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Puppy In Training TV – Ep15 – Guide Dogs Of America Open House

October 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The Guide Dogs of America Open House is held every June in Sylmar, California.  This year Dublin, my guide dog puppy in training and I attended the event.

There’s a ton of stuff going on at the GDA open house.  Puppies in training have the opportunity to participate in the puppy trials (we arrived too late and I didn’t  get a chance to take Dublin through the trials this year).

There’s also a silent auction with tons of goodies for dogs, cats, other pets, and tons of cool stuff for us humans as well.  There’s several booths with…you guessed it tons of doggy stuff for sale.

GDA Open House
Dublin Lovin’ it!

Guide Dogs of America also does a guide dog training demo.  There are tours of the campus and also tons of other goodies are given away in the GDA raffle.

I’m sure I’m missing other cool things that happen on this awesome day.

We were able to put together our most recent puppy training video starring Dublin in Episode 15 – Guide Dogs of America Open House.  Check it out:

Episode 15 – Guide Dogs of America Open House

Here’s this weeks episode of Puppy In Training TV.  If you’d like to sponsor an episode take a look at the Puppy In Training TV Sponsorship page.

Guide Dogs Of America Open House Transcription

PuppyInTraining.com Logo and Website Address

We recently made our way back to Sylmar for the Guide Dogs of America Open House. That’s Dublin standing at the gates of GDA and I’m Colby welcome to episode 15 of Puppy In Training TV

Guide Dog Puppy Training Starring DUBLIN
With Linus Aussie Shepherd Rescue
Also Colby The Human
And Stetson Career Changed Guide Dog

We’re back at GDA campus and that’s Dublin hopping up on stage. We’ll see him there again later. Do you remember the last time Dublin and I posed out in front of the Guide Dogs of America sign? If you guessed back during episode 1 puppy pickup day then you’d be correct.

When we arrived at GDA we walked down that very same hill from episode 1 towards the Silent Auction As we mosied on down we saw this pup working on his “Get Busy” command You might also notice his handler petting him while he potty’s. Puppy raisers pet their pups when they potty. Why you might ask? Because when they become formal guides this helps their vision impaired handler determine if their pup is going #1 or #2.

Ahhh…the GDA Silent Auction. There’s always great stuff here. Tons of stuff for dogs, but that’s not all their are usually gift baskets for just about anybody from Laker fans, to cat lovers, to wine tastings, to restaurant and golf outings, and of course you can find something for your puppy…including a little bit of attention from a fellow puppy raiser

This years theme was june in bloom and some of the pups got quite festive

Open house is a great time to see future guide pups in training!

Every year at open house Guide Dogs of America sets up a beautiful stage to match the years theme…perfect photo op. Here’s a short clip of Dublin posing with his two siblings Daisy and Denali. Can you tell which one is Dublin?

Our puppies are given a chance to show off their obedience skills and tolerance to distractions at the puppy trials. Unfortunately we showed up late and missed the puppy trials, but still got to see that llama dublin was just staring at, a horse. We even got dublin up close and personal with a few chickens.

While we were hanging out by the chickens Dublin was a good boy and remained in a down-stay while he received a few pets

This little guy was all tuckered out after a long day at GDA open house.

As we were walking out Dublin told me he could work as a guide just like the other pups working in the lobby so I told him to show me a sit stay…pretty good Dublin, but I think you have to be a little more still to take one of their jobs.

After a long day at the Guide Dogs of America open house Dublin relaxed for the car ride home. thanks for joining us and we’ll see you next time!

Our Final Thoughts On Guide Dogs of America Open House

We love attending the Guide Dogs of America Open House every year.  Although we did not get an opportunity to go through the puppy trials we did see all the items at the silent auction (unfortunately, no bidding for us this year).  We also got to work on Dublin’s guide dog puppy training by seeing unusual distractions like the llama’s, horses, and chickens.  We also got to work on his meet and greets which in general is an area we need to work on.  However, today he was absolutely awesome with his meet and greets.  Dublin surprises me again!

Dublin was much improved from his day at the Universal City Walk.  I’m hoping his behavior on the train, tram, and bus during our visit to the city walk was an anomaly.

