Raise a Puppy, Change a Life!
Authors: Charlotte Simpson, Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS), Certified Low Vision Therapist (CLVT), Texas Workforce Commission (TWC)
As an Orientation and Mobility Specialist, sometimes I have the privilege of preparing clients for a guide dog. A lot of hard work goes into this preparation, and at the same time, a lot of hard work goes into preparing the dog!
This article highlights the hard work that puppy raisers do to help prepare these special puppies for their careers as guides. There are several schools active in the Texas region, and for this article, I will highlight Guide Dogs for the Blind Puppy Raising (GDB).
Austin puppy raising club
How does it work?
Raising a guide dog puppy is a volunteer service project that is both warm and fuzzy! You are handed an adorable bundle of fluff to care for and love. Veterinary costs are covered, and you are set up for success with equipment and learning materials.
A veterinarian looks into the mouth of a golden retriever guide dog puppy
As future guide dogs, puppies need to be comfortable at schools or work, on the bus, at the beach, or in a restaurant…so almost everywhere you go in your daily life, your puppy gets to go with you!
A golden retriever guide dog puppy looks out an airplane window at the clouds.
Are service-animals-in-training considered service animals under the ADA?
ADA Service Animals-in-Training: “No. Under the ADA, the dog must already be trained before it can be taken into public places. However, some State or local laws cover animals that are still in training.”
We’re lucky that Texas is a state that covers guide dogs-in-training with similar access rights as fully trained service dogs. The following excerpts from the Texas Code are applicable to service dogs in training:
(i) A service animal in training shall not be denied admittance to any public facility when accompanied by an approved trainer.
A yellow labrador guide dog puppy sits smiling in front of a CapMetro train.
Do I need experience?
No prior experience is necessary. Puppy raising volunteers can be any age, whether you’re 9 or 90. Families are great, too! Puppy raisers are attentive learners, adaptable to different situations, and know that their efforts and hard work will contribute to the puppy’s potential. You must love puppies and enjoy being of service.
YouTube – GDB Explainer Video: Puppy Raising
A black labrador guide dog puppy sniffs a fireman’s facemask, who is kneeling with full gear to help socialize the puppy and build confidence.
Local Texas Puppy Raising Clubs
It takes a village to raise a puppy! You can be a puppy raiser and commit to a puppy assigned to your care, or you can start by being a puppy sitter to help when puppy raisers need a vacation. Another option is to share custody with a friend!
Groups of fellow volunteers collaborate with each other and GDB staff, so you have a community to lean upon. You’ll get assistance and guidance to support you and the puppy in your care, and you’ll be required to join some group events. Puppies need a variety of experiences, so puppies are sometimes traded around the club to help expose them to other environments.
Follow puppies on social media: Facebook: GDBAustinPuppyRaisersClub
For information on other puppy clubs, please email [email protected]
For Halloween, the puppies in the Austin club were dressed as different colored crayons! This photo shows each puppy wearing a different colored shirt with a matching hat shaped like the top of a crayon.
How can you give up the puppy?!
After about a year, each puppy is ready to head back to GDB for the next step on their journey. GDB staff will help the club know when each puppy is ready to be recalled back to the school for “college,” where they will work with a Qualified Guide Dog Mobility Instructor on more advanced guide skills.
It is difficult to say goodbye to the sweet pups, but these puppies have always belonged to the handler they match with. The club gets “Pupdates” on each dog to watch them progress through their training, and when they are matched with their partner for life, the raiser gets to be a part of the graduation ceremony. Many handlers keep in touch with the puppy raiser, and beautiful friendships are formed.
Are you distracted?
How does a person who is blind or has low vision qualify for a guide dog and prepare?
Orientation and Mobility training is the first step to preparing for a guide dog. Using a guide dog is a lifestyle choice, and you must be prepared to Velcro a furry toddler to you at all times.
Guide dogs are trained to propel a person curb to curb and then wait for the handler’s command; so, the handler must remain oriented and know how to tell the dog what to do next. Guide dogs do not know how to cross streets. A person must know how to cross busy intersections independently without the dog before adding it to the equation.
The white cane contacts obstacles, and the guide dog avoids obstacles. If you are used to using a white cane to trail along walls, grass lines, and using tactile information for orientation, it’s a good idea to work with an O&M Specialist to develop more auditory and less tactile ways of remaining oriented.
Here is a checklist you can go through to ask yourself: Am I ready to apply for a guide dog?
Guide Dog Readiness Checklist | Guide Dogs for the Blind
Guide dog puppy training room
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out!
Charlotte Simpson, MA, COMS, CLVT Orientation & Mobility Specialist
Texas Workforce Commission
Call or Text: 512-592-9349
Email: [email protected]