Most apprentices begin their careers at Guide Dogs as instructor assistants , the entry-level position within the Training Department. Upon acceptance into the Apprenticeship Program, new apprentices spend ten days blindfolded for 24 hours a day. During that time, they live in our student dormitory and fully participate with the students in class. The blindfolded apprentice is assigned a Guide Dog, shares a room with a person who is blind and experiences class training from a student's point of view. After completing the blindfold experience, new apprentices typically join a team of experienced instructors who begin teaching them how to train dogs to become guides.
Apprentices become competent in all aspects of guidework training, as well as canine obedience.
Throughout the course of their three-year apprenticeship, apprentices will also learn how to be effective teachers while helping to conduct the classes of our blind or visually impaired students. During class, apprentices work with the students, teaching them the basics of guidework and how to become teams with their new four-legged companions. They also conduct some class lectures and discussion sessions. Again, the apprentices' responsibilities increase with each successive class. Following each class, apprentices go on the road to conduct follow-up visits with our graduates throughout the United States and Canada.