What things do i need for training a Guide Dog puppy?
The program you’re working with will tell you everything you need. Some provide the food, equipment and veterinary care, but they’ll all at least give you some instruction on what you need and what you’re supposed to do.
If you’re asking how to become a guide dog puppy raiser, step one is to find a guide dog school near you to work with.
Several organizations for the blind maintain lists of guide dog training schools. Here are a few:
United States and Canada:
NFB: http://www.nfb.org/nfb/guide_dog_schools.asp
AFB: http://www.afb.org/section.asp?Documentid=1266
GDUI: http://www.gdui.org/schools.html
ACB: http://www.acb.org/resources/guidedogs.html
International:
IGDF: http://www.ifgdsb.org.uk/worldmap.asp?code=00010005
Also check with your local 4-H group. If there is a guide dog school nearby, sometimes the 4-H has a puppy raiser program in conjunction with that program.
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:19 pm
Are you planning on taking on a puppy for Guide dogs?
Because usually the Guide Dog association will give you all the training that you need to ensure that you care for the puppy properly, so that it has the best start to life for its career.
I dont know much about the whole training process for guide dogs just yet, but I am pretty sure that a trainer will come out once a week to train the puppy- and the rest is up to you until the pup is old enough to study to be a guide dog full time (this is when they are fully grown- about 18 months old)
You should know basic obedience, and I think that you have to take the pups everywhere with you so that they can learn how to behave out in the real world.
But the Guide dog people will explain everything to you, and they should have a really good support system set out for puppy carers.
Good luck with it- I think it would be a great thing to do! I cant take on the puppies- but I should be getting a retired guide dog next year which will be great!
References :
September 4th, 2009 at 12:08 am
The program you’re working with will tell you everything you need. Some provide the food, equipment and veterinary care, but they’ll all at least give you some instruction on what you need and what you’re supposed to do.
If you’re asking how to become a guide dog puppy raiser, step one is to find a guide dog school near you to work with.
Several organizations for the blind maintain lists of guide dog training schools. Here are a few:
United States and Canada:
NFB: http://www.nfb.org/nfb/guide_dog_schools.asp
AFB: http://www.afb.org/section.asp?Documentid=1266
GDUI: http://www.gdui.org/schools.html
ACB: http://www.acb.org/resources/guidedogs.html
International:
IGDF: http://www.ifgdsb.org.uk/worldmap.asp?code=00010005
Also check with your local 4-H group. If there is a guide dog school nearby, sometimes the 4-H has a puppy raiser program in conjunction with that program.
References :
I’m a service dog trainer.
September 4th, 2009 at 12:38 am
Why are you asking this question on here. What you need to do is to contact the program you plan on getting the puppy from as they will provide you with extensive training and support as well as a list of do’s and dont’s, what you need, what they provide, etc, etc. Contact the program concerned they are the people who own the dog after all and will be taking it back after the puppy raising period.
References :
Service dog partner and disability advocate
September 4th, 2009 at 1:11 am
In what context? For yourself? For a Guide dog providing organization?
If you want to train one for yourself, you need to be a professional trainer with years of experience. Self-training a Guide is much more difficult than training any other type of service dog. It is not suggested that you do this on your own.
If you are wanting to do this for one of the Guide dog providing organizations, then they will have all the information you will need to raise their pup for them. We are raising a pup in conjunction with the local 4-H puppy club, who is affiliated with Guide Dogs For The blind, where my wife went for both of the Guides she has used over the last 10 years. Most all the reputable Guide dog providers have their own breeding and training program, which supports and upholds the strict standards they have for their Guides; they will not accept dogs from outside their programs, so if you are thinking of raising one on your own to "donate" to the program, it wont work.
Just contact one of the major reputable Guide dog providers, and they will have all the info you need.
References :
Husband of Guide dog user and 4-H Guide puppy raiser.
September 4th, 2009 at 1:48 am
Training is the best investment you can make in your relationship with your dog. You’ll need to do your homework first, though, to learn how to communicate what you want in a way that your dog will understand. Stay consistent and patient, reward your dog for getting it right and remember: you can train a dog of any age.
http://dogtime.com/training.html
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September 4th, 2009 at 2:36 am
I am sure there are guide dog associations that can help you.
References :
September 4th, 2009 at 2:45 am
You need an affiliation with an organization that trains guide dogs, such as The Seeing Eye, Guiding Eyes for the Blind, Guide Dogs of America, etc.
The organization supplies the puppy and tells you how it is to be raised and trained before it is returned to the school for the specialized training with its handler.
References :
September 4th, 2009 at 3:13 am
If you have applied to foster a Guide Dog then you will be given all the basics you need by the Puppy Walker Supervisor, many run classes as well, for puppy walkers and this enables you to do the basic obedience training and socialisation…………being a puppy walker is important as the pups need to be involved in family life, learn all about the noises around them, be able to travel and one they are about 14 months old will be taken to the Centre for training ( which is very different to basic obedience) if they make the grade they will be matched to a person, more training and then become a Guiding dog……….so as a volunteer puppy walker the best you can do is to socialise and teach the dog as much as possible, take the PW supervisors advice so the £40,000 it costs to train a pup to a guide dog is not wasted.
References :
Animal behaviourist
September 4th, 2009 at 9:43 am
Raising a puppy to be a guide dog will change your life – and the life of a blind or visually impaired person.
You can find more information on our website (link above) OR – check out the “Impulse to Soar” video which provides a general overview of the process. guidingeyes.org/site/PageServer?pagename=NewVideo
Good luck!