How often have you wondered what this program is all about?
Have you often thought "I could NEVER give the dog back"?
I hope that this article will educate and inspire you to consider participating as a volunteer, or help with fundraising for our local Long Island organization, The Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind in Smithtown, NY.
I have a special place in my heart for this organization. I have served as a GDF puppy advisor, raised two GDF puppies, whelped a litter in my home, and presently keep one of their breeders, who is one of the most dynamic dogs I have ever shared my life with.
General History
According to the International Guide Dog Federation (www.ifgdsb.org/uk), the history of guide dogs goes back to the middle ages where a wooden plaque survived, showing a dog leading a blind
man with a leash, and then in Paris as far back as the 1700s! Individual dogs were trained along the way through the 1800s, but our modern history documents the use of German Shepherds for formal training and the pairing of trained dogs with blind soldiers in Germany during WWI. Our American training programs began here in the late 1920s. There are several schools across the country that breed, raise and train dogs for the blind as well as other disabilities, but I will concentrate on the school we have on Long Island called:
The Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind 371 East Jericho Turnpike Smithtown, NY
It is a not-for-profit organization composed of a board of directors, a professional staff, and hundreds of volunteers.
GDF Breeds of Choice
The desired characteristics of a guide dog would be a dog of workable size and height, a manageable coat, stable temperament, confidence, loyalty and intelligence. The most efficient and economical way of providing these dogs is by creating a breeding program that produces its own consistently qualified dogs. The most common dogs used to guide people who are blind are:
Labrador Retrievers
Golden Retrievers
Lab / Golden X s
Standard Poodles
German Shepherds
GDF Breeding Program
Since its inception 60 years ago, the Smithtown organization has been breeding its own dogs. They mostly breed Labrador and Golden Retrievers, but have slowly begun reintroducing the German Shepherd and some other breeds. Labrador and Golden Retrievers are the breeds most often used by guide dog schools. These breeds also are a perfect size for most people, have biddable temperaments, transfer attachments from person to person without issue, adapt to kennel life without trauma and produce large litters, which helps meet the demand for guides.
There is a professional staff that manages the breedings program. They plan all breeding, manage all the breeder caretakers, oversee the actual mating or artificial insemination, maintain extensive data records, and whelp the puppies. There is also medical support and intervention by staff veterinarians whenever needed.
All breeding of guide dogs are planned well in advance with genetic predictability being the primary goal.
Puppies grow quickly and there is much science behind their development. Much attention has been paid to early development in dogs, particularly that time period from birth to 4 months old. This period is referred to as the "window of socialization." Science has shown that more learning is condensed in these few weeks than any other time in the dog's life.
The Guide Dog Foundation respects this critical time of development and believes in not only paying close attention during these early weeks but has found that having puppies born in a warm, quiet, safe environment is key, both for the puppies as well as their mothers. However, there are times when either the mom or the puppies require special care, in which case it's decided that they may be better off whelping in the kennels with a full-time staff to tend to them. GDF also respects the science, which spells out the early weeks specifically, as far as when eyes and ears begin to function and when physical exploration is necessary to insure the vital raw material for learning. Attention to creating a specific environment will stimulate early learning, build confidence and increase the likelihood of GDF puppies becoming successful guide or service dogs.
The breeding department is quite an exciting place. The staff and volunteers devote themselves to dogs in their care, whether during breeding, pregnancy, whelping, or the first few weeks of a newborn pup's life. Even with all their education and skill, Mother Nature sometimes throws a few surprises their way - like a recent poodle litter where they were expecting four puppies and ended up with seven!
Breeder Caretakers
Volunteers serve as breeder caretakers, offering a home and their love to those special dogs who offer up the best of their genetics to breed the next generations of guide or service dogs.
These breeder dogs are to be treated like members of the family, but breeder caretakers have certain responsibilities they agree to in a contract. For instance, they must make the breeder dog available to the Foundation when called upon, and they must attend, with their dog, breeder obedience classes four times a year. All medical needs and boarding in the Guide Dog Foundation kennels are offered to the breeder keeper at no charge while the breeder is in your care.
