The Schack family who reside in Trabuco Canyon, became involved with the Guide Dog puppy program through a local group called VIP3. The Schack's were excepted as a puppy raising family and they started the training with Odette, an eight-week old Black Labrador.
"We care for Odette just like a family pet. we take her to public places so that she can become accustomed to socializing with the general public. It's a wonderful feeling knowing that we're able to help someone in need,and besides, it's a lot of fun for us," stated the Schack family.
Guide Dog puppies sleep inside the home and are treated like one of the family. House breaking and basic manners are taught at an early age to prepare them for their future work as guides. Between 14 and 18 months, the pup will return to the Guide Dogs for the Blind campus which is located at San Rafael, California.There they receive formal training with a licensed instructor for approximately five months.
Upon completion of their training they are paired with a visually impaired or blind person. Those in Ed come to the campus and spend up to a month learning to travel with their new Guide Dog as a team. At graduation, the families that raised these pups present these Guide Dogs to their new partners.
For information about Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc., call 1-800-295-4050 or (415) 499-4000.