Interview with Mrs. Bristel
We interviewed Mrs. Bristel, a former puppy walker who has experience raising puppies. She has raised 4 guide dogs, and now owns one. The dog she owns is a female and is used for breeding. Here is what we found out:
Guide dogs help blind and visually impaired people get around. They become the second pair of eyes for the person. They use Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and are starting to experiment with Poodles.
You can become a puppy walker at any age, but if you are under 16, your parents must agree to provide food and a loving home for the puppy.
Puppy walkers raise guide dogs starting when the puppies are 7 weeks old. They keep the puppies until they are 11-16 months old. Walkers must walk the puppies 2 times a day and have obedience training for two 15-minute sessions a day. It is not difficult to become a puppy walker.
Puppy walkers can give their puppy all the opportunities to be a puppy as other dogs that do not work for the foundation. They can be taken to the store, the beach, anywhere. The only difference is that guide dog puppies are not allowed to learn to fetch, or do "normal" dog tricks. They must instead learn to become an obedient guide dog, and to behave in public situations.
Some dogs do not become guide dogs. If they are afraid of loud noises, people, dark areas, or cannot fit the role of a guide dog, they would go to work for the FBI or police department.
If a dog is injured on the job and the injury can not be dealt with, the dog would become retired, and not harmed. The dog would then either go to live with its puppy walker family, or if that family can no longer care for the dog, a new home is found.
"Help me, Jewel, and other dogs at your nearest Guide Dog Foundation."
"If you want to find out more about me and other dogs or the rest of the Guide Dog Foundation you can visit their website by clicking on my picture."