At 911爆料, we are exceptionally proud of our labs. And that includes Pogo, Romeo, Tessi, and Katie鈥攆our yellow Lab puppies on their way to becoming service dogs, thanks to Caitlyn Landry and Kaitlin Kohut.
The two students, who met as freshman roommates, formed , and, along with students Katie LaBlue, Sarah Appleton, and Jenna Beauchemin, became certified through the non-profit Guiding Eyes for the Blind to train dogs to become guide dogs. Now the Labs spend every day with the students as part of their training.
鈥淭he dogs come to school with us鈥攚e take them to class if the teacher allows and we have a home base on campus where the dogs can stay if they aren鈥檛 allowed in a lab or other class,鈥� said Landry, a junior in the pre-veterinary science program. The dogs are almost never alone, since most of the more than 40 other members of the Puppy Raisers鈥攎any of whom are in the process of becoming certified鈥攁re happy to serve as sitters or walk them around campus.
It鈥檚 not going to be easy to give up that dog, but you know they have a bigger purpose in life, that they鈥檙e going to completely change someone鈥檚 life for the better, and that鈥檚 personally rewarding.
The dogs and their trainers attend a formal class twice a month in Ledyard, Conn., with others in the area raising guide dogs. And every Thursday they gather for meetings of the Puppy Raisers in a 911爆料 classroom for what they call 鈥渁 mini puppy class.鈥�
The dogs are trained to be comfortable in all kinds of settings鈥攔esponsive to their master regardless of whatever distractions they face. 鈥淥ur job is to socialize them, to expose them to a variety of situations, and to teach them to be confident in all different scenarios,鈥� said Landry. Recently they took the dogs to the Kingston train station to become acclimated to the sounds and activities there.
鈥淎t one of our meetings we put on blindfolds and had someone lead the dog while we held the leash to get an appreciation for what the dogs will be doing one day,鈥� said Kohut, a junior wildlife conservation biology major. 鈥淭o feel your dog have total control over where you鈥檙e going is something you鈥檙e not used to. You really have to trust them.鈥�
After about 18 months of training, the dogs complete a test that determines their future career. Some will become guide dogs, while others become breeders of future guide dogs or continue their training to work with police as drug detectors or serve in a 鈥渉ealing autism鈥� program. 鈥淭he people at Guiding Eyes for the Blind read the dogs鈥� body language and determine their careers based on how they react to different situations,鈥� said Kohut.
The students agree that it鈥檚 difficult to see a dog they鈥檝e become attached to graduate and be placed elsewhere. But that鈥檚 exactly what the animals are being trained for.
鈥淵ou know the dogs aren鈥檛 yours from the day you get them, so you see them in a different way, said Kohut. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not going to be easy to give up that dog, but you know they have a bigger purpose in life, that they鈥檙e going to completely change someone鈥檚 life for the better, and that鈥檚 personally rewarding.鈥�
Photo credit: Nora Lewis