ADMISSIONS AND GRADUATE SERVICES:
Criteria
Application Process
Acceptance to Class
Class
Graduate Services
Admission and Services F.A.Q.
CRITERIA FOR ADMISSION: Our training program is designed to accommodate both the experienced guide dog handler and the first timer. Some of the factors we consider when evaluating a person for acceptance to our program are as follows:
Motivation: The desire and commitment to work with a guide dog must be strong within each individual. Training with and working with a guide dog can present many challenges as well as joys. A motivated handler will try hard to create a successful team.
Leadership: Dogs naturally look for authority and direction. The human partner must be the leader of the team, directing the canine partner in a supportive and consistent manner.
Maturity: Applicants are eligible to apply 16 years of age. But, even more important is the ability to make sound and sensible decisions regarding the work and well-being of the team.
Physical Ability: A person must have enough strength and stamina to handle a large dog in a working situation. All guide dogs need physical interaction from time to time, especially when they are learning to work with a new handler.
Meaningful Work: A person must be active enough to provide sufficient work to keep a guide dog healthy, happy and effective.
Orientation Skills: An applicant must already be an experienced, independent traveler, which most often means they've had a full Orientation and Mobility (O&M) training course. Both dog and human are competent travelers when they come together as a team.
Vision Loss: A person must be legally blind to be eligible for the program. An individual who is legally blind has a visual acuity of 20/200 in the better eye with the best correction, or a visual field of no more than 20 degrees.
APPLICATIONS PROCESS: There are three main parts to the application process:
1. The submission of a full and complete application
2. The In Home Interview
3. Selection by GDA's Selection Committee
The Application Process: A completed written application must be submitted, along with reports from a physician and, in most cases, an Orientation & Mobility Specialist. In some cases, Guide Dogs of America consults with a physician for medical advice in evaluating a prospective student. Applicants should be at least 16 years old, but there is no upper age limit. The application requests facts on personal and family information, housing and past guide dog experience. The application asks about an individual's financial ability to provide necessary food and medical care for the guide dog, as well as facilities for a dog and home environment.
Applicants are asked to describe the general conditions under which the dog will be working. A completed application takes three to four weeks to process. Those accepted for training usually wait four to six months before the start of training. However, if there are any special training needs, this waiting period may be as long as one year. Of completed applications received each year, about 80% are accepted for training.
Home Interview: Within a few weeks after we receive the completed application forms, an instructor will contact the applicant for a home interview. In some cases, an interview may be done over the telephone, at which time we may also request that the applicant tape a short video of his or her independent travel in the home area.
Selection Committee: All applications are evaluated and discussed by the Selection Committee, which is made up of staff from the administration, training and admissions departments.
ACCEPTANCE TO CLASS: If the Selection Committee accepts an applicant, that person is contacted as soon as possible. Placement is generally in the next available training slot, although some people with special requirements or requests may have to wait a longer period of time.
Preparation for Training: We recommend that people waiting to attend a class continue working on their independent mobility to develop their endurance and become a more confident traveler.
Travel Arrangements: Guide Dogs of America will provide round-trip transportation to those who request it. The two airports in the Los Angeles area are Burbank, which is closest to the school, and L.A.X., a large, international airport.
CLASS: There are a maximum of ten students in each class, with three instructors working with them. Instructors stay with the class in the dorm at all times during the training course. The make-up of the class is varied - men and women, first timers and retrainees, college students and seniors. Every class is different, and often life-long friendships develop.
Class Description * Dormitory * Meals * Visiting Hours
Class Description: Students arrive on a Sunday and sign a Waiver of Liability form before beginning training. The time between arrival and meeting the dogs on Wednesday is devoted to dormitory orientation, issuing equipment, theory and practice in basic commands and guide work, dog selections and personal instruction.
When the dog is issued, the student is provided with the dog's name, breed, and information about the dog's personality. The overall deciding factor is the individual student's ability to control and develop a good working relationship with the dog.
A typical day begins at 6:15 a.m., with breakfast at 7:00 a.m. Each student will do obedience exercises with their dogs Monday through Saturday, while receiving individual attention from their instructor.
Obedience exercises begin at 8:00 a.m. The morning workout (guide work) begins at 9:00 a.m. The entire class and their dogs are driven to the training area where each student receives one-on-one instruction along a prescribed route. The morning sessions are concluded at 11:30 a.m., and back at the dorm, lunch is served at 12:00 p.m. After lunch the pattern is repeated. Lectures are held at 5:00 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:00 p.m. Night walks are included in the course during the third and fourth weeks.
Sunday is a day of rest and no workouts will be conducted. Visiting hours on Sunday are from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., and also Wednesday and Friday evenings. Students wishing to attend church services on Sunday should notify the staff and arrangements can be made for an escort from that church to provide the transportation. Recreational facilities include an exercise room, a piano, VCR, radios, televisions, a stereo, talking book machines, and various games.
The training course is designed to progress at an average class rate, and to accomplish the goals in an organized manner. The first week consists of dormitory orientation, the issuing of equipment, theory and practice in basic commands and guidework, dog selections and individual instruction. During the second week, a student will learn various routes and how to cross streets safely and effectively. A gradual transfer of control to the student will take place as well as a gradual reduction of close supervision.
The third week emphasizes public building work, shopping and working routes with minimal assistance, traffic checks, obstacles, urban area work, public city bus and subway travel and rural areas. The fourth and final week consists of free?lance work, individual instruction and routes that are similar to the home environment, plus concentration on special problems and individual needs.
Immediately upon successful completion of the required training program, the student is given title and ownership to the guide dog. Each new owner agrees to treat his or her dog with kindness, to feed and shelter it, and to provide veterinary care. Students agree to use their dogs in the manner taught by Guide Dogs of America.
