Teen's pet hobby helps blind cope

A child's love of dogs has turned into quite a rewarding pastime for one San Ramon teen.

Katy Sorensen, 15, has raised guide dog puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind Inc. since soon after the third grade, when she fell in love with the idea while attending a field trip to the guide dog campus in San Rafael.

Six and half years and six puppies later, the California High School sophomore and daughter of Mike and Jeanie Sorensen recently attended the graduation of her latest puppy, Melrose, a black Labrador retriever, and proudly presented her to a visually impaired woman who lives in British Columbia.

Guide Dogs for the Blind Inc. is a nonprofit, charitable organization whose mission is to provide guide dogs and training to visually impaired people throughout the United States and Canada. The organization celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, having provided more than 7,500 dogs to the blind since 1942.

The serious training of German shepherds, Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers and lab-golden retriever crosses relies on volunteer "puppy raisers" for the dogs' first year.

As a puppy raiser, Katy was responsible for basic obedience training including such commands as "sit," "down," "come," "stay," for introducing her puppy to social situations that it will encounter as a seeing-eye dog, such as walking in shops, and for learning house manners such as no begging at the table or jumping.

When the puppies are returned to the school after their first year, they begins four to five-month guide dog training program with licensed instructors, which includes learning to stop as curbs and how to keep their visually impaired partner from harm's way.

This first phase of training, from 8 weeks to about 12 to 16 months, is critical in the puppies' lives, according to Contra Costa County Guide Dog Raisers Inc., a local program that provides weekly meetings and support as well as the opportunity to teach socialization skills for about 20 puppy raisers in the area. Puppies at this age learn the most and at the quickest pace.

Helping other people is one of the best aspects of being a puppy raisers, Katy said. Another great part, she adds, is having a puppy all the time.

"Every year, you get a new ball of fire." And like a proud parent, she adds that it is very rewarding to see you little puppy, who didn't know anything when you first brought him home, graduate with skills and obedience.

Katy, a member of the Cal High water polo and swim teams and of the 4H Club, has enjoyed being able to take the puppies wherever she goes. She has raised all the breeds and proudly said that three of her six puppies graduated and were presented to visually impaired individuals.

She kept her second dog, Carney, a yellow lab, when he didn't graduate and has her fifth dog, Kiara, who has since retired as a guide dog. She says she may wait until her senior year to train another puppy.

According to Katy, only about 25 percent of the dogs graduate and are matched with visually impaired humans, who also attend intensive in-residence training at the school. There are about 1,000 active puppy raisers in eight Western states.

Between 300 and 400 dogs graduate each year; most are placed with visually impaired individuals, while others become breeders.

After the puppies' year of training is over, "it's really hard to give them back, even though it's a good cause," Katy said. "It's also very rewarding, a lot of fun, and people are really grateful for the dogs."

Guide Dogs for the Blind Inc. was incorporated in 1942 in Los Gatos and was the dream of Lois Merrihew and Don Donaldson, who recognized the need to help wounded servicemen returning from World War II without their sight. The organization, which provides its services for free, moved to San Rafael in 1946.

For more information about Guide Dogs for the Blind Inc. you can log onto its Web site at www.guidedogs.com, or call 800-295-4050. For the Contra Costa County Guide Dog Raisers, log onto its Web site at www.cccgdr.com or call 925-689-4989.

Reprinted from the San Ramon Valley Times
By Monica Lander