Females and males are called in for breeding under different time frames and different times of the year, depending on the breeding department's plans. The number of times a particular male or female will be called upon varies based on breed demand and genetic matching, health, as well as past success of litter history and the age of breeder. Once the breeding department has determined the need for a specific male, he's brought to the Foundation to stay for about a week to breed with the female they've chosen. Although females go into season twice a year, Guide Dog Foundation breeds its females only once a year, for about four years.
Except for when the dog is required for breeding, a breeder dog is yours to love and care for. When he or she is ready for retirement at the end of their service, breeder caretakers are offered the chance to adopt the dog. In addition, the foundation offers obedience classes for their breeder dogs which families are encouraged to attend.
All GDF purebred puppies are evaluated when they are about a year old to see if they are suitable to join the breeding colony. If GDF has decided through observation of behavior, temperament, and appearance that they are a good candidate for a future breeder, they will notify the puppy walker and arrange for testing. These tests are for eyes, heart, hips, and elbows. In order to be a breeder, a dog must pass all of these tests. If it is determined that the dog will be in the breeding program, there is a good chance that the puppy walker will be able to keep him as long as he or she is made available for GDF breeding from time to time.
In-Home Whelps
Some Guide Dog Foundation dogs whelp at the Foundation's puppy nursery, while others whelp in the home of volunteers. Volunteers who help with in-home whelping are people with whom the Foundation has a relationship. They might be staff members or kennel volunteers, current or former puppy walkers, or people who have had previous experience whelping Foundation pups (either in the nursery or someone else's home whelp). This commitment of time, attention, and skill is reserved for the most qualified individuals and families chosen by the Guide Dog Foundation breeding department.
While some breeder caretakers may have their own female whelp in their home, at other times, an in-home whelping volunteer will take someone else's pregnant female. Once in your home for a few days, and with lots of educational support from the staff and volunteer whelping teams, the female will give birth. You get to help with the whelping, videotape, and care for the pups for the next six weeks. All the care, record keeping, and hands-on work for these puppies will be done by the in-home whelping family.
The mom remains with you during this time and is then returned to her breeder keeper once the puppies are weaned. The puppies will all return to the Foundation at a time to be determined and will then be assigned to individual homes for the upcoming year. Those that take on these puppies are called Puppy Walkers or Puppy Raisers.
Puppy Walkers or Puppy Raisers
Volunteers who raise Guide Dog Foundation puppies during their first year are referred to as Puppy Walkers or Puppy Raisers. Puppy walkers are vital to the success of the puppy program. A puppy walker's responsibilities require that a puppy live with that family for up to 15 months, and a particular puppy is often chosen by the puppy department so that it is a good match for a particular lifestyle:
Are there children in the family? What are their ages?
Do family members work full or part time? Do they work from home?
Can someone take the dog to work with them each day?
Do they live in the city or the country?
Is this a first dog?
Are there other animals in the house?
Do they have a fenced yard?
Remember these are not pets; they are future guide or service dogs so they must accompany the puppy walker through their day to day activities as much as possible. Certainly there are times when the puppies need to remain at home for a few hours at a time, but special effort must be made to take the puppies to many types of places to experience life as it will be when they are guides. For example, these activities include car travel, grocery stores, medical appointments, movie theatres, beauty salons, and restaurants. Each puppy walker is assigned a puppy advisor who works for the Guide Dog Foundation, or, if they are located out of New York State, a local area coordinator who oversees a puppy group.
Puppy walkers teach their dogs to have good house manners, build social confidence, to eliminate on blacktop or concrete only, to travel in the foot well of a car, and develop basic obedience skills.
Puppy walkers must participate in group training classes held at various locations around Long Island. All training classes and medical expenses are provided at no charge. The Guide Dog Foundation will also board the puppy at no cost to you, at its kennels in Smithtown. Puppy walkers are responsible for food, which can even be arranged at a discount through GDF's puppy program.