All graduates receive lifetime follow-up services, and will be visited in their home area when possible, although most concerns can be resolved by telephone or mail. If necessary, Guide Dogs of America may have the team return to the school for a refresher course. Complete records of the dog's health are kept, and twice-a-year veterinary examinations and reports are requested.
Graduates are always welcome to attend any Guide Dogs of America event or Awards Ceremony, and the school will keep in touch by newsletter several times a year, both in print and on audio cassette.
Dormitory: Each private student room has its own bath, built-in dresser and closet, and outside patio, which used for relieving the dog. The library contains many books on tape, described videos and braille materials. The student snack room has soda and candy vending machines, a refrigerator and a microwave. Hot and cold beverages, fresh fruit, popcorn and trail mix are available at all times. We also have exercise equipment for those students who wish more activity than guide dog training. An upright piano can be found in the dining room for musically inclined students.
The dorm also has several common areas outdoors for visiting, relaxing or having a smoke (the building is smoke-free). An outside grooming area can accommodate several students and dogs at a time. GDA's grounds are a pleasant place to take a short walk, and there are benches and picnic tables to stop for awhile. New areas to walk and explore are being developed at this time.
Meals: The food served at GDA is fresh and hearty fare. Our cook takes great pride in pleasing the students, and special needs such as diabetic or vegetarian diets are easily accommodated.
Visiting Hours: After the first week students can receive visitors on Sunday afternoons, and Wednesday and Friday evenings. Students may leave the premises with friends, but until they complete the course, their dogs must stay behind. Awards Ceremony On the third Sunday of the training course, an Awards Ceremony is held to acknowledge all those who have been involved in the guide dog process. Friends and family join in to celebrate the students accomplishments, handlers and puppy-raisers meet to trade stories about their wonderful dogs, volunteers, sponsors and staff are recognized. It is a celebration of partnership, a family reunion of sorts, when all the elements of Guide Dogs of America come together.
GRADUATE SERVICES:
TELEPHONE SUPPORT: Graduates are welcomed and encouraged to contact Guide Dogs of America with any and all problems or concerns regarding the team.
If training staff is not available, speak to someone in the Graduates Services Department. They will take notes and have an instructor call you as soon as possible.
Call: (818) 362-5834
Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
(Staff is always available for after hours emergencies through the operator.)
VET SERVICES: Graduates who live near Guide Dogs of America are welcome to come to the school for their veterinary services.
Flea, heartworm medications, and other medications can be purchased from Guide Dogs of America by all of our graduates at cost.
ACCESS & ADVOCACY: Guide Dogs of America is a committed advocate for its graduates in matters of access and discrimination.
A.D.A. Laws and State Laws are available upon request.
We also encourage business and organizations to educate their staff and membership to these laws so they are prepared to comply with regulations when they meet a working team.
ETIQUETTE: When you meet a guide dog team, be sure talk to the person. Although it may be tempting to go up and speak to the guide dog, it is important to remember that common courtesy dictates we address a person when we meet them.
Don't go up and pet the dog. If you wish to pet the guide dog, be sure to ask permission and respect the wishes of the guide dog user, whatever they decide. Petting, calling, or otherwise distracting the dog may be meant harmlessly, but it is dangerous for the team. Just remember, don't pet a guide dog when they are working, especially without permission from the human partner of the team.
ADMISSIONS AND SERVICES FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Q. How long must an applicant wait after applying, before he will be enrolled in a class for training?
Q. Can persons of any age have a guide dog?
Q. Is the guide dog user (graduate) given ownership of the dog?
Q. How much does it cost to get a guide dog?
Q. Must an individual be totally blind to receive a guide dog or can they have some vision?
Q. How long does an individual stay at the school to train and receive instructions with their new guide dog?
Q: How long must an applicant wait after applying, before he will be enrolled in a class for training?
A: Processing of an applicant (i.e. home interview, agency and personal references, medical report) usually requires 4-6 weeks to accomplish. Placement in class following final acceptance by the Selection Committee, may take as long as 4-6 months. Graduates, who are returning to train with another dog (retrains) are given priority, as such replacement is vital to them in order to continue with their lifestyle. Classes are limited to 10 students.
Q: Can persons of any age have a guide dog?
A: The school will consider for training any legally blind adult who can use a guide dog safely and effectively, but the minimum age is sixteen. There is no upper age limit.
Q: Is the guide dog user (graduate) given ownership of the dog?
A: Yes. Immediately upon successful completion of the required training program, the student is given title and ownership to the guide dog. Each new owner agrees to treat his or her dog with kindness, to feed and shelter it, and to provide veterinary care. Students agree to use their dogs in the manner taught by Guide Dogs of America.
Q: How much does it cost to get a guide dog?
A: Nothing. We provide our guide dogs free of charge to blind and visually impaired men and women.
Q: Must an individual be totally blind to receive a guide dog or can they have some vision?
A: No, individuals with severe visual impairment may receive a guide dog. Many forms of visual impairment allow the person to see some light or some of their field of vision, but they are considered legally blind. A person must be legally blind to be eligible for our program. The definition of legal blindness is "... central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with the use of a correcting lens, or an eye which is accompanied by a limitation in the fields of vision such that the widest diameter of the visual field subtends an angle no greater than 20 degrees...".
Q: How long does an individual stay at the school to train and receive instructions
with their new guide dog?
A: First time Guide Dogs of America guide dog recipients must stay a full 28 days. Individuals receiving their second guide dog from us after their first dog retires can stay for the full 28 days or leave after 21 days if they are ready.