Sooner or later, most guide dog users must face the possibility of retiring their dogs. Retirement can be difficult whether someone has worked a dog for a long time or have had it for only a few months. Naturally, it's hard to say good-bye to a longstanding partner. Some people may grapple with feelings of failure when a team doesn't work out, others may need to cope with the sadness that comes from retiring a dog due to illness or disease. As with most problems in life, people's reactions are individual.
Some people seem to take retiring a dog in stride.
They view the guide as a working animal, and look forward to the possibility of getting a new dog. For others, parting from their canine is very painful. Breed preferences may or may not be available for all classes, so early notification of intention to retire a dog is suggested. A full-time counselor is available to assist graduates during this difficult transition time. In Tribute Read tributes to our dogs from those who love them.