I’m glad you were able to join our puppy in training tv blog post.  If you have any questions or suggestions for an episode please leave us a comment in the comment section below.  Oh yeah…after you watched the video do you know which puppy was Dublin on the stage?

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Puppy In Training TV Ep13 – GDA Puppies And The March Of Dimes

September 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Just recently, Dublin, my guide dog puppy in training and I had the opportunity to work our guide dog booth at the March of Dimes – Race for Babies.  It’s a great opportunity for us to not only raise awareness about guide dogs and puppy raising, but also to expose Dublin to new situations and experiences.

Lucky for us the March of Dimes race was right up the street from us at Fashion Island in Newport Beach and many of our friends were there to help out including Yuki, Archer, Varrick, and Miles.

So without further adieu here’s this weeks episode of Puppy In Training TV.

Episode 13 – GDA Puppies And The March Of Dimes

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GDA Puppies And The March Of Dimes Transcription

PuppyInTraining.com Logo and Website Address

YEP! That’s me and Dublin walking in super slow motion. Today we’re volunteering at the GDA booth at the March of Dimes – Race For Babies. I’m Colby and I’m with Dublin. Welcome to Episode 13 of Puppy In Training TV.

Guide Dog Puppy Training Starring DUBLIN
With Linus Aussie Shepherd Rescue
Also Colby The Human
And Stetson Career Changed Guide Dog

So now you know were at the March of Dimes Race for Babies you might be wondering what exactly is the March of Dimes. Well…their missionis to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. They carry out this mission through programs of research, community services, education, and advocacy.

There was a lot going on at this event and it was good training for Dublin. We walked around for a while and eventually found the GDA booth.

Dublin’s puppy friends Yuki, Miles, Varrick, and Archer were there helping out as well

There was lots of great information at our booth on Guide Dogs, Puppy Raising, and even a glasses that simulate the different types of blindness.

There was a lot going on in and around our booth. As you can see there was a giant inflatable slide for the kids. Tons of adults and kids running and walking by and many other informational booths up and down the street and there was even a band playing across the street.

When we first arrived Dublin decided to relax for a bit and gnaw on a bone, but it wasn’t before long that we saw a couple clowns come by.

One of the things we like to do with our pups is get them used to all different kinds of people including people dressed up in costume. It looks like Varrick was a little hesitant with this clown. Dublin seems to be the exact opposite and overly excited to meet this clown.

Can you guess who we saw next? None other then the one and only Captain Jack Sparrow! Awesome! another person in costume gave us another chance to socialize Dublin with a strange and new experiences. First Yuki…I think Dublin got a little jealous here.

We have been working on Dublin’s mouthy behavior. He licks and likes to put has mouth on your hands…not quite biting, but not very welcoming either. Training must be paying off because as you can see Dublin is not being mouthy at all with these kids and just rolled over and enjoyed the attention.

Near the end of the day we saw a giant check for over 1.3 million dollars go by…that’s pretty cool!

After a morning of fun with kids, clowns, and Captain Jack we packed up and headed home. I’m glad you joined us for this episode of Puppy In Training TV. I hope you enjoyed it and we’ll see you next time!

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Final Thoughts On GDA Puppies And The March Of Dimes

This was the first year we attended the March of Dimes event and it was a great experience for Dublin.  Even though Dublin was a little excited to meet both the clown and Captain Jack Sparrow I was pleasantly surprised that he didn’t show any fear or hesitation.  On top of meeting people in costume Dublin was absolutely excellent with all the little kids around him.  Again, I was surprised because I thought he’d revert back to his mouthy behavior, but I guess puppy training is paying off as he relaxed and just enjoyed the moment.

I hope you enjoyed Episode 13 GDA Puppies And The March of Dimes!

How’s your puppy training coming along? Have you been working on puppy socialization with your pup?

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Puppy In Training TV – Ep12 – Orange County Pet Expo

September 25, 2011 By 3 Comments

I’m sure many of your have been following the Puppy In Training blog for quite a while now so it’s no secret that the Orange County Pet Expo is one of our favorite events of the year.  In fact we probably never would have started this blog if it wasn’t for the OC Pet Expo.

