How to Adopt A Retired Guide Dog?

What is the a step-by-step procedure to adopting a retired guide dog? I've been involved with Guide dogs as a puppy raiser for the past 3 years and during that time I've had the luxury of being able to adopt a guide dog puppy. Many people refer to these washout guide dog puppies as "Guide Dog Rejects", but we simply like to think of them as "career changed dogs"

During my time as a guide dog puppy raiser I've learned several secrets on how to adopt a career changed or retired guide dog. First I'll tell you the step-by-step method I would use to go about adopting a retired guide dog?

Step-by-Step Guide to Adopting a Guide Dog

1. If you don't know of any guide dog facilities then search Google for "guide dog" and try and find a local facility. You can still adopt if you don't have a local organization however, it would simplify things if you are within driving distance.
2. Most (if not all) sites I've visited have a section that describes their adoption program. The procedure will vary from one place to another. It's similar to adopting from a rescue and just like with a rescue they may require a home visit. In general a guide dog organization will have the best interest of the dog in mind and will make sure that you can accomodate a retired guide dog comfortably.
3. Research the organization you wish to adopt from. For instance different organizations will use different breeds of dog. It would be a good idea to find out what dog breeds the organization uses and then find out the behavior of the breed. Most organizations use Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, and German Shepherds.
   
4. Fill out the form, send an email or letter, or call the organization to submit all of your relevant information.
5. Play the waiting game. The last step can be the longest. Unless you have some serious hookups the wait list to adopt a retired guide dog can be 5+ years. The Guide Dog organization I volunteer with has a 4-6 year wait list and they aren't accepting new applications at this time.
   

A few of the great things about adopting a retired guide dog are

• You know the entire history of the dog.
• The dog will know basic obedience, be potty trained, crate trained. As a puppy raiser I can tell you some of these things drive you crazy during puppyhood.
• The dog will be well socialized. Our puppies go everywhere from the movie theater to restaurants to the grocery store.

Guide Dog Reject

What is a Guide Dog Reject? From my experience a Guide Dog Reject is a puppy who does not make as a full-fledged guide dog. On the other hand a Retired Guide Dog is a dog who served as a working guide dog for the blind and because of age was retired. Guide dog adoption programs will include both retired and rejected guide dogs in their program.

Check out our next article on secrets to adopting a retired guide dog to find out the in's and out's on how to bypass that 6 year guide dog adoption waitlist.

Guide Dog Training

Guide dog training has been a passion of mine for the past three years. Ever since I witnessed a guide dog manuever his handler through a busy intersection I've been in awe of guide dog training.

Guide dog training is not my only interest. I have a keen interest in dogs and training in general. Service dog training, dog obedience training, dog training schools, dog training careers, dog training certifications...you name something dog related and I probably have an interest in it.

Today and for the next few weeks I'd like to talk about the in's and out's of dog training. My particular interest right now are the differences between different guide dog training methods.

Guide Dog Training

I'm not a guide dog trainer, but who knows maybe someday I will be. Over the past few years I've been volunteering as a guide dog puppy raiser. I first got involved with guide dog puppy raising after visiting the OC Pet Expo several years ago. While walking around visiting the many pet products and adoption tents at the OC Pet Expo we stumbled across the Guide Dog Puppy In Training booth. I've always been interested in volunteering my time for worthy causes and immediately put in my application to raise a puppy.

Puppy raising has been a great experience and I enjoy every minute of it. Well maybe not the long nights when your guide dog puppy is only 8 weeks old and just wants to cry all night...but besides that...totally worth it!

As a guide dog puppy raiser I've been given the opportunity to get a first hand look at the early stages of guide dog training. The majority of early guide dog training revolves around just a couple simple goals:

• Socialization
• Basic Obedience

You've probably seen a guide dog or a guide dog puppy in training roaming around the grocery store, restaurant, or movie theater. This is part of the puppies socialization and something a regular dog is not allowed to do. It sometimes reminds me of the Peanuts cartoon when Snoopy has to "keep off the grass no dogs allowed!" However, guide dogs and puppies in training are allowed into most "no dogs allowed" areas.

Puppy raisers are also responsible for teaching basic obedience. I'm training my second puppy and the majority of the commands I teach are just basic dog obedience training. We will teach our dogs a few guide dog specific commands, but as I said the majority are simple basic obedience.

One point I'd like to make before closing out this article is that guide dog puppy raisers need to be very strict with their training. You must follow all the guide dog training rules very closely. A few things that some people might allow their dogs to do that is absolutely forbidden of a guide dog puppy in training are:

• Jumping on the furniture
• Jumping on people
  
• Eliminating during a walk (guide dogs are trained to eliminate before they start their walk)
• Not allowed to sniff around during a walk
  

These are just a few of the many strict rules we must abide by when raising our guide dog puppies in training.

If you're interested in dogs you may also have an interest in guide dog training and guide dog puppy raising. If so, please feel free to leave a comment in the comments section and I'll do my best to leave the most complete answer possible.