Guide Dogs for the Blind

This article is about the guide dog school in the United States. For the British charitable organization, see The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.

Guide Dogs for the Blind is a guide dog school located in the United States, with campuses in San Rafael, California, and Boring, Oregon. It was founded in 1942 to help veterans who had been blinded in World War II.

History

Guide Dogs for the Blind was the first guide dog training school on the West Coast. Its creation was a dream shared by Lois Merrihew and Don Donaldson, who recognized the need to help wounded servicemen who would return from World War II without their sight. They believed in the potential of dogs to serve as guides for the blind. A German Shepherd named Blondie was one of the first dogs trained; she was paired with Sgt. Leonard Foulk, the first serviceman to graduate from the new school.

In 1947, Guide Dogs moved to its present location in San Rafael, California, about 20 miles north of San Francisco. In order to meet the increasing demands for services, they opened a second campus in Oregon.

Dogs and Their Guidework Training

Guide Dogs for the Blind breeds most of the dogs it trains as guide dogs in its breeding department located on its California campus. They use primarily Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, and Labrador and Golden Retriever crossbreeds. German Shepherds were used until 2008 when Guide Dogs decided to stop using them because of their stubbornness. Puppies are socialized with their puppy raisers, volunteers who raise puppies from the age of eight weeks for up to 18 months of age, and then returned to a campus for their formal guide dog training. Trained dogs are then matched with appropriate visually impaired individuals who undergo up to 28 days of training and then begin to officially work as a team.

References

http://www.guidedogs.com/site/PageServer?pagename=about_overview

See also

• List of Guide Dog Schools