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Here's a great article I found at www.northwestnavigator.com: -- Two Naval Base Kitsap Navy Exchange employees raise and socialize puppies that will eventually be partnered up with visually impaired people through Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc. The two employees, Andrea Crispin, Manager NEX Autoport and Missy Sullivan, service writer, NEX Autoport, raise the puppies from six to eight weeks old to 15 months old and then turn the dogs over to “Guide Dogs for the Blind” for further training and transfer to a blind person. In 1942, the organization began training dogs and their blind recipients to work together as a team, according to Joanne Ritter, marketing director and spokesperson for Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc. and injured military members returning home from World War II were some of the first people to get dogs. Crispin, who is raising her 21st puppy, first got involved with raising puppies when her daughter participated by raising puppies in an accredited 4-H community service program during her high school years. “We did it together and now that she is grown and out of the house, I do it as an adult raiser,” she said. “We teach them obedience and socialization with all environments. They are with us 24/7 and anywhere we go, they go because they need to get used to all environments and activities that blind people would do on a daily basis.” “My husband is active duty and was assigned to Guam and I needed something to do,” said Sullivan, who is raising her second puppy. “I love dogs so it was a good fit. It is a really good opportunity for a single person or a family to volunteer and get involved.” After a dog is grown, they learn how to function in a harness when they attend training at a harness training facility in Boring, Ore. “The guide work that dogs learn consists of learning how to walk in a straight line, or to stop for elevation changes, such as curbs or steps. They also learn to lead around obstacles or preventing their partners from hitting themselves on low-hanging tree limbs or other objects,” said Ritter. “The dogs begin to think of their space to include the blind person and they become a single unit.” According to Ritter, dogs not only recognize obstacles and hazards, but also learn judgment to disobey an order that will put the blind person in jeopardy, such as crossing traffic or an open manhole cover. After that the dog is matched with a blind person and both dog and recipient go through a joint training process. “We generally use Labrador retrievers because they have such variety. We can place them with blind people so as to match their personalities and activity levels,” Ritter said. “They are medium sized, double coated for all weather and hearty in health, which makes them a good guide dog.” “There is gratification in seeing “your” puppy working as a guide dog,” Crispin said. “The companionship and independence given to a blind person is exactly what they need. I know this because raising puppies has come full circle when my mother contracted macular degeneration, went blind and now she has a guide dog. I can see first hand what blindness can do and how these dogs help. It is amazing.” http://www.northwestnavigator.com/index.php/navigator/regionalnews/nbk_navy_exchange_employees_raise_puppies_future_guide_dogs/