It takes a village to raise a guide dog
By Kate Marshall

In 2006, after navigating the Saint Mary’s College campus for four years together, a black lab named Beatrice will lead her vision-impaired partner across the commencement stage to receive a diploma. This will be Beatrice’s second graduation. The first was after completing a roughly two year program to become a Guide Dog.

Behind Beatrice and every Guide Dog is an army of volunteers donating time and love to make the program a success. Much as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a village to raise a Guide Dog. Many people in our little village of Moraga are volunteering by raising and breeding pups, while local shops and schools generously welcome the green-jacketed guide dogs-in-training.

Puppy Raisers
Moraga teen Andrew Phillips is raising Maddox, a 7 month old black lab. Andrew’s mission is to teach Maddox basic obedience and good manners at home and in public.

“The early months were the most challenging, when Maddox was chewing on everything in sight and had go outside to ‘do his business’ all day and night,” says Andrew. “Now that he’s older, I take him to school. Everyone there has learned not to pet or feed Maddox, even though they want to.” Maddox learns to lie quietly at local restaurants and not reach for food. He goes to stores to calmly traverse slippery floors, ride elevators and wait in crowded lines. Andrew and Maddox attend regular meetings of the Contra Costa County Guide Dog Raisers (www.cccgdr.com), where leaders and raisers with decades of experience offer training tips and organize field trips.

My daughter Emily and I recently returned 17-month-old Marigold, the yellow lab we raised since she was a puppy, to the Guide Dog kennels in San Rafael. All year, people asked us “How in the world will you be able to give her up?”

It wasn’t easy. If you do your job right as a puppy raiser, the dog becomes a bonded member of the family. She was a regular on the Campolindo campus, at swim meets, and a regular patron at Long’s and Apple Market. For me, the ‘duty’ of exposing Marigold to a variety of situations was a real pleasure. For example, she was my excuse to ride BART to San Francisco one day for a public rehearsal of the symphony at Davies Hall. How noble of me!

Now back at the kennels, Marigold is working on the fourth of 10 training phases. While we may not visit her while in formal training, we can imagine her beginning to lead her instructor through the campus obstacle courses and being introduced to more complicated street crossings.

If Marigold succeeds in her training, we will proudly present her to her new master at a formal graduation ceremony sometime this Spring. The public is invited to the monthly graduations (info www.guidedogs.com). Bring tissues.

Breeder Family
Denise Silicani of Moraga was drawn to the Guide Dogs for the Blind program, but couldn’t imagine giving up a puppy. Instead, 16 years and three dogs later, Denise is an ardent supporter by serving as a breeder family. “For me, this has been a fabulous way to have healthy, well-behaved and beautiful dogs in my life and to contribute to a great cause.”

The dogs live out their lives with Denise except when in season, breeding or whelping. Each of her three female labs came to her after being identified in training as matching the ideal physical and temperament profile. JoJo, now deceased, had pups so successful as working dogs that she had five litters before retiring with the Silicani’s. Winona retired to pet status after three litters. Calinda just had her third litter.

“People ask me if being a breeder family is a lot of work. Sure, I drive to San Rafael a lot to kennel a dog in season or ready to whelp, but I just see it as having another child to car pool. This week I went to play with Calinda’s new litter of nine gorgeous pups that may grow up to help vision-impaired people get around in the world. How much work is that?”

For information about volunteering, visit www.guidedogs.com or call Guide Dogs for the Blind @ 800-295-4050.

This article was published in the Contra Costa Sun (a Contra Costa Times paper serving Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda) on Wed. January 22, 2003.