Seeing Eye Dog Training Schools

Seeing eye dogs provide a lifetime of companionship and guidance to visually impaired men and women across the world. Throughout America, many charitable schools, organizations and non-profit foundations exist to train and provide these canine escorts at no cost. These institutions often provide training for seeing-eye dogs as well as education in the use of seeing-eye dogs for owners.

  1. Guide Dogs of America

    • Based out of Sylmar, California, Guides Dogs of America touts itself as an "international guiding eyes program." A staff of professionals and volunteers breeds, raises and trains puppies for the purpose of becoming seeing-eye dogs. According to the organization's official website, Guide Dogs of America provides guide dogs and training at no cost for visually impaired men and women from the United States and Canada. The school's training programs teach visually impaired individuals how to handle guide dogs as well as offer certified education for seeing-eye dog instructors. A puppy-raising program uses volunteers to house and train obedient, well-behaved puppies for later seeing-eye dog training. Dog training at GDA begins at 18 months; the seeing-eye dogs receive medical checks, stress tests and practice on environmental courses before being paired with owners in need.

      Guide Dogs of America
      13445 Glenoaks Blvd.
      Sylmar, CA 91342
      818-362-5834
      guidedogsofamerica.org

    Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation

    • According to its official website, the Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation is New England's sole guide dog training school. Established in 1960, this public charity organization focuses on providing specifically bred Bavarian German Shepard seeing-eye dogs to visually impaired men and women for free. After 14 months of volunteer foster care, puppies enter formal guide dog training and are eventually matched to owners via in-community placement programs. These programs stretch over two-to-three weeks as trainers instruct clients in using guide dogs. Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation grants legally blind clients who can provide a demonstration of independent traveler skills access to admissions for their dog-matching and training program.

      Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation, Inc.
      103 Old Iron Ore Rd.
      Bloomfield, CT 06002
      860-243-5200
      fidelco.org

    Guiding Eyes for the Blind

    • In Yorktown Heights, New York, Guiding Eyes for the Blind provides seeing-eye dogs and training services for visually impaired people from around the world. This non-profit organization, established in 1954, hosts a 26-day residential training program and a 15-day accelerated client training program for guide dog owners, as well as special needs and home training options. These program progress from quiet rural environments to navigating busy New York City streets. As for dog training, volunteers foster specially bred dogs before they receive instructor training in obedience, logical guidance, safety, initiative and reliability.

      Guiding Eyes for the Blind
      611 Granite Springs Rd.
      Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
      914-245-4024
      guidingeyes.org