Labrador retriever puppy
Gavin sits below his trainer, Tyler Vissers, in
Long Beach on Saturday.
Jeff Gritchen
Press-Telegram
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Puppies training to be
eyes for owners By Kristopher Hanson Staff
writer
Press-Telegram June11, 2000
LONG BEACH-- By the time they reach the age of 2,
they're required to take on tremendous responsibility.
Every day, they are called on to help people navigate
busy city streets, get around college campuses and walk
to the market and back. They get people safely
across intersections and onto buses, trains and boats.
They are obedient and trained not to whine.
They're guide dogs, and more than 15 were in training
Saturday as they boarded a Metro Blue Line train in
downtown Long Beach on its way to the heart of Los
Angeles.
"Dogs are much smarter than we give them credit for,
sometimes," said Lynne Shaw of Guide Dogs for the
Blind, Inc.
The pooches were being trained to become familiar with
the hustle and bustle of urban light rail to serve their
future masters better.
"They are being introduced to all sorts of public
transportation," said Daphne Easton, project leader
for the South Bay Guide Dog Puppy Raisers.
During the first year and a half of their lives, the dogs
live with host families who familiarize them with humans
and teach them house manners and obedience, Easton said.
Most of the puppies chosen to be guide dogs are
Labradors, German shepherds and golden retrievers,
although many are mixes of these breeds.
On Saturday morning, one 8-month-old yellow lab, Elko,
rested comfortably on the train platform in Long Beach as
a Los Angeles bound Blue line train pulled up to the
station at First Street and Pine Avenue.
"They (Labradors) have a wide range of
personalities," Shaw said. "They can fit
into pretty much any environment."
Once he boarded, Elko shifted around briefly, then
settled under owner Peter Egus's seat as the train began
its one-hour trip to L.A.
As he will be expected to do when adopted by a visually
impaired person, Elko remained quietly in his spot as the
train filled with gawking riders as it approached
Compton.
"They have been trained to not become
distracted," Shaw said.
But Egus, who has cared for eight guide dog puppies, said
that despite the strict discipline the puppies are
taught, they show a lighter side. "They're
just like little kids," Egus said.
"They're all over the ballpark."
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