Guide Dog Breeding Program

Only those dogs who have met the organization's highest physical and temperamental standards are included in the breeding program at Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc. The program was established in the late 1940's to ensure the consistent production of dogs with the qualities necessary to become excellent working guides in order to meet the needs of the blind and visually impaired. Purebred Labrador Retrievers (black and yellow), German Shepherds, Golden Retriever, and a Cross between the Golden Retriever and Labrador Retriever, are the breeds used as Guide Dogs. Labrador Retrievers comprise the largest percentage of the breeding colony. The Guide Dog breeding program produces 95% of the puppies necessary to support both of our training facilities. Dogs chosen for the breeding program are selected with care by a team of training, veterinary and breeding experts. These valuable breeding stock dogs enjoy life as pets in the custodial homes of loving families who live within a 50-mile radius of the San Rafael campus. Guide Dogs carefully reviews each potential custodial family's application and home environment in order to ensure healthy, safe and secure homes for our dogs. The screening process includes completion of a written application, an interview and orientation at the San Rafael campus, and a home visit, including yard and fence evaluations. Finally, applicants are given an assessment of their current dog handling techniques and are provided with training tips and information. The ultimate goal is to obtain the best possible home for each individual dog being placed. Once placed, breeding stock dogs are required to be kept in peak physical condition. This includes daily exercise, grooming, flea control and formal obedience training. The dogs must sleep indoors and be treated as loved members of the family. To ensure their safety, there is a requirement that the dogs always be kept on leash when out-of-doors and only allowed to run freely in a securely fenced area. Breeding stock custodians are important volunteers who support the program by providing day-to-day care including food, supplies, and transportation of these animals. (Brood bitches may require 8-10 round trips per year and stud dogs as many as 15.) In appreciation for the financial and emotional commitment made to these dogs, Guide Dogs extends veterinary and boarding privileges to the custodians. Approximately 50 new breeders are added to the breeding program annually. Of these, 75 percent are female. Brood bitches are generally bred once a year, and whelp and raise their litters in the kennel facilities at Guide Dogs. They are also required to be boarded in our kennels while in season. Broods are retired from the breeding program prior to the age of seven. Stud dogs are used for breeding more frequently and are retired due to age or when production does not meet the colony standards. There are more than 200 breeding stock custodial families providing loving homes for our dogs throughout the greater Bay Area.

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