When you see a person who is visually impaired walking confidently down a busy city sidewalk with his devoted guide dog, you may wonder how the dog knows where to go and what to do. How does a puppy grow up to be a guide dog and take on the enormous responsibility of seeing for his human companion?
We asked Leader Dog for the Blind, a non-profit organization that has been training dogs for 71 years, to let us into the life of guide dogs and the people who depend on them.
Picking Puppies
Leader Dogs for the Blind relies on Golden Retrievers, Labradors and German Shepherds most often, and Standard Poodles for people with allergies. These breeds are selected because of their size and temperament, and because of their double coat. "We don't know what part of the country our dogs will end up in," says Rachelle Kniffen, Marketing Specialist at Leader Dogs for the Blind. "They have to be comfortable in any climate."
Volunteer host families keep mom and dad dogs in their homes for breeding, and have the wonderful job of birthing the puppies who will grow up to be Leader Dogs.
This organization also rescues dogs from shelters for training. As long as they have Golden, Lab or Shepherd in their mix, and have the double coat and temperament, they can make great Leader Dogs.
Leader Dog Puppy Training
Leader Dogs begin training as soon as they are weaned. Volunteer puppy raisers take puppies home to live in a family environment for a year. These puppies get obedience training like any other dog, but also get to do a whole lot more than your average pup!
Wearing a bandana that says Future Leader Dog, the puppy goes to the grocery store, movies, restaurants, church, and sporting events - sometimes even to the school of the puppy raiser's children. The more the puppy experiences as a puppy, the less likely he is to have an adverse reaction to the experience as an adult.
Continued: Training to be a Leader Dog and Learning to Disobey