A few years ago, before we decided to adopt a puppy, volunteer with a local dog rescue, foster puppies, or raise guide dog puppies we visited America’s Family Pet Expo in Costa Mesa, CA.  It was at the expo that we first began thinking about how we could spend our free time volunteering to help puppies and dogs.  We visited many of the animal rescue booths, guide and service dog booths, and watched many of the different demonstrations from elite dog trainers on how to train a puppy and puppy training tips, shutzund training, police k9 search and rescue, and even basic dog obedience training.

Fast forward to today…

  • We’ve helped rescue and foster several litters of puppies and dogs.
  • We’ve been raising guide dog puppies for the past 5 years.
  • We started our Puppy In Training Blog to help others with puppy training tips from our experiences as Guide Dog Puppy Raisers.
  • We even started our own little YouTube Series called Puppy In Training TV!

This weeks episode of Puppy In Training TV is all about this years Orange County Pet Expo.

Episode 12 – Orange County Pet Expo

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Orange County Pet Expo Transcription

PuppyInTraining.com Logo and Website Address

Dublin and I took a trip to one of our favorite events…the Orange County Pet Expo! My name is Colby and I’m raising Dublin! a Guide Dog puppy In Training, welcome to episode 12 of Puppy In Training TV!

Guide Dog Puppy Training Starring DUBLIN
With Linus Aussie Shepherd Rescue
Also Colby The Human
And Stetson Career Changed Guide Dog

Every year the America’s Family Pet Expo comes to the fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, California. It’s one of our favorite events and this year Dublin and I worked part of the day at the Guide Dogs of America booth.

We got to the Pet Expo a little bit early before our shift so I let Dublin check out some of the animals at the show. We saw horses, we saw sheep and chickens and other animals inside the petting zoo, there were also donkeys at the oc pet expo, here’s dublin getting a little bit closer to that donkey, Dublin even relaxed in a down position and got almost nose to nose with a Llama!

There are tons of exhibits and demonstrations at the orange county pet expo. of course our favorites are the dog exhibits…However there are also exhibits for birds, fish, reptiles, and other small animals. my mom goes back every year to check out the cats, and of course there’s just about everything a pet lover can ask for at the OC pet expo.

After getting a short preview of the pet expo we followed this pug and group of horses over to the Guide Dogs of America booth. We hung out for a couple hours with some of the other GDA pups and puppy raisers and talked to people about the guide dog puppy raising program.

The OC Pet Expo gave us a great opportunity to walk Dublin through crowds. We’ve done the same kind of walks through shopping malls, but we have never walked through this many people or had so many distractions. Dublin did great walking through crowds and wasn’t afraid of the people or other animals…maybe a little to gung ho as he was pulling a bit on his lead.

One of our favorite events to watch is splash dogs…WOH! Lets watch that again…some of those dogs can really fly and this dog gets some serious air.. Dublin do you think you could do that?

It’s been a while, but we used to foster dogs for a local rescue so I like stopping by to at least say hello at the pet expo. If you’re looking for a dog or puppy please check out your local animal rescue or shelter or another great place to check out is petfinder.com.

It was a long day so we grabbed some food and got ready to head out.

We tried to get as much done as possible while we were at the expo, but there’s so much to do at the OC Pet Expo we felt like we could have used a 3 day pass. In 5 seconds here’s a list of other things we did or wanted to do that we didn’t capture with our video camera…

K9s for Disabled Kids
Police And Search Dog Demo’s
Does Your Dog Need A Job
Assistance Dogs the How And Why
Shutzhund Mondio Ring Dog Sport
The Art of Dog Protection Training
10 Most Common Reasons Dogs End Up In Shelters
Let Your Dog Follow His Nose
Dog Training Secrets Revealed
Pet Products
Parade of Dog Breeds
Those Jumping Scotties
Pet Adoption Fashion Show
And Tons of Other Non-Dog Exhibits

Thanks everyone for joining us and we’ll see you in our next episode or Puppy In Training TV.