The Puppy Walker Experience
No one denies that it can be difficult when it's time to return a puppy to the Guide Dog Foundation for formal training. However, the good far outweighs the bad, and many puppy walkers have shared that they feel blessed that they have had a chance to give a very special gift to someone they've never met. A guide or service dog is a gift of a best friend to someone with disabilities to help them overcome the challenges they have in living a life most of us take for granted.
The bond a puppy walker has with a puppy is strong, especially after spending every waking moment with your puppy when he accompanied you everywhere you went. You'll be amazed at how you're treated when you're out and about with your guide dog puppy wearing his bright yellow "Future Guide Dog" vest.
Many, many puppy walkers shed a tear of pride and accomplishment, and experience a heartfelt sharing of devotion to the needs of someone other than themselves.
Many puppy walkers arrange to leave the Foundation with another puppy on the same day their current pup comes in for training. Others wait a short time and come back when they're ready.
Being a puppy walker will leave you with one of the most memorable years of your life. You will meet other puppy walkers who all share a common bond and can become friends for life.
For families who hesitate because their kids couldn't handle it when it's time for the dog to go in for training, raising a Guide Dog Foundation puppy is a great way to teach your children about loss and love...about giving and caring..about the human/animal bond. Some puppy walkers say it's a great way to teach kids that saying good-bye isn't always a bad thing.
Most importantly, you'll experience the pride and joy when, at Celebration Sunday, you get to meet the person who will go forward in life with a special dog at his or her side - the dog you raised.
Cost
Each puppy that begins its life at GDF and becomes a guide requires over a year of raising and training. This cost is supported solely through donations of individuals, corporations, foundations, and service organizations.
Sponsors
Each one of these 6-week-old puppies is going to need a sponsor. This can be an individual, company, or service group like the Lions that chooses to sponsor a puppy. A puppy sponsor donates $6000, and they get to name the puppy as well. They will often choose a name that reminds them of a dear friend or family member or a catchy name that reflects their business. These sponsors are honored at Celebration Sunday and given updates of their puppy's progress throughout their first year.
Conclusion This program NEEDS you, particularly NOW when so many families are forced to work extra hours. Maybe it's just what you need to bring joy into your heart by sharing your year with a darling dog and meeting wonderful people who share this unique bond.
Here is my last picture taken with Archie, along with something I wrote and shared with his new mom as well as other puppy walkers.
There are those moments in life when we stop to think about whether or not we have left enough of ourselves behind.
We know that our children are watching us.
We want to be remembered for what we gave back to this world.
We stop to wonder if we have taken more than we have given.
We have a chance to get things back in balance by putting another person's needs before our own.
The harmony in that unselfish decision..to give so much of our hearts and our lives to a dog on behalf of a stranger...it is from that moment on we three are magically bonded...
forever.
man with a leash, and then in Paris as far back as the 1700s! Individual dogs were trained along the way through the 1800s, but our modern history documents the use of German Shepherds for formal training and the pairing of trained dogs with blind soldiers in Germany during WWI. Our American training programs began here in the late 1920s. There are several schools across the country that breed, raise and train dogs for the blind as well as other disabilities, but I will concentrate on the school we have on Long Island called: 
who help with in-home whelping are people with whom the Foundation has a relationship. They might be staff members or kennel volunteers, current or former puppy walkers, or people who have had previous experience whelping Foundation pups (either in the nursery or someone else's home whelp). This commitment of time, attention, and skill is reserved for the most qualified individuals and families chosen by the Guide Dog Foundation breeding department.
service dogs so they must accompany the puppy walker through their day to day activities as much as possible. Certainly there are times when the puppies need to remain at home for a few hours at a time, but special effort must be made to take the puppies to many types of places to experience life as it will be when they are guides. For example, these activities include car travel, grocery stores, medical appointments, movie theatres, beauty salons, and restaurants. Each puppy walker is assigned a puppy advisor who works for the Guide Dog Foundation, or, if they are located out of New York State, a local area coordinator who oversees a puppy group.
