Wow! This experience was sure to raise my FUNtelligence Quotient! The Guide Dogs for the Blind Campus is in San Rafael. They breed and train labrador retrievers for blind and visually impaired individuals from all over the United States and Canada. The graduates were from Canada, New York, Pennsylvania, Colorado, New Hampshire, California and Hawaii. The puppies are raised by families for about 12-18 months. Then the dogs return to the campus for a 2 month training before they are matched with a blind or visually impaired person in need of a guide dog. The dog and new owner are housed in the dormitories on the campus for 2-3 weeks for bonding and training. The graduation is open to the public in a beautiful setting amongst redwood trees and beautiful gardens. The families that raised the dogs are paired with the new owners and they share touching and loving stories. Then I went on a tour of the facilities to see the dormitories, common area rooms and kennels where the breeders, dogs in training and puppies (future service dogs) are housed. It is a wonderful facility with friendly people and a beautiful campus.
Here are some pictures of the dogs in all stages of training!
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