

Led by Kimberly's leash, Geisha kept her eyes focused on a designated walkway before them as a jackhammer pounded only several feet away. As Kimberly and the dog sat on a bus set up especially for the event, Geisha knew to sit quietly between Kimberly's legs, with her tail out of the isle.

Geisha has learned a lot in the past several weeks, Kimberly is proud to say. The dog has also nuzzled a special place in Kimberly's heart.

"I love her," Kimberly said.

Sam Chierichetti talked to her daughter about temporarily adopting a puppy after noticing a Guide Dog for the Blind in Target one day when she was shopping.

Eager to train a dog all on her own, Kimberly later signed up to be a puppy raiser through the 4-H program with Guide Dogs for the Blind Inc.

Four-H is an informal educational youth program, conducted by the University of California's Cooperative Extension.

In 4-H, youngsters develop initiative and leadership skills and take on responsibility through different activities. Youngsters gain self-esteem, develop decision-making skills and learn how to work with others.

When Geisha turns 18 months in February 1997, Kimberly must return her to a San Rafael Guide Dog project leader, who will then teach Geisha additional skills through more intensive training.

"When she turns Geisha over, she could be turning her over forever," explained Morry Angell, promotions coordinator for Guide Dogs for the Blind Inc. "She may never see her dog again."

For five months, Geisha will live in a kennel, where she will learn how to judge when it's safe to cross the street and how to negotiate different elevations. Geisha also will be trained to size up overhead obstacles, learning to lead a blind person around an object that is too low for the person to pass under.

If Geisha passes her five months of training, she will be placed with a blind person for one month. If Geisha succeeds in the sixth month of training, she will remain with that blind person permanently.

Only half of the dogs graduate. If Geisha fails, Kimberly will be given the chance to adopt her dog permanently.

Morry explained that a dog could fail for several reasons.

"A dog might not graduate for temperamental reasons, aggression. If they're afraid of people, kids, cats, traffic - that would hinder guide work," Morry said. "Some dogs just aren't cut out to be Guide Dogs."

Guide Dogs for the Blind Inc. is a nonprofit charitable organization dedicated to providing skilled Guide Dogs to the blind in the United States and Canada.

The organization was established in 1942 to serve blind World War II veterans. It operates two training facilities, one in San Rafael and another in Boring, Ore.

In 1995, there were eight puppy raisers in Simi Valley, according to the organization's public information office. There are roughly 1,000 raisers in eight states nationwide, including Washington, Oregon and Utah. California had the most raisers this year, with 499 families temporarily adopting puppies.

"The hardest thing, emotionally, is the day their puppy has to go back for its formal training," said Bill Johnston, Kimberly's 4-H leader.

He explained that most youngsters don't start to realize they must give up their dog until they receive a letter from the Guide Dogs for the Blind a month before the dog has to be returned.

"At that point in time, it's like 'bam ' - that wall came up and hit them square in the face, and they realize that's what it's all about," Johnston said. "That's when they go through a grieving process."

Although Sam Chierichetti knows giving up Geisha will be hard on Kimberly, she reassures her daughter that caring for Geisha will help others.

"We have to remember that this is a very positive thing, even though it may hurt a little bit to give up something you love," Sam Chierichetti said. "I tell Kimberly that it's not that she's giving up something, but that she's learning to give something."

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Photo (1--color in CONEJO and SIMI only) Geisha sits obediently as Kimberly Chierichetti's third-grade class recites the Pledge of Allegiance. (2) Geisha meets other Guide Dogs in training at a 4-H Club meeting. (3) Geisha discovers a new aspect of her trainer during Kimberly's ballet class. The training is designed to introduce future Guide Dogs to all kinds of real-world situations. (4--ran in CONEJO and SIMI only) Kimberly blows out her birthday candles; Geisha sits behind. (5--ran in CONEJO and SIMI only) Geisha sits quietly on the floor while Kimberly practices on the computer alongside her classmates. Andy Holzman/Special to the Daily News