Guide Dogs Questions and Answers
Guide Dogs for the Blind
Frequently asked questions
The Service
Who may benefit from using a Guide Dog?
Any visually impaired person desiring enhanced mobility and independence could benefit from the skills a Guide Dog provides. The person must be legally blind, at least 16 years of age (there is no upper age limit), able to travel independently, and suited to work with a dog.
How does a person apply to your school?
A person who is interested in enrolling should contact our Admissions Department for an application packet. Applicants are evaluated based on certain criteria such as health, mobility, lifestyle, etc. A candidate is then interviewed by a staff member at their home or place of employment prior to acceptance.
Is there a charge for your services?
There is no charge to the visually impaired person for our services. These services include the dog, the in-residence training, transportation to and from our school, dog handling equipment and follow-up support.
What alumni support do you provide?
Our commitment to our graduates and dogs does not end on graduation day. We provide follow-up services for the duration of the dogs' careers. We offer regular home visits, free telephone support, and offer veterinary cost reimbursement.
The Organization
What is Guide Dogs for the Blind?
We are a nonprofit, charitable organization dedicated to providing skilled Guide Dogs and training in their use to visually impaired men and women from throughout the United States and Canada.
When was the school founded and where are you located?
Our organization was established in 1942 originally to serve blinded World War II veterans. We operate two training facilities, one in San Rafael, California (20 miles north of San Francisco), and another in Boring, Oregon (25 miles east of Portland). Both campuses include administration buildings, student dormitories, kennel complexes and veterinary clinics.
The Dogs
What kind of dogs do you use, and where do you get them?
German Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers and Lab/Golden crosses are bred from our school's own specially selected purebred stock. All of our breeding stock dogs are registered with the American Kennel Club and are selected for excellent temperament, intelligence and health. (No crossbred dogs are used for the breeding program.)
How is guidework training done?
A team of instructors is assigned a group of dogs. For approximately four to five months, every dog receives daily training on campus and in the surrounding community. A Guide Dog learns to lead a person from point to point in a straight line, to stop for all changes in elevation (including curbs and stairs), to avoid obstacles in the path (including overhead obstacles), and to ignore distractions while working.
How does a Guide Dog know directions?
The dog's handler must know how to reach his or her desired destination (the number of city blocks, directions to turn, etc.). The handler gives commands to direct the dog; the dog, in turn, guides the person safely to his or her destination.
Can Guide Dogs discern red lights from green lights?
Dogs cannot read traffic signals. The Guide Dog's handler must listen to the flow of traffic, determine when it is safe to cross the street, and then give the command to go forward.
How is humane treatment of the dogs ensured?
We adhere to the Humane Training Standards developed and promoted by the United States Council of Dog Guide Schools. Our applicants are screened via home interviews and reference checks, and when in class, our students receive in-depth training in the appropriate care and treatment of their dogs. In addition, there is a written agreement in which graduates assure they will care for the dogs in a kind and humane manner and use them appropriately for guidework.
Can graduates obtain ownership of their dogs?
Graduates have the option to request title to their dogs after one year, subject to certain conditions.
What happens when dogs have to be retired?
A staff counselor is available to help graduates adjust to the loss or retirement of their guides, and in either case, graduates may re-apply to our school for successor dogs and training. With a retired guide, the graduate has the first option to place or keep the dog as a pet. If unable to do so, the option to place or keep the dog is then given to the dog's puppy raiser. If neither of these options are viable, the school's Dog Placement Department will find a loving adoptive home for the dog.
If a handler dies or becomes physically unable to use his or her guide while the dog is still young, the dog may be retrained to serve as a guide for someone else. If the dog is too old to be retrained, the graduate's family may keep it as a pet, or again, the raiser or school will find the dog a home.
Training for the Visually Impaired
How long is student training?
Our first-time students receive 28 days of training. Alumni returning for successor dogs may complete training in two to four weeks, depending on individual needs.
Where do students stay when they are in training?
The students live with their dogs in our campus dormitories. There are accommodations for 24 students at the California campus and for 12 students at the Oregon campus. The rooms house two people each and are equipped with outside dog runs.
How are the students matched with the dogs?
The instructors who have trained the dogs also train the students with whom the dogs are paired. Great care goes into matching the dogs with their handlers; matches are made according to each student's individual needs.
What if a student has never had a dog before?
In addition to guidework, our students receive instruction in all aspects of dog care: grooming, feeding, the importance of regular veterinary care, etc.
Instructor Training
What are the responsibilities of Guide Dog Instructors?
Guide Dog instructors are responsible for training the dogs to become guides as well as teaching our visually impaired students how to safely and effectively work with those dogs. They visit graduates in their homes across the United States and Canada as part of our follow-up service. They also represent the organization as speakers at public functions or before community groups, clubs and service organizations.
How can I become an instructor?
We have developed our own career training program for Guide Dog instructors in conjunction with the licensing requirements of the State of California. Most instructors come to Guide Dogs with work experience in animal or people-related fields, and become licensed after completing a three-year apprenticeship and passing the formal tests given by the State of California.
Apprentices begin their training by spending 10 days wearing blindfolds and participating in classes with our students. This experience helps them better empathize with the visually impaired people whom we serve.
Instructors at our Oregon campus are held to the same standards and must pass the same licensing exams as those on our California campus in order to ensure uniform quality standards.
What do instructor assistants do?
Instructor assistants walk, groom, play with and socialize the dogs in training to keep them fit and healthy. Instructor assistants receive education and training toward entering the apprenticeship program.
More Information
How is Guide Dogs funded?
Guide Dogs for the Blind is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization supported entirely by private donations. We receive no government funding. Donors contribute through general contributions, bequests, grants, memorial and honor donations, charitable remainder trusts and other planned giving options.
How do volunteers serve?
Adult volunteers serve as campus guides, dog walkers, puppy testers, puppy socializers, veterinary clinic aides, office or gift shop assistants, foster care providers and more. Youth and adult puppy raisers provide early socialization and obedience training, and breeding stock custodians open their homes to those exceptional dogs chosen to be parents of future generations of Guide Dogs.
How can I find out more?
For an up-close look of our program, please plan to join us for one of our on-campus public graduation ceremonies. They are held monthly (always on a Saturday) and include tours and demonstrations of guidework. In addition, drop-in campus tours are given Monday through Saturday in California and by appointment in Oregon; group presentations are also available.
Guide Dogs for the Blind
(800) 295-4050
www.guidedogs.com
350 Los Ranchitos Road, San Rafael, CA 94903
32901 S.E. Kelso Road, Boring, OR 97009