Guide Dogs for the Blind: A Campus Visit
by Christy Caplan
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February 12, 2017 
On the way to Mt. Hood in Boring, Oregon is the campus for The Guide Dogs for the Blind.
I’m a BIG fan of the “working dog” and haven’t had many opportunities to write about the amazing things dogs do to enhance our lives. I was at the Oregon campus last week so I took some pics and had the opportunity to meet one of their dog residents.
I wanted to point out some statistics about the dogs that are part of the The Guide Dogs for the Blind organization but before I do it’s important to make some points about the people they’re supporting. If you read the testimonials on their site – these people may be blind but are remarkable! Some (pre-guide dogs) hike regularly and others are professional skiers. These guide dogs enhance the lives of the humans they’re partnered with.
To think of the training efforts and that first introduction between the humans and the dogs gives me goose bumps. The campus is tucked away in the forest and a wonderful place for any four legged companion to spend time at.
Some cool statistics:
- They are the second largest guide dog school in the world!
- All of the services provided for their clients are free of charge, including personalized training and extensive post-graduation support, plus financial assistance for veterinary care, if needed.
- In addition to learning how to lead a person safely around obstacles, guide dogs are also trained in “intelligence disobedience”: if they are given an unsafe cue from their handler, they are taught to disobey it (for example: refusing to step out into the street when there is oncoming traffic).
- They are capable of avoiding distractions including cats! (my dogs would have a lot of trouble with that…)
Interested in learning more: Visit their site.
Interested in donating or volunteering? Learn more here.
Resources:
- Campus Tours: Two campuses – the other campus is located in San Rafael, CA
- Check out their puppy center where these pups start out their journey!
- Great article – in Oregonlive
A resident!
An image from Lolo’s Pass where we took the dogs hiking -pass their campus by about 30 minutes!
Pin me!
Guide Dogs for the Blind is an awesome organization! We visited the San Rafael campus when we took a trip to Gilroy for the Garlic Festival. We went on the tour and also got to sit through their graduation. Many of our friends raise puppies for GDB and we know a few working guides as well.
That’s so cool – the techniques to teach these amazing dogs to actually ignore owner commands when they’ve asked the dog to do something unsafe is incredible. So cool you visited the other campus as I hear that’s also where all the puppies are. And I bet graduation was really moving -these folks leaving with their dogs…. how awesome you saw that. Please flag any posts you think should be added here as additional resources.
What a great organization! I’m jealous you got to visit. My Magical-Dawg comes from a kennel with a foundation dog from Fidelco Guide Dogs.
That’s incredible – I bet that foundation training is invaluable!
What a great organization! I like that you point out that they are capable of avoiding distractions like cats! 🙂 That’s also interesting that they will disobey an unsafe command. Dogs are so smart!
There was a cat at the school’s check in area that was the “distractor” cat and was clearly doing a good job!
What a great opportunity to have visited this campus! These dogs, the people that train them are amazing. These dogs give freedom to the people that need them most.
I felt really lucky to be there!
Guide Dogs is such an amazing organisation, and I admire the volunteers who give so much of themselves to train the dogs. Not long ago I saw a group of volunteers with their dogs, getting them used to buses and supermarkets. The work this organisation does is, literally, life changing.
100% agree! When I see them at street corners I try and wrap my mind around what that experience would be like from a blind person’s perspective. Unreal.
That’s really neat. I was a service dog trainer for 3 years and the experience and those dogs and recipients will always be near and dear to me. What a wonderful opportunity to visit Guide Dogs.
Oh WOW – that’s incredible! Do you have some posts about that? That’s a cool experience!
These dogs are so incredible! I see guide dogs working with trainers all around our town, it fascinates me. This organization and the dogs they help can give a person their independence and a quality of life that wouldn’t be possible without them.
Love & Biscuits,
Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them
Agreed. The work they do and their level of training absolutely blows my mind.
These dogs are heroes, what an amazing organization which I had not heard of so thanks for this great post
Absolutely! It’s an incredible organization.
I have a friend who has just lost her sight I hope she will get a guide dog one day. These dogs are amazing and their owners have more couage than I ever have.
If she’d like to be connected with this program please have her contact me.
My PTSD dog … might be tiny but he changed my life. Working dogs are … vital.
Agree 110%
Ever since I researched the Seeing Eye Dog Birthday calendar event, I’ve been interested in guide dogs. How is the school able to provide services free of charge? I’m also impressed that they train dogs in “intelligence disobedience”. It sounds like quite the experience getting to visit the second largest guide school in the world! Thanks for sharing it.
The organization is funded 100% through donations. Thanks for commenting! These guide dogs are incredible!
Do you know how anything about how they bring in what must be an incredible amount of donations? I know animal welfare organizations here that depend on donations but are barely staying afloat. 🙁
Hi! They didn’t expand on this but you should DM them on Facebook! I bet they could tell you a little about how they raise money from individuals and corporate sponsors. Thanks!
