Leader Dog for the Soul
I first considered raising a puppy for Leader Dogs for the Blind when our school-age son declared, “I am going to have ten dogs when I grow up.” I decided then that our children needed to learn to be responsible ...
Continue Reading This Article Is Orientation & Mobility Training Right for Me?
Orientation and mobility, or O&M, is a series of skills that allows a person who is blind or visually impaired to travel independently through a constantly changing world. Solid O&M skills are what makes it possible for someone who is ...
Continue Reading This Article When You Meet a Leader Dog
Leader Dogs provide independent travel for thousands of people around the world. Whether you know someone who works with a Leader Dog or just want to know how to react when you encounter one, you can help Leader Dogs and ...
Continue Reading This Article How Do I Become a Leader Dog Instructor?
At Leader Dog, this is one of most commonly asked questions we hear. Qualified candidates are hired in as apprentice instructors when we have openings, unless you have already been certified as a guide dog mobility instructor (GDMI). Generally, the ...
Continue Reading This Article Living and Learning at Leader Dog
Dear Patterson Foundation, My name is Rebecca Coyle and I am a veterinary student from the University of Missouri. I recently spent two weeks at the Leader Dogs for the Blind campus and I had an absolutely amazing experience which ...
Continue Reading This Article Proud to be a Volunteer
By Carol Dash I have found that whenever you open your heart to opportunities at Leader Dogs for the Blind, good things happen. That’s exactly what happened to me when I became a volunteer client guide two years ago. As ...
Continue Reading This Article Beverly Kramer, Puppy Raiser
Beverly Kramer has been raising Leader Dogs for 20 years. In 1998, she attended an annual dinner at her local Chamber of Commerce, and the keynote speaker was a woman who is blind and her Leader Dog. "It was amazing ...
Continue Reading This Article Tips for Nice Leash Walking
Leader Dog's Director of Programs, David Locklin, offers simple tips on how to teach your dog to walk nicely on a leash. Heel Position Make sure your dog is in the optimum position to walk on a loose leash (leash ...
Continue Reading This Article One-of-a-Kind Training
For years, Leader Dogs for the Blind had to turn down requests for guide dogs because the applicants did not have adequate orientation and mobility (O&M) skills. In many cases, O&M training was not available in the areas where people ...
Continue Reading This Article Gui Douyon and Leader Dog Emma
During his sophomore year of college, GuiAlix decided it was time to apply for a Leader Dog. He first needed to strengthen his orientation and mobility skills, so he flew to Michigan for our week-long, accelerated white cane travel training. ...
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