Guide Dogs: From Puppies to Partners
Grade 4-6-A brief look at how guide dogs are bred, raised, and trained in Australia. Lawrenson begins by giving general information on who uses the guide dogs and some facts about training schools around the world. Then she turns to what generally happens when a puppy is bred to be a guide dog, focusing on a Labrador retriever's birth and first seven or eight weeks of life. As in the United States, the dogs are farmed out to families for one year to become accustomed to people. They are then sent to training school for 20 weeks and finally paired with the person with whom they will be working. Several "teams of two" are profiled. Color photographs show the dogs and elements of training, including an interesting chart of the commands that they must learn. Female dogs are appropriately referred to throughout as "bitches." An attractive addition where needed.Margaret C. Howell, West Springfield Elementary School, VACopyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.