Guide Dogs for the Blind
Then and now...

Several breeds of dog are used in this program including yellow labs, black labs, golden retrievers, and a first generation cross between the lab and the golden. They are trained to guide the blind.

Puppies are bred at the facility in either San Rafael or Boring and at two months old are given to puppy raising volunteers. Puppy raisers socialize and train dogs until they are about sixteen to eighteen months old. They take them to stores, restaurants, school, work and other exciting places during the year. Raisers also teach pups basic obedience including sit, down, stand, stay and do your business. Puppies' development is carefully monitored by leaders of clubs. There are 1,000 raisers involved in clubs, like Eyes for Others, in eight western states; Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington. These clubs provide support and advice for puppy raisers. At the end of the year the puppy raiser must return the dog to the training facility.

The next step in the dogs training occurs back in San Rafeal where professional trainers run the dogs through a series of tests and training exercises. If the dog passes all phases of health and temperament testing they will be paired with a viually impaired partner. The pair will train together for a couple of weeks and then graduate in a ceremony where the puppy raiser gets to meet the blind partner and formally present the dog to them.

Photos courtesy of Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc.