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ABOUT Guide Dogs of the Desert
WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO

• General Overview

• History & Development

• Student Procedures

• Puppy Training/Breeding Program

• Kennel Life & Management

• FAQs

• School Directions

• Board of Directors

• Special Gifts & Bequests

• Other Giving Options

• Sponsorships

• Thanks to our Donors

• Information about Staff & Volunteers

• Press Releases and Newsletters

• Calendar of Events

• Staff Directory

GENERAL OVERVIEW

Guide Dogs of the Desert provides highly trained guide dogs and individualized instruction to the blind, elderly blind, and blind with special needs, in order that they may live a more mobile and independent life.

WHO WE SERVE 

One of ten guide dog schools in the country, Guide Dogs of the Desert (GDD) throughout its history has accepted the elderly and the multiply handicapped as its primary focus, providing customized training for each dog and student. GDD primarily serves blind individuals from throughout California, Arizona and Nevada, but we have graduates from throughout the United States and Canada.

HOW WE DO IT 

The majority of Golden and Labrador Retrievers and Standard Poodles that we train are from our own breeding stock. Puppies are born in the nursery on our campus, and closely monitored for health, temperament and intelligence. They are sent to volunteer puppy raiser homes for 16 to 18 months of love, socialization, and basic obedience skills. Without these volunteer puppy raisers, there would be no guide dog programs in the United States. Puppies are returned to GDD at 18-22 months of age and undergo an eye, hip and behavior evaluation.  After the puppy has passed the required evaluations, the dog will then go forward with 6 months of concentrated guide dog training, overseen by our State-licensed instructor.

Meanwhile, prospective students undergo a thorough assessment process, including an in-home orientation and mobility assessment by GDD staff, in order to determine the exact needs - medical, physical, and environmental - to be met by a match with a specific dog.

Each dog is hand-selected for the specific student with which it will be teamed. Each dog is then finish-trained for two weeks prior to its handler (the blind student) arriving for classes at the school.

OUR SUCCESS RATE 

We have 154 active graduate dog teams, who reside across North America, particularly in the Southwestern United States, and our graduates are enjoying the independence that only a guide dog can provide to an individual with limited or no vision. 

PHONE: (760) 329-6257   FAX: (760) 329-2127   EMAIL: CLICK HERE   MAIL: P.O. Box 1692, Palm Springs, CA 92263

Join us in Giving the Gift of Independence and Mobility
Please remember GDD in all your estate planning

Website made possible through the donations of: Kim, Sadie & Rose Laidlaw, Liz and RosieO Lowry & Kryss.com

Copyright © 2004 Guide Dogs of the Desert, All Rights Reserved