Dog School(s)

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer,The Dean of Students at the University of Delaware is a puppy raiser for Seeing Eye of Morristown, New Jersey. In fact, his wife Robin Breisford heads the program at Rowan University in New Jersey where students bring their seeing-eye-dogs-in-training to class. At Rutgers University,15 dogs are involved in the program. Between the University of Delaware, Rowan and Rutgers, about 50 dogs are being molded into seeing eye dogs, thanks to their student trainers who involve their dogs in most aspects of their lives.

In fact, college campuses, according to guide-dog schools are one of the best places to expose guide-dogs-in-training to a variety of social situations. For this reason, schools all over the country are lobbying for puppy clubs for their students. At the moments, Ithaca College and Colorado State University also have programs.

According to George Breisford, Dean of Students at Delaware, "It is both the best and worst thing I've ever gotten involved with. "You get a dog and he's your dog and you treat him like he's your dog and you love him. And by the time they're getting to be a good dog and stopped chewing things and being rambunctious, that's when we give them back to Seeing Eye."

In order to be a puppy raiser, students must pass rigorous training, which usually involves puppy sitting for current club members. They also must get permission from their professors to bring their dogs to class.

It is hard work and not everyone makes it through. In fact, when Chris Parillo, president of the Rutgers puppy club had to give back his lab-mix, Elroy, he learned that there were actually more dogs than people who needed them, so he had the option of keeping his dog. This is the first time in the history of the organization that this had ever happened, but Parillo is not complaining. Elroy currently lives with his parents and is waiting for a new puppy to arrive.

And if for some reason the puppy fails to pass its eventual training at the Seeing Eye Institute, the puppy raiser is given the option to have the dog back. According to Kathy Daly, assistant manager and area coordinator for Seeing Eye Placement, it happens fairly frequently. Only 50 to 60% pass the final training.

There is no doubt about it; giving up the dogs is the hardest part of the assignment. "I can't tell you how hard it is to leave the dogs," agrees Robin Breisford. "We just have to understand that there's a purpose to these puppies and the potential to bring something amazing to someone else's life."

After the trainers turn their dogs in, they are only allowed to visit the dogs one time to watch it in action. They learn where the dog is placed but no contact is allowed with the new owner.

I, for one, could never do this but I am certainly glad that there are others who can.