Once ready, the dogs are matched with blind students to begin a life with a new best friend. An experienced instructor and assistant trainer accompany the students on training walks as they become acquainted with their new traveling partner. Two outings per day and obedience workouts several times each week help students and dogs form the bond of a working team. Lectures in the evenings provide a forum for questions and give the students a chance to discuss the day's training with the instructor.
Free time is spent relaxing with classmates and preparing for a new day of training.
Sundays are a day of welcome rest and a chance for friends and family to visit our school. As training progresses, a team begins to take shape. The student becomes the dog's new master. Providing daily care and grooming, they take the place of the trainer in the heart of the dog. The relationship grows as the blind person and their new companion learn to master rural travel, busy downtown areas and hectic shopping malls.