ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, December 3, 1995 TAG: 9512040067
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-14 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
COLUMN: Claws and Paws
SOURCE: JILL BOWEN
Q: Recently I noticed that the Blacksburg Lions Club sponsored a walkathon for an organization called Leader Dogs for the Blind at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. Can you tell me anything about this organization and what exactly it does?
A: The Leader Dogs for the Blind organization is located in Rochester, Mich., and was founded in 1939 by a group of Michigan Lions Club members. Their objective was to train dogs to assist the blind and to support facilities where trained leader dogs could be matched to a blind person, allowing them to undergo training together.
It is a nonprofit organization that has to date paired more than 10,000 blind people with leader dogs.
All the dogs used in the program are donated. The dogs are accepted between the ages of 1 and 21/2 years old, and must be at least 20 inches high at the shoulder.
They do not have to be any particular breed, but they do have to be friendly, healthy, good on the leash, accustomed to people and able to accept responsibility. The most common breeds of dogs in the program are German shepherds, Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers and crossbreeds of these three.
The dogs are taught general commands while the trainer gets to know the dog, its habits and temperament.
The training then progresses through various stages, teaching the dogs how to work on the streets. Finally, they progress into more complicated situations, such as crowded streets, heavy traffic, revolving doors, elevators, etc.
Training a leader dog takes approximately five months. If during this time a dog is found not to be suitable, it is either returned to its original owner, or if necessary, a good home is found for it.
At the end of the training period, the leader dog is introduced to its new blind owner, who has come to stay at the Rochester facility, where the training continues for another month as the two get to know each other and work together.
Having a leader dog brings a whole new dimension to the life of a blind person, minimizing the disability and permitting the person to lead a more normal life by not having to depend on others all the time. A leader dog protects against everyday travel hazards and provides safety and security under difficult conditions.
An important thing to remember is that if you meet a blind person with a leader dog remember that the dog is working and should not be distracted from its task. Do not pet the dog or offer it food. (Labradors are very greedy!)
One way the general public can help this program, apart from the obvious one of donations, is by becoming a leader dog puppy-walker.
Leader Dogs for the Blind is conducting a program to raise German shepherd, Labrador and Golden retriever puppies to work as guide dogs. The puppies are raised in individual homes until approximately one year of age, when they are entered into the training program.
Any family or individual who is able to devote the necessary time and effort to raise a puppy according to the leader dog guidelines is eligible for the program. Puppies are placed in private homes when they are between six and eight weeks old. They are not allowed to run loose, except in a fenced yard, and they must also be raised as house puppies. Such a puppy must be a family project as it will need lots of tender loving care from all the family members.
It is also very important to involve the puppy in all the family activities, such as rides in the car, walks along busy streets, and the opportunity to meet lots of people, including children, so that it will become a well-rounded puppy, used to the vacuum cleaner, loud noises, slamming doors, polished floors and carpets.
The puppy walker must also be prepared to foot the bill for all the puppy's food and any veterinary attention.
There is no charge for to a recipient of a leader dog for any of the four-week training program. It costs approximately $12,500 for each leader dog placed with a blind person; the operating budget for the 1994 fiscal year was $4,134,480, largely raised by public contributions.
If you wish for any further information on Leader Dogs for the Blind Organization - the organization itself, the puppy walking scheme or how a blind person might qualify for a leader dog, you can write organization at Leader Dogs for the Blind, P.O. Box 5000, 1039 S. Rochester Road, Rochester, Mich. 48307-3115. The telephone number is (810) 651-9011.
Or you may talk to any member of the local Blacksburg Lions Club, which is continuing to raise funds for this project.
If you have a question for Jill Bowen, please write to her in care of the New River Current, P.O. Box 540, Christiansburg, Va. 24073 or send e-mail to Currentbev.net.
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