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Final Thoughts On The Orange County Pet Expo

If you’re a pet lover I highly recommend you attend the OC Pet Expo next year.  As I’ve mentioned it’s definitely one of our favorite events of the year.  There’s tons of great information, demonstrations, exhibits, dog adoption and rescue booths, and of course we will most likely be manning the Guide Dogs of America booth again next year.

Dublin did very well with all the crazy sights, smells, distractions, crowds, and other animals at the OC Pet Expo.  However, there was a lot going on and this is definitely not an event we would recommend for a younger guide or service  dog puppy in training.

Remember if you’d like to sponsor an episode of Puppy In Training TV visit our sponsorship form.

Have you visited the Orange County Pet Expo in the past?  If so, what was your favorite part?

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Are You Interested In Becoming A Guide Dog Puppy Raiser?

June 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Are you interested in becoming a guide dog puppy raiser? I was asked that question a little over 5 years ago while attending the Orange County Pet Expo way back in 2006.

At the beginning of 2006 it was just myself and my rescue dog Linus at the house, little did I know that by the end of the year I would have not only fostered 10+ dogs and puppies from the local shelter, but I’d also embark on the journey of a Guide Dog Puppy Raiser!  If you haven’t had a chance you might want to check out our last article on How I Became A Guide Dog Puppy Raiser.

Are You Interested In Becoming A Guide Dog Puppy Raiser?

I’m currently raising my third puppy, Dublin for Guide Dogs of America and I’ve been doing my best to help out with the puppy raising program whenever needed.  Recently I was asked to put together a flyer with information about our local Orange County Guide Dogs of America (OCGDA) group.  Take a look:

Orange County Guide Dogs of America

In case you were wondering: Stetson (my first GDA pup) is in the picture along the heading.  He’s actually the smear of black pixels at the far right.  Future Guide Dogs: Baron is the yellow in the first circle, Yuki is the black Lab in the middle, and that’s Dublin (my third GDA pup) on the far right.

It’s been nearly five years since I started raising my first Guide Dog puppy for Guide Dogs of America (GDA) and I just wanted to put together some helpful hints on how if you’re interested, you can become the next Guide Dog Puppy Raiser for GDA.

Step-by-Step How To Become A Guide Dog Puppy Raiser

This is applicable to Guide Dogs of America and the process while probably very similar is probably slightly different for every guide and service dog organization.

  1. Before we start raisers must live in the Southern or Central California area. Some parts of Washington can also Puppy Raise for Guide Dogs of America.
  2. Visit the Guide Dogs of America Website and read as much information as possible about the entire organization.
  3. After reading through as much of the GDA website as possible if you’re still interested in Puppy Raising fill out the puppy raiser application.
  4. It can take a while before you get your home interview.  At this point you play the waiting game (I waited nearly 3 months and nearly gave up hope), but I’d suggest you look into attending your area group meetings and outings before your home interview.  Participation and involvement is a big part of the puppy raising program.
  5. Go to the Classes, Meetings, and Events Page.
  6. Find out which meeting site is closest to your home.
  7. Contact the Area Leader by phone or email and let them know you’d like to attend meetings.

Once you start attending meetings you’ll have the opportunity to meet other puppy raisers, attend puppy outings and trainings, and ask questions.  As puppy raisers, one of the coolest (and one of our favorite) parts about raising a Guide Dog puppy is that you have the opportunity to take your puppy most places that the public can go including into grocery stores, movie theaters, shopping malls, and to the office at work (I made sure to get permission from my boss first).  Here’s a video we put together showing some of Dublin’s first days at our office:

If you’d like to be alerted to Dublin’s future Puppy In Training TV episodes then you can follow our Blog, YouTube Channel, Facebook page, or our Twitter account.

I hope this short step-by-step guide helped you learn a little bit about becoming a guide dog puppy raiser.  Of course if you’re interested in becoming a guide dog puppy raisers for Guide Dogs of America and you still have questions please feel free to leave me a comment in the comment section below or send a message through our contact form.

Filed Under: Guide Dogs Tagged With: , , , , ,

Guide Dog Graduation

May 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment

As I mentioned the other day we attended the Guide Dogs of America Graduation and had the opportunity to see Derby’s (our second guide dog puppy in training) brother Dexter graduate and become a working Guide Dog.

