Sarah Blake LaRose

Some of the most common questions people ask me while I am out with my dog in public places have to do with training. Many people who ask questions are people who don’t know me, and they ask while they encounter me in waiting areas. I often feel like I have short-changed them when the waiting time is over and we have hardly begun to discuss their questions. I hope that putting the answers online is informative and educational for someone.

1. Where do you go to get your dogs? According to information I was given in my most recent class, there are 14 schools in the United States where a person can go to receive training with a dog guide. In that same presentation, I learned that there are numerous schools around the world that are also training people to work with dog guides. I, personally, go to The Seeing Eye in Morristown, NJ, for my dogs.
2. How long is the training? For my first dog, I stayed in training for 27 days. For my second, third, and fourth dogs, I stayed for 20 days. In 2012, and the training was shortened to 25 days for new students and 18 days for returning students.
3. Is the dog already trained when you get it? Yes, the dog has completed its training and is qualified to guide. One of my classmates in my training with me during my fifth dog class answered someone who asked if she was training her dog, “No, she is mine.” I thought it a brilliant and confident thing to say.
4. If the dog is ready to guide, why can’t you just bring it home? Why do you have to do another training if you had a dog guide before?This is such an important question that I devoted a whole post to it on my blog. Please read the post for the answer.
5. How much does it cost to get a dog guide? In answering this question, I should refer to the previous question about schools and restate that there are several schools to choose from. Each school handles the expenses associated with obtaining a dog in its own manner. Some charge a nominal fee and then pay the person’s travel cost, room and board, etc. Others do not charge a fee, but the person is responsible for the cost of travel to the school. Still others offer sponsorships through programs such as Lions Clubs, International. The Seeing Eye bases its fees on whether the person is a new or returning student. The fee is The student pays the appropriate fee; and the school covers the cost of travel to and from campus, room and board, dog training, and equipment for the dog.