What a great opportunity for you to see this facility in person!
I’ve always thought I would enjoy raising a puppy to be a service dog (for an organization.) Perhaps I need to look into it seriously in a few years.
If you ever want to talk with a puppy raiser just to get an idea – let me know for sure.
So exciting that you got to visit the campus. We filmed at Dog Guides Canada and National Service Dogs for the doc series. I was blown away by the people and the dogs and the training. Just incredible what dogs can do and how they improve lives.
That sounds like a cool experience too! The puppy center is down in CA and I’ll love to meet those puppies in training!
How fabulous that you got to visit them in person – what an honor. They are so committed to helping that what makes their love shine through in all they do!
Agreed – next time you’re down here let me know and we can go on a tour!
What an amazing opportunity you had to visit this place. I am always left in awe at the job these dogs can do to help their humans.
Me too – The training they do with these dogs is incredible.
I recently ran into some of their trainers while they were out training puppies. It was interesting to see.
That’s so cool -I’ve seen them training downtown too!
Thank you for introducing us to this fabulous organization. Working dogs are incredible and make such a difference to their people. It is wonderful to know these individuals enjoy normal activities without fear.
I loved touring their campus! It’s amazing the difference they make – agreed! Thank you!
This is awesome to know as I have not lived in Oregon very long! I knew a bit about them as my boyfriend is legally blind. He has told me about their work and how he had to live on their campus to learn how to use his dog (who has since passed away). I’ll plan a visit now!
Thank you for linking up to the Showcase! We featured your last entry (the Snuffle Mat post) in this week’s post. Wow … these guide dogs allow their handlers to do incredible things! I’m especially impressed by the facts that the organization provides their services free of charge and also teaches “intelligence disobedience,” where the guide dogs are taught to disobey unsafe cues from their handlers. Just incredible! Thank you for sharing this amazing organization with us 🙂
Thank you for featuring my post! Right? When I went to see their campus I was blown away – The training is incredible and the dogs… what they learn and how quickly they learn the techniques is crazy. I love the showcase!
Thanks for joining our LInky Party. I loved this post about the guide dogs. The more I learn about what dogs and even cats (I know some therapy cats) the more I am amazed at what they offer to us humans. I have a friend who is training in preparation to receive a diabetes dog and the journey is fascinating.
Thanks,
Anita (purrrrsonal secretary to the Tribe of Five)
Thank you! Oh wow there was a segment about diabetes dogs on our local NBC outlet last week. The idea they can tell when your sugar levels drop is amazing. Please post about that when you have time as I’d love to read about the journey.
We blog about felines but I would be happy to get in touch with her and see if you two can connect. She is a writer (although not in the pet genre) and her documentation of the training they are going through is amazing. I’m not sure if she has her dog yet, it’s quite a process. Let me know if you’re interested.
I’d love that – even if we just did a Q&A perhaps looking at the progress of her training and how long the process will take -or after she has her dog, a report on how things are going? Something that is super low maintenance for her -some pics and some questions… Thank you!
What a lovely place to be camped out. I bet those dogs have a great education out there. Service dogs everywhere, and those that train them are to be applauded and encouraged! Lovely to see this insight into their work.
Purrs, ERin
Thank you! I agree – they should be applauded and it was super fun to see how they’re trained and to learn more about the process these dogs go through before they’re paired up.
[…] Guide Dogs For The Blind: Campus Visit […]
What a wonderful opportunity to get to visit there, and so interesting all that the dogs can learn. They are so amazing!
I really enjoyed being there! I am grateful the campus is so close to where I live!
Many years ago they were looking for training apprentices and I really thought about doing it. The work they do is so important. Thanks for sharing and thanks for joining in the Pet Blogger Showcase this week!
Thanks so much! I agree that the work they do is so important. It’s such a big commitment -I’ve looked at it too and it’s not a great fit for my dog pack and lifestyle so I admire anyone that can get involved!
I didn’t realize they had an entire campus devoted to this. In CT we had a Fidelco and I know a couple of Shepherds that were going to be in the program but then didn’t make it.
Thanks for sharing this and thanks for linking up!
Thank you so much! Yea – the campus is amazing, it’s giant. Thanks for hosting!
[…] to become trainers and I really really wanted to do. But I didn’t, for a number of reasons. My Life With Dogs PDX shares a visit with one their campuses and it has me wondering…what […]
[…] Guide Dogs for the Blind: A Campus Visit by Christy Caplan at My Life With Dogs – wow, in CT we Fidelco Guide dogs, but as far as I know, they don’t have a campus like this. Christy was able to check out the campus in person. Hop on over to see what she discovered. […]
Guide Dogs for the Blind…so inspiring and so amazing. Always have thought Sam would would excel at the disobedience class…he has that down pat #poodleagenda
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Please – I cannot even get my guys to stay on their mats at anytime during the day!! All mine excel at disobedience! ha! 🙂