Do puppy raisers train the puppies to be guide dogs?
By providing obedience, social, and life experience training, puppy raisers lay the foundation for formal guide dog training. When the dog is about 20 months old, the dog travels to the Guiding Eyes for the Blind (GEB) Training Center in Yorktown Heights, NY. If the dog passes skill, confidence, and medical evaluations, the dog begins a 6-month training program with a GEB professional guide dog trainer. If the dog masters the skills required of a guide dog, the dog is matched with a blind person and the team trains together for about a month at the GEB Training Center.
No, raisers do not train guide dogs. Raisers lay the foundation for future guide dog training by raising the puppy until it has matured, usually between 13 and 22 months of age. Then the puppy is sent to the Guiding Eyes for the Blind Training Center in Yorktown Heights, NY where it is evaluated. If the puppy has the traits needed for guide dog work (excellent health and a confident, serene, and friendly temperament), it begins formal training with a professional guide dog trainer. After this formal training the guide dog is matched with a blind person and the team undergoes another month of training together.