Guide Dog Graduation

I enjoy going to the GDA graduations even though it’s a bit of a hike to get out to the GDA campus.  I usually takes a little over and hour from my place in Irvine, but traffic is unpredictable and it’s taken me as long as 2+ hours to get to Sylmar.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have a puppy to take with me, but we did hitch a ride with Pat, Chuck, and Puppy In Training – Winter…as well as Setsu and Puppy In Training – Biwa.

There are always lots of happy tears at graduation and this year was no exception.

  • Proud Puppy Raisers seeing their puppies all grown up and taking the final step to becoming a working Guide Dog…
  • Guide dog handlers with their new guide dogs…
  • Friends and family many of whom helped along the way…

I was emotional and very proud to see another dog from our Orange County group graduate and move on to become a Guide Dog.

Dexter The Guide Dog

It was great to see Dexter again who looked very handsome in his shiny new harness.  We were lucky enough to take Dexter on several outings over the past year+ including a tour of Downtown Disney, a Movie, the Rainforest Cafe, and the Harvest Festival in Laguna Beach.  I remember Dexter did a great job on all the outings.  In fact, Dexter was so relaxed at the movies (I believe it was Public Enemies with Johnny Depp) he fell asleep and started snoring.  I had to give him a couple nudges to make sure he wasn’t making too much noise.

Another highlight was riding on the trolley.  Dexter curled up right under my feet and had no worries while we sped down the street from the parking lot to the Harvest Festival.

Here are a few pictures I have of Dexter while he was a Puppy In Training.

Dexter at Puppy Training Class

Dexter and I exiting the trolley


Dexter and Dutch getting some rest at the Harvest Festival

Dexter at graduation in his new harness

Congratulations to Dexter on becoming a working guide dog and best of luck to him and his new partner.  Also congratulations to Janet and Joe for doing a great job as Dexter’s puppy raisers.

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Guide Dog Surprise For American Idol’s Scott MacIntyre

May 14, 2009 By 2 Comments

I saw this article early in the week on Paula Abdul Surprises Idol’s Scott MacIntyre with Guide Dog, but I’m just finally getting a chance to post a short article.  Actually throughout the week my RSS reader has been filling up with other articles and commentary about Paula Abdul’s Surprise Guide Dog.

American Idol Star to Get Guide Dog

Actually the main thing that caught my attention was the Guide Dog organization that will supply Scott MacIntrye with a guide dog: Guide Dogs of America!   Yep, isn’t that exciting!

If you haven’t already take a look at the article on Eonline.  Check out the video from the article…if you’re a GDA puppy raiser I’m sure you’ll recognize the GDA campus in the video footage.

Guide Dogs of America Puppies

After reading the article headline, I thought he was in the last graduating class with our friend Jamaica.  After reading the entire article the press conference was on Friday, not Sunday (GDA graduation day) and Scott won’t start training at GDA until after the America Idol tour ends on September 15th.

Now a few things started racing through my mind after I saw this news.  First, what graduating class is Scott going to graduate from and will he get one of the dogs from our Orange County group.  Now I’m speculating, but if he is really serious about getting a Guide Dog then the earliest he’d be able to start training is after the American Idol tour ended.  That means he’d have a shot at graduating in the October 25th, 2009 graduation.  I’m going to guess it’s fairly unlikely he would graduate on that date, but just in case I took a look at the OCGDA website to see what dogs were in for training.  Lex, a black lab and Egan a black and tan labrador retriever are both at GDA and could potentially graduate on that date.

The next two graduation dates after that are January 31st 2010 and May 2nd 2010.  That means Dexter and Dutch could have a chance at being on a celebrity guide dog team.

Anyways, I’m glad Guide Dogs of America is getting publicity and hopefully it’s helping with donations during this recession.

Filed Under: Guide Dogs Tagged With: , , , ,

Dogs Doing Good – Guide Dogs of America

September 24, 2008 By 3 Comments

Just a couple days ago I received a magazine called Orange County Westways with a title Who Let the Dogs Out? on the cover with a picture of (I believe) Huntington Dog Beach. The main dog on the cover looks like my parents little yellow terrier and off in the background about to tackle a wave is the grown up version of Derby (a full grown yellow lab that is).

