Guide Dogs for the Blind
At A Glance—An Educational Resource Guide: Section A

At A Glance—An Educational Resource Guide

I. Introduction
At A Glance—An Educational Resource Guide is brought to you by Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc. The purpose of At A Glance is to provide information on blindness and guide dog use to teachers and students for the development of curriculum, reports, and projects on blindness and disability. The following supplemental material is included for use in conjunction with the guide:

a. At A Glance Curriculum and Classroom Activity Planners: Sample tests, puzzles, and instructional activities for groups of students that can be accomplished using materials found in the classroom or household. The planners are divided into two levels - grades K-4 and grades 5-8.

b. At A Glance Resource Materials: Newspaper and magazine feature articles, bibliography, and a listing of related Web sites that can be used to continue the learning exploration in further depth. [The Resource Materials are appropriate for older students (grades 9-12) and adults.]

c. At A Glance Poster: Attractive wall poster showing puppies, guide dogs, and information about the eye and diseases of the eye.

 II. Content
The At A Glance educational resource guide and supplemental material provide information which will help students gain a basic understanding of what a guide dog does to assist someone who is blind.

By using this material, students will learn:

In addition, they'll have the opportunity to gain a sense of appreciation for people who, because of their loss of vision, have learned to use creative and alternative methods to accomplish everyday tasks.

III. Instructional Objectives
After reviewing the material and participating in the activities provided, students should be able to demonstrate the knowledge they have gained by:

IV. Pathways to Mastery
At A Glance provides several alternate pathways for students to improve their knowledge of blindness and guide dog use. Instructional material is available on each topic for all age groups using a variety of educational tools: illustration, literature, activities, tests, games and Internet resources.


At A Glance—Table of Contents

Section A: About Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc.

Section B: General Information

Section C: Curriculum and Classroom Activity Planners

Grades K-4
Curriculum—

Classroom Activities—

Grades 5-8
Curriculum—

Classroom Activities—

Section D: Resource Materials

* Teachers—For a copy of the Activity Sheet or Wall Poster, please contact Guide Dogs for the Blind via email at iteachers@guidedogs.com; or by mail at the following address: P.O. Box 151200, San Rafael, CA 94915-1200. Please include your name, the name, address and phone number of your school, and the grade level that you teach.

 

At A Glance
Section A: About Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc.

About Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc.
Guide Dogs for the Blind was first established to serve blind World War II veterans, and today serves people from all walks of life. We operate two training facilities, one in San Rafael, California (20 miles north of San Francisco) and another in Boring, Oregon (25 miles east of Portland).

We accept visually impaired people ages 16 and older from throughout the United States and Canada for up to 28 days of training with a Guide Dog. Transportation, tuition, room and board, the dog, costs of training and all other services are provided completely free of charge. We are supported entirely by private donations.

 

Our students have access to instructors, counselors, veterinarians, and a full-time nursing staff. In addition, dedicated dormitory and support staff attend to each student's needs in order to make their stay pleasant and enjoyable.

Guide Dogs for the Blind has provided more than 8,000 dogs to people with vision loss in our 50+ year history. You can find us on the Web at: www.guidedogs.com.

Our Mission
Guide Dogs for the Blind provides enhanced mobility to qualified individuals through partnership with dogs whose unique skills are developed and nurtured by dedicated volunteers and a professional staff.

Established in 1942, Guide Dogs for the Blind continues its dedication to quality student training services and extensive follow-up support for graduates. Our programs are made possible through the teamwork of staff, volunteers and generous donors. Services are provided to students from the United States and Canada at no cost to them.

 Breeds Used
At Guide Dogs for the Blind, we breed Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, and Lab/Golden crosses from our own specially-selected, purebred stock. Each of these four breeds meets the basic requirements of a guide dog:

Puppy Raising
Puppy raising is an excellent way to have fun while being involved in community service. Adults and children 9 years and older who live throughout eight Western states (California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Arizona and Nevada) volunteer to raise puppies for the Guide Dog program. There are approximately 1,000 families raising puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind.

The raisers receive the puppies when the pups are approximately 2 months old. Guide Dog puppies sleep inside the house and are members of the family. Housebreaking and basic manners are taught at an early age. To prepare them for their future work as guides, the puppies are exposed to grocery stores, restaurants, schools, malls, offices, etc. Each raiser is asked to bring their pup to local meetings with other raisers to work on socialization techniques.

The dogs are returned to Guide Dogs when they are between 12-18 months old. Many people ask if it is hard to give up a puppy. Yes, it is very hard, but raisers know that there is someone who needs the puppy more than they do. Puppy raisers experience the joy of knowing they have given their puppy a solid foundation for future training, and that they have each contributed to "lighting a path for a fellow human being on his or her journey through life," as one of our raisers so aptly put it.

The raisers have the opportunity to see their dogs again after they have completed their formal Guide Dog training. Each puppy raiser formally presents the dog they raised to the dog's new partner in a moving graduation ceremony. The raisers meet their dogs' blind partners and share stories about their experiences.

The Making of a Guide Dog Team
After approximately five months of training with licensed Guide Dog Instructors, the dogs are paired with blind or visually impaired students at our school. These students spend up to a month learning to travel with their new Guide Dogs as teams. Their instruction and training begins in rural areas and progresses to busy city streets. They ride buses, taxis, elevators and escalators. They travel safely through crowds of pedestrians, across lanes of heavy traffic, and on subway platforms.

Guide Dogs are eager to please and willing to work. They enjoy accompanying their partners to work, on shopping excursions, to restaurants, and many other places. Verbal and physical praise are the methods of reward used to train Guide Dogs. The dogs' response to praise has been developed since they were pups - they thrive on praise and will favorably respond to commands in order to receive it.

Verbal and leash/collar corrections are used in addition to praise to help shape a dog's behavior. They communicate that the dog should cease a behavior or action, and do not harm the dog in any way. Corrections are only effective if the dog understands why it is being corrected. The moment the dog stops the undesired behavior, it is given praise to reinforce its resumed attention and focus.

 

Proceed To Section B

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A Nonprofit Charitable Organization
PO Box 151200 San Rafael CA 94915