Guide Dogs

I think those people who volunteer their time, effort and love, are marvelous people. They are "big" at many levels. Firstly, there are organizations that breed and train dogs for the purpose of offering Guidance for the blind, and they do not sell nor charge the blind, it is a service. At least that's what the book says and I hope that these philanthropic moves are as real as they can be. Secondly, the breeders would also need a supporting team of Puppy Raisers. Puppy Raisers are the people who house the puppies for a period of about ten months. This is to let the puppy learn and familiarize itself with social environment. The Puppy Raisers besides having to feed, groom and care for the puppies, would also need to house-train the puppies and some pups may need to take obedience classes. Puppy Raisers would also have to bring the puppy to places like the Mall, Supermarket, Kids Parties, Library, Train Stations & Subways. It is not easy for Puppy Raisers to part with the puppy when the time comes for it to be trained as a Guide Dog, although they might have been mentally prepared, it still may be hard. From this book, we also learned not to approach Guide dogs to pat or play with them. This is because we must not distract the dogs who are on duty when they are out. If we really want to pat or talk to the dog, we are to ask the owner. Still, it is preferred that we leave the dog to do its job.