Thank you dog guide trainers

Who doesn’t love a cute face? What about a cute face that has puppy breathe?

I’m sure many of you are familiar with dog guides, but did you know that people/families raise dog guides from puppies to about a year old? Dog guide facilities such as The Seeing Eye, KSDS Inc., Leader Dogs for the Blind and many more send puppies home with people so they can train the dogs just like others. This includes potty training and to be obedient. After the dogs are trained and out of their “puppy” stage the family brings the dog back to the facility where it is then trained to be a guide.

The dogs must pass their training and not have any health issues in order to be a dog guide. If they are unable to perform guide dues or suffer an illness or health issue the person/family who trained it has an option to have the dog. If the person/family does not want the dog, it will then be put up for adoption. The same goes for dog guides who are elderly or are not able to perform their guide duties anymore.

I want to thank the people who train dog guides! How wonderful it must feel to be able to say that you helped train a dog that helps a person live a full and independent life! I want to know how they do it? How hard it must be to have a dog in your life for a year then have to give it up! I do think it’s great that most trainers are able to meet the person who gets the dog at the dog’s graduation. Again, thank you to the people who have such big hearts to help train these dogs to help people with disabilities!