Anyways, the cover caught my attention so I decided to flip through th magazine…I think I receive the subscription as a part of my auto club membership.

I quickly flipped to the section on dogs and guess what I saw…a feature on Dogs Doing Good…and guess who the subject was? Guide Dogs of America! Yay! There’s a wonderful picture of a yellow lab wearing the distinctive yellow puppy in training jacket. It reminded me a lot of my puppy in training, Derby.

Here’s a nice shot of Derby working on his training with children.

Back to the article. Westways had some interesting facts about Guide Dogs of America that I wanted to share today.

Guide Dogs of America

57
Joseph Jone’s age when he discovered he was too old to get a Seeing Eye dog.

1948
Year he founded International Guiding Eyes, with the help of the International Association of Machinist and Aerospace Workers, in North Hollywood, one of the only programs without an upper age limit.

2
Number of students and dogs the school could accommodate that first year.

Thousands
Number of dogs trained by the organization (now Guide Dogs of America) in the years since.

Approximately 50
Percentage of dogs trained who end up becoming successful guide dogs.

80
Percentage of dogs (bred and trained at the school) that are Labrador retriever.

Stetson And Derby

Stetson was my first puppy in training. Unfortunately he was career changed (dropped from the guide dog program) and is now my pet (we want to get him into therapy dog training). Derby is my second GDA puppy and if the stats hold true then Derby should make it as a guide (meaning that 50% of the dogs I raised end up becoming successful guides). I know…wishful thinking, but I’m really working hard with Derby in hopes that he will successfully become a guide dog.

If you have any questions about Guide Dogs of America then please let me know and I’ll do my best to answer.

Check out the full article at the Auto Club website.

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How To Name Your Guide Dog Puppy

June 19, 2008 By 64 Comments

Have you ever wondered how Guide Dogs of America names their puppies? I’ve probably talked about it before here on my website, but I just wanted to go through the process again. I always thought the guide dog organization named all of their puppies, but that is not the case.  I got the chance to name my first puppy and came up with the name “Stetson”.

Where did I come up with the name Stetson? One of my cousin’s friends was actually the guy who rode the horse in the stetson cologne commercials. We used to call him the “Stetson Man”. I remembered and decided that would be a good name for my first puppy in training. I think the new “Stetson Man” is Matthew McConaughy.Ace Chewing on Toy In My Office

This is a picture of “Ace” chewing on a toy in my office at work. If you noticed his vest he’s a GDA puppy in training (I puppy sat him for 10 days this month). As you might have guessed “Ace” is from the “A” litter.

How To Name Your Guide Dog Puppy

There are a few rules you have to follow when naming your puppy for Guide Dogs of America.

  1. Guide Dogs of America assigns a letter to each litter. For instance, Stetson was from the “S” litter and his siblings were Salem, Stuart, Skylar, and Sukie.
  2. The name can’t be the same as a current Puppy In Training, current Guide Dog, or current Breeder.
  3. It also can’t be a funny type name. For instance, the manual says please no guide dogs by the name of “Popcorn”. Guide Dogs of America are usually pretty lenient. Before getting Stetson I submitted a list to Louise our puppy program manager, and she let me know what names were available/appropriate.

If you are having problems coming up with a name I’ve added a list of puppy names here on the Puppy In Training website. You can also get great ideas for puppy names by consulting your friends and family.

If you have any names you’d like to add to the list on this website please send me an email or leave me a comment in the comments area below.

Why Are We talking About Puppy Names?

So why are we talking about puppy names? As many of you know my original plan was to wait and see how Stetson did with his formal training before making a decision on when I’d raise another puppy.

Well…there’s been a change of plans. Yesterday our group leader gave me a call letting me know that a male yellow Labrador Retriever needed a puppy raiser. He’s from the “D” litter and I already knew that our friends Joe and Janet (they raised Buster and Trooper) were raising “Dexter” from this litter. I also found out just hours earlier that our other good friends Anne and Jim (they raised Hogan and Dustin) were going to raise “Dutch” from the same litter.

