Join us for a night of food, fun and live entertainment featuring Diane Schuur. We are coming together on November 10th to celebrate the successes here at Guide Dogs of the Desert- and we would love to have you be a part of it. Enjoy a thrilling performance by Diane Schuur, auctions, raffles and more!
Graduation is a free event that is open to the public.
Come join us to celebrate the incredible accomplishments of our
students & dogs!
Support an amazing artist, and Guide Dogs of the Desert all at once with this annual Gift of Love concert series. GDD is honored to have been selected as one of the benefiting charities for this event. Enjoy a performance by Barry Manilow and benefit GDD ! Visit agol6.com or click the photo above to learn more.
whats up with our pups?
Guide Dogs of the Desert welcomes new puppies to the GDD Family!
A white standard poodle is seen nursing some small pups in varying colors.
On Saturday, October 22nd, Guide Dogs of the Desert was thrilled to welcome a new litter of poodle pups to our ever growing family! We are so excited to get to experience this journey with these pups.
We also wanted to give a special thank you and shout out to breeder host, Tricia Kendrick and family, for the wonderful care she provided to this mama and pups as they made their grand entrance over the weekend.
Breeder hosts are amazing families who provide the love, care and attention that breeder dogs need to be the nurturing parents of the future. These dogs pave the way for future generations of guide dogs… and it starts right at home with the incredible care these volunteers provide.
Click the button below to learn more about our breeder host program!
Black Labrador guide dog, Kenny, is shown in the photo above. He is sitting outside, in a new, light colored harness. He is facing the camera with his ears perked forward, and mouth slightly open in excitement.
This past week we were thrilled to welcome our newest cohort of students on campus. These individuals have started on a journey to train with their new guide dogs… their partners in independence. Some of you may be familiar with the idea that before a dog is even ready to be paired with a guide dog recipient, they go through socialization, puppy raising & guide dog training. This can take about two years to complete. During this training guide dogs learn the commands and skills needed to succeed at their job.
What may not be as familiar to you is that our students also have to learn a whole new language and way of communication.
Kenny wants to share a little bit about what the beginning of guide dog training is like for our students…
"When I was still in school, I spent a lot of time learning how to work in my harness. I learned that when I am wearing it, I have to be serious and a really good boy. And a person always held the other side. My job was (and is) to make sure they were always safe when we were walking. Before I went to my furever person, I remember someone telling me that they were here. But I had to wait to meet them. My person still had to go to school to learn how to speak my language. (Which I thought everyone just knew… but that's not true! Unless we are talking about snacks…. snacks are a universal language.)
Before we met, I saw my teacher pick up a harness. I got so excited because I thought we were going to work. But we weren't! (Don't worry- my other friends at Guide Dogs of the Desert made sure I still had a super fun day). She took the empty harness and said that my person had to learn with that first. I was super excited to get to meet this human, but I also was glad to know we would be able to talk to each other. It would be really confusing if we didn't know the same words!"
What Kenny is describing is “Juno”. “Juno” is an imaginary dog, if you will. Our instructors utilize an empty harness or leash to simulate dog handling and interactions, as well as to get students prepared for the unique sensation of walking with a guide dog. “Juno” is a key element in early training exercises, that lays the crucial foundation for successful team communication, and a higher level of readiness for everyone. It is these introductory moments that prepare our students for what they will encounter in weeks to come.
Apprentice Instructor, Shaylynn, is shown holding the back strap of an empty harness. A woman is seen walking slightly behind her, holding onto the harness handle. The pair is mid-stride in a crosswalk. Shaylynn is smiling as she looks down towards the harness.
Two side by side images above. The first image, on the left, shows Tom Emmett sitting next to a golf cart in front of the Emmet Golfcars sign. He has a white GDD puppy in training, a white standard poodle, seated to his left. The second photo on the right shows four staff members sitting on the golf cart. One staff member in the back is hugging a black poodle.
Last month, GDD was given an amazing gift / contribution to help support our program. Tom Emmett of Emmet Golfcars, along with Linda Simmons came together to bring a new golf cart to the Guide Dogs of the Desert campus! Guide Dogs of the Desert wants to thank Emmett Golfcars and Linda for this remarkably generous gift.
This much needed addition to our program will allow us to transport dogs across campus more easily during an array of weather conditions, as well as create additional on-site training experiences for our dogs! This will also allow our team members to bring supplies from one campus location to another with ease.
Thank you to Tom and Linda for thinking of Guide Dogs of the Desert, and for this exceptional resource that will expand the efficiency of our program!
Thank you
Til next time,
Guide Dogs of the Desert Team
The Lowdown is a Guide Dogs of the Desert publication.
