Q: What exactly does it mean when a guide dog
retires?
A: Exactly what is says, a retired guide dog is just
that, retired. It means that for one reason or another that the dog
cannot perform his service duties to the best of his abilities. This
could be for a number of different reasons from a health related issue
to just losing the desire to work anymore.
Q: What happens to the dog when it retires?
A: A number of things can happen. First of all the
dog loses its service animal status upon retiring and then is considered
a "pet." The blind or disabled person then has the choice
whether or not they would like to keep their dog or not. This is their
choice whether or not to do so. If not, then sometimes a family member
of the person will take the dog. If neither is the case and the person
contacts the school that the dog came from, most schools would then ask
the original puppy raiser if they wanted this dog back, if they don't,
then the dog would be put up for adoption to a good home.
Q: How old are these dogs when they retire from
service work?
A: That depends. Most service dogs that we are aware
of retire anywhere between the average of 8 to 10 years of age. But as
stated before, this can vary in different circumstances.
Q: Do the school's continue to cover the dog's
cost when it retires?
A: No. Guide Dog School's do not cover the costs of
either working guide dogs or retired dogs. The only costs that the
schools cover are for puppy raising and during the dog's training
period. In some medical situations with a working Guide Dog the school
will help the student out with the cost of vet care.
Q: Do these dogs make good pets after they
retire?
A: To the best of our knowledge, yes they do. Even
though you have to realize that the "bond" between you and
this dog will never be as strong as it was with the blind or disabled
master. But you would be adopting a dog that most likely has been
trained to learn over 40+ commands in his or her lifetime and has
excellent manners.
Q: Very Interesting. So how do I adopt one of
these dogs?
A: What you will need to do is contact the service
dog school that is closest to you and ask them what their specific
requirements are to do so. At The Puppy Place you can go to our guide
dog schools pages and find the contact information of the
organization near your home.
Also please note that most schools will ask for a donation in return for
adopting a retired dog. We personally feel that this is not asking for
much when you consider that all guide dog schools are non-profit,
and rely entirely on public support.
Q: Is there a long waiting list to adopt these
dogs?
A: Again, that depends on the school. As with all
waiting lists some people get impatient and lose interest, when this
happens and they're removed from the list, you would move up even
closer. Also, don't forget that most schools also have puppies that are
put up for adoption to. Most have usually gone through the entire
training program but did not make it for one reason or another. Either
way you are still getting a fine well mannered dog in return.
Webmaster's Note: The usual waiting list can vary
from 12 months to 6 years depending on the school.
We hope this helps answers some of your questions
concerning the adoption of retired guide dogs. For more information on
doing so, please contact the Guide Dog school closest to you and ask
more about this program. We hope that you'll take the time out to
explore the rest of The Puppy Place to learn more about Seeing Eye &
Guide Dogs and their purposes. Please use our site
map to help you on your journey.
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