Programs Overview
The Dogs - The guide dogs we use are bred by MIRA Canada and include Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Bernese Mountain Dogs, the Standard Poodle and a cross-bred known as the Labernese.
The dogs are initially placed as puppies with volunteer families who raise them and provide socialization and basic obedience training. At about 15 months of age, the dogs leave their foster homes and transfer to the MIRA Canada training facility to begin a 6-month guide dog training program. Upon successful completion of the training program, the dogs are paired with a blind recipient and they train together as a team for 30 days. The guide dogs are purchased at a price of approximately $60,000 each and owned throughout their lifetime by MIRA FOUNDATION USA, INC.
The Recipients – Guide dog recipients must be legally blind and must have the necessary Orientation and Mobility (O&M) spatial representation skills required for working successfully with a guide dog. The detailed skill set may be found by clicking here. In general, the requisite skill set required to qualify for a guide dog includes:
These pre-requisite skills are important qualifiers for guide dog recipients because they are necessary for successfully and adequately working with a guide dog. The blind individual and their guide dog form a team, each with a specific job and both partners need to have achieved a high level of their respective skill sets to successfully work together. It would be easy to imagine the type of dangerous or risky scenario that could occur if, because their human counterpart lacks the skill set necessary to successfully work with a guide dog and keep it moving in the proper direction, the canine member of the team drifted across a street along which they were walking in pursuit of something of interest on the other side. A guide dog in this type of situation would quickly learn that it is in control and behave more like a regular dog might behave, potentially putting their human partner at great risk.
The Program – Until we build our training facility, qualified and accepted guide dog recipients will spend approximately 30 consecutive days at MIRA Canada for extensive training with their dogs. MIRA FOUNDATION USA, INC. will pay transportation to and from Canada as well as room and board at the training facility. After the completion of the 30 days of training, Canadian trainers will conduct follow-up training with the recipients in the US.
For specific program information, please go to “GUIDE DOG PROGRAMS” and click o either “Child Programs” or “Adult Programs”.