As I said earlier, I wanted to wait and see what happened to Stetson before raising another puppy. I was a little hesitant at first and needed to make sure I had a puppy sitter for a couple vacations I’ve already planned this summer. However, the opportunity to raise a “D” puppy with Joe & Janet and Anne & Jim was something I just couldn’t pass up.

Puppy Names

This is where I need your help. I have a few names I’m already considering for my little “D” puppy, but I wanted to consult with you, my blog readers. Here are a few names I like:

  • Denali
  • Derby
  • Dash
  • Dublin
  • Dodger

Nothing is set in stone yet. I really would like your opinion on puppy names that start with the letter “D”. Please add your favorite “D” name to the comment section below.

My plan is to submit my list of “D” names to Louise on Friday so please let me know as soon as possible your favorite “D” puppy name.

Filed Under: Working Dog Tagged With: ,

24 Ways A Guide Dog Can Be Disqualified

April 24, 2008 By 6 Comments

I just received a letter in the mail that it’s time for Stetson to return to the Guide Dogs of America for his formal training in Sylmar, CA. I’m sad and happy at the same time. It’s going to be difficult letting Stetson go on to the next stage of his life. However, this is exactly what we’ve been working towards over the past year.

I think of it as Stetson graduating high school (his training time with me) and moving on to college at GDA. Of course when he graduates college he’ll move on to his career hopefully as a guide dog. If he doesn’t make it as a guide dog then he can be career changed to life as a pet, therapy dog, search and rescue, or possibly some other type of working dog. If Stetson comes back to me as a pet I’ll do my best to get Stetson trained as a therapy dog.

Stetson Posing As A Bear

Stetson the Bear

While thinking about Stetson departure I took a look back at his puppy manual to see what last minute things we could work on to get Stetson ready for “college.”

From the Guide Dogs of America puppy manual:

Causes For Disqualification

In order to successfully complete guide dog training and become a useful mobility aid to a blind person, a dog must meet certain physical and temperamental requirements.

Physical

Size

  1. 26 inch maximum height
  2. 20 inch minimum height
  3. Allowance of 1/2 inch at each end for exceptionally nice dogs or special need
  4. Weight in direct relationship to proper size

Cosmetic

  1. Scars that are large enough or severe enough to cause negative comment from the general public
  2. Down (or non-erect) ears on a German Shepherd Dog
  3. Severely undershot or overshot bite
  4. Missing teeth (enough to interfere with keeping tongue properly in mouth)
  5. Any obvious disqualifying fault that the general public would be able to notice about any breed that GDA uses.

Temperamental

In discussing temperamental causes for disqualification there is no correct way to list them as there are too many different factors involved with each individual dog. Obviously with the responsibility that a working guide dog has, it is important that the dog be able to handle stress and pressure during the normal course of working. Some of the causes as follows but are not limited to:

  1. Aggression toward people or extremely fearful of people
  2. Uncontrollable dog aggression
  3. Uncontrollable animal distraction/interest
  4. Fear biting
  5. General suspicion of environment
  6. Excessive energy
  7. Destructive behavior
  8. Sound shyness
  9. Over sensitivity to traffic
  10. Lacking ability to remain focused in distraction areas
  11. Overly sensitive to pressure in guide work
  12. Too insensitive to correction, requiring force beyond the average blind person’s physical ability
  13. Lack of willingness to work as a guide dog
  14. Car sickness
  15. Immature and/or irresponsible decision making

Many dogs will display some of these in the very beginning but the instructors will work with them, giving them evey possible chance to show improvement. If the undesirable characteristic continues or increases, it will be necessary to terminate the dog’s training. Many times, a dog will improve and reach a point that the original problem was eliminated. Some dogs will start with no concerns but with added pressure of learning to become a guide dog, will manifest the undesirable behavior. We try to give each dog as much individual time, effort, and opportunity to succeed in becoming a guide dog, but we must adhere to a work standard that will give each blind person the best possible mobility aid through their guide dog as possible.

The Goal Is To Be A Guide Dog

Our ultimate goal is to get Stetson to be a full fledged guide dog. However, if he doesn’t choose to be a guide dog we will welcome him back home and get him (hopefully) involved with therapy dogs.

