Guide Dogs for the Blind Trains Pups at Airport
Labradors are one of the breeds used by Guide Dogs for the Blind.
Pups from Guide Dogs for the Blind went for a day of training at Hollywood Burbank Airport north of Los Angeles, California. Alaska Airlines hosts training exercises that allow future guide dogs to learn to navigate the airport and tight spaces on an airplane. Two dozen smart pooches came to the airport to go through guide dog training exercises that expose them to the sounds, smells, and spaces in an airport and on an airplane.
The pups were joined by their volunteer handlers as part of a rigorous training process to prepare them for a life of service to visually impaired people. These eager-to-please pooches are no ordinary pups, as they must demonstrate an enthusiasm for learning and helping people and go through a lengthy training process.
Watch the video below to see the guide dogs in action with their volunteer handlers.
Guide Dogs for the Blind is a nonprofit based in California that is the largest guide dog school in North America. The organization has trained more than 16,000 guide dog teams across the U.S. and Canada since its founding in 1942. Guide Dogs for the Blind (or GDB) provides clients with vision impairment completely free services, including fully trained guide dogs, personalized training, and assistance to cover veterinary costs if needed.
The organization is volunteer-driven and an average of 251 people volunteer their time to help a single puppy complete the rigorous training and preparation needed to be a guide dog.
Guide Dogs for the Blind Pups in Training
Two dozen guide dogs in training came with their volunteer handlers to Hollywood Burbank Airport. The eager pups went through the paces of going through security at the airport, boarding planes, and getting used to sitting in the small confines of an airplane.
All of the Guide Dogs for the Blind are Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, or Lab-Golden crosses, all breeds known for being exceptionally gentle with people, friendly, generally healthy, eager to please, and trainable.
A lot of resources go into training a guide dog, and pups first go through socialization training before advancing to more complex tasks leading people through obstacles and more. Guide Dogs for the Blind has their own breeding program and over 2,000 volunteers raising puppies in western U.S. states.
Puppies are socialized with volunteers from eight weeks old to about 15 months, when they will return to the school’s campus for formal training, where they learn all the ins and outs of being a guide dog.
Golden Retrievers are also used as guide dog pups.
These smart pups are also trained in "intelligent disobedience,” according to Guide Dogs for the Blind. This means that if a guide dog is given an unsafe cue from their handler, they are taught to disobey and follow the safest procedure. For instance, if a person tells their dog to step out into traffic, a trained guide dog will not obey, keeping the owner safe.
Guide dogs are also trained to navigate daily life with their humans with exceptional manners. They are taught how to visit public places and transit and lead their humans in all areas of life. Guide dogs can avoid the distractions that non-working dogs may be tempted by - like cats, other dogs, or loud noises.
The Life of a Guide Dog
Guide dogs lead active, fulfilling lives. The pups who make it through the rigorous screening and training process and get paired with humans in need of seeing eyes usually work until age 8, 9, or 10, when they retire. Working guide dogs get to go to all public places and accommodations - including restaurants, museums, entertainment events, airports, and on public transit. They enjoy VIP treatment and lots of attention wherever they go (though you should never pet a working dog unless their owner says it’s ok). When they have their harnesses on, guide dogs are at work.
According to Guide Dogs for the Blind, guide dogs choose their profession and only the eager, enthusiastic ones make it through the training process. (The others are adopted out to loving homes). For working dogs, there is nothing as satisfying as doing the job they were trained to do. There are currently over 2,100 working guide dog teams in North America, according to GDB.
Once they reach their senior years, guide dogs retire. Many retired pooches stay with their owners, according to Guide Dogs for the Blind, and others are adopted out to loving homes.
Volunteer
If you’d like to get involved with helping Guide Dogs for the Blind, there are several options:
Donate. All dogs and services are provided to vision-impaired people at no cost. Help cover the costs of medical care, training, and more for the hard-working guide dogs at Guide Dogs for the Blind. You can donate here.
Volunteer to raise a puppy. You can raise a puppy that will become a future guide dog and change someone’s life by making independent living possible. Medical costs are covered for all puppies in the program, and you will provide socialization, teach household manners, and prepare the pup to change someone’s life. Volunteers must attend puppy club meetings before being paired with a dog.
Volunteer at a Guide Dogs for the Blind campus. Campuses are located at the headquarters in San Rafael, California — 20 miles north of San Francisco, and there is another campus in Boring, Oregon — 25 miles east of Portland. There is also a sister organization in Canada called Guide Dogs for the Blind International.
Fundraise to help support the programs that keep Guide Dogs for the Blind running. The organization is seen as an example for many others around the world due to the high success rate and extensive support for dog-handler teams after graduation.
Adopt a retired guide dog. If you have space and time in your life for a dog, consider adopting a retired guide dog. These smart pups have worked hard to reach retirement status and will be fur-ever grateful for your support.
