Playing with Peanut the puppy.
And Bella.
Labs, German Shepherds and Poodles are the most common breed for guide dogs.
We spotted this cool looking moth, too.
As a nice follow up to our last field trip at the Braille Institute, we made a drive out to Whitewater today (where the windmills are) and toured the Guide Dogs of the Desert. We enjoyed learning about the facility and the programs they provide: Breeding, Puppy Training, Guide Dog Training and the Student Program.
25 guide dogs are trained each year in order to be matched with their legally blind partner. The partner must attend a student training program at the facility for 28 days before being matched with their new dog.
While in the student program, they learn to walk with their dog in light residential areas, heavily traveled areas with traffic, cross streets, ride buses and light rail, walk through buildings, use stairways, elevators, and escalators, eat at restaurants, and finally take a trip on a plane to Arizona.
Guide Dogs of the Desert was founded over 40 years ago and much like the Braille Institute, operates solely on grants and donations. Their goal is to provide a higher quality of life to the visually blind with specially trained guide dogs.
I think the best part of the day for all the kids was getting to play with the dogs!!
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