Stetson will be heading to the GDA campus in Sylmar, CA on May 10th to start his formal guide dog training.

Have you raised a guide dog, service dog, or any kind of working dog? Do you have any pointers for me when I drop Stetson off at the GDA campus? That is beside bring a lot of tissues.

Filed Under: Working Dog Tagged With: , ,

A List Of My Fellow Guide Dogs Of America Bloggers

February 4, 2008 By 1 Comment

I just wanted to take the time to make a shout out to my fellow Guide Dog Of America bloggers (the blogs I’ve been able to find that is).

Who Are Guide Dogs Of America

If you haven’t heard me talk about Guide Dog Of America before then you probably haven’t been reading through much of my blog. Anyways, here’s a little excerpt from the GDA website:

Guide DogsOUR MISSION:

Guide Dogs of America is dedicated to its mission to provide guide dogs and instruction in their use, free of charge, to blind and visually impaired men and women from the United States and Canada so that they may continue to pursue their goals with increased mobility and independence.

I must say that is a very noble cause and I am glad to be a part of it as Guide Dog puppy raiser.

What Are Puppy Raisers

I am lucky enough to have the privilege of raising a puppy named Stetson for Guide Dogs of America. Here’s another little excerpt from their website on puppy raising:

YOUR ROLE AS A PUPPY RAISER: As a Puppy Raiser you will play an essential part in making sure your puppy receives the proper socialization needed to help adjust to the important job it will be doing later on in life.

Puppy in trainingIt will be your responsibility to socialize the puppy as much as you can. Take the puppy everywhere. Expose it to as many different situations as possible (construction sites, heavy traffic areas, animals, children). A well socialized puppy will have fewer adjustments to make when it comes in for formal guide dog training.

The Puppy Raiser is required to teach the puppy basic obedience, such as how to walk on a leash (on the left, and slightly out in front), how to sit, stay, lay down, and come when called. It will be your responsibility to take your puppy through an approved basic obedience class and to attend monthly meetings. The meetings allow your puppy to interact with other dogs and it gives you the opportunity to talk to other Puppy Raisers. It is a good time to make friends and compare notes on your puppies.

In a few short paragraphs that is what we do.

My Fellow GDA Puppy Raising Bloggers

Here’s a list of GDA puppy raisers I’ve been able to find in the blogosphere:

  • Dustin - I am a yellow lab who is in training to become a guide for a blind or vision impaired person. I am a Labrador Retriever belonging to Guide Dogs of America. I am in training to become a guide for the blind. This is my story.
    • Stetson and I have been lucky enough to attend monthly meetings and weekly trainings with Dustin for the past year. Dustin goes in for his formal training on February 16th.
  • Oceana – Tales from a chocolate puppy in training.
  • Truman – Hi. Have we met? I’m Jenny. And this little guy in the photo with me is Truman, my second puppy-in-training for Guide Dogs of America.
  • Camry – Meet Camry, my sixth dog to raise for Guide Dogs of America!
  • Blitz - Blitz is a puppy in training for Guide Dogs of America. We will be sharing this blog, so some posts (On his blog) will be by me, and some will be by him. (MOSTLY by him though.)
  • Tai – The story of four dogs, raised by two people, all for one common goal.
  • Tonka – I’m a male yellow Labrador and haven’t gone to my puppy raiser just yet.
  • Woody – My name is Woody and I’m a guide dog in training for Guide Dogs of America…
  • Drea – Drea is a GDA puppy in training for Guide Dogs of America.

Other Guide Dog Organizations

There are many other Guide Dog and Service Dog organizations across the nation (world) and I won’t pretend to know them all. Here’s a short list of some of the organizations I’ve come into contact in California:

Puppy raising is a wonderful way to help these service dog organizations. If you take a peak at any of the blogs you will see that we all cherish our time with our puppies in training and do our best to prepare them for their future careers.

Did you get a chance to read any of the blogs? Do you know any other GDA bloggers I can add to my list? Do you use an RSS reader to subscribe to these blog feeds?

Filed Under: Working Dog Tagged With: , ,