Guide dog training programs demand a lot more than just a desire to work
with dogs and help the blind. Students need to be compassionate, patient and
physically fit.
This is not your average training program. Students in the employee training
program at Guide Dogs for the Blind in San Rafael, California, for example,
spend every minute of their first 10 days at the school wearing a blindfold.
Guide dog trainers learn their trade on the job, with an established
guide dog school. Most schools require their trainers or instructors to
have a background in animal training and a college degree.
Guide dogs schools hire people into an apprentice program that allows
them to learn on the job as paid employees. Positions are few and competition
is tough.
"When there is a position that opens up, there are hundreds of applicants
for that one position," says Robert Jones, head trainer at a guide dog school.
There are some things you can be doing now to give you a head start. Adam
Waskow is a supervisor at a guide dog school. He suggests raising a puppy
or working with horses.
Good physical fitness is extremely important, adds Waskow. Trainers
walk about a dozen miles each day and work with eight to 10 dogs, which can
range in weight from 55 to 100 pounds.
"I would strongly recommend volunteering with an animal charity
such as the SPCA," adds Alan Robertson, a guide dog mobility instructor. "Also,
volunteering for a charity dealing with people with disabilities is a great
way to get experience and in some cases a foot in the door."
Robertson suggests high school students focus on science courses such
as biology and chemistry. English is also good -- being able to communicate
effectively both orally and on paper are essential skills for a guide dog
trainer.
If you've got what it takes to be hired at a guide dog school, be prepared
to begin at the bottom of the totem pole. You'll generally start in the
kennels, feeding, grooming and cleaning up after the dogs.
As your training progresses, you'll work alongside and under the supervision
of an experienced instructor to train the dogs. You'll eventually help
dog users learn how to work with their new companions.
Other than in California, where guide dog trainers must pass a state licensing
exam, guide dogs schools aren't required by law to adhere to any particular
standards when it comes to training new instructors.
For a complete list of guide dog schools in the U.S., get in touch with
the American Council of the Blind and the National Federation of the Blind.
Links
Occupational Outlook Handbook
For more information related to this field of study, see: Animal
Care and Service Workers
Guide Dogs Schools
Listing by the National Federation of the Blind
FAQs About Guide Dog Puppies
What breeds of dog are used? Find out here
Guide Dogs of America
Check out their Puppy Raising and Training sections