Renton Fire Authority helps socialize puppies-in-training for Guide Dogs for the Blind

Renton Firefighter Ryan Northrup gets some puppy kisses in payment for teaching Guide Dog puppies not to be afraid of bunker gear.

The Firefighters at Fire Station 12 in Renton Highlands helped socialize puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind this afternoon.

Puppies that are in training to be guide dogs need exposure to many different situations to prepare for being guides. There’s no telling what circumstances they may find themselves in during their career. As puppies they’ll often visit airports, theaters, busses, museums, restaurants, shops and other facilities that they may travel to with their partner after they finished training and get assigned.

Renton Fire Authority welcomed them into Fire Station 12 on Saturday, and helped condition them to the sights and sounds that they may see in an emergency. They climbed aboard an aid car, watched a fire truck drive past them, saw flashing lights, and met a firefighter in full bunker gear including breathing apparatus.

The training was outstanding for the puppies and fun for all participants. Thanks to Renton Fire Authority for opening the station to the valuable training, and for the warm welcome and assistance they gave to the puppy raisers.

My wife and I have been raising guide dog puppies for about four years. Several Renton families are part of our dog training chapter, which is centered in Issaquah and serves parts of South East King County (Renton does not have it’s own chapter). Raiser-families host puppies that have been specifically bred by Guide Dogs for the Blind, and the local club chapter provides education and support to the raisers. Puppies will typically stay with their raisers for 12 -15 months, until they are called back to a central training campus in San Rafael, California or Boring, Oregon for evaluation. If they meet all requirements to be guide dogs, they’ll receive their final advanced technical guide-dog training from professional trainers, and then be placed with their permanent partner. If they aren’t quite right for guide dog work, they are often placed in another service organizations to become a diabetic alert dog, a PTSD companion, or perform another service. (Dogs that don’t get pulled onto any of these service organizations for some reason will be available for adoption by their raisers or the general public.)

Anyone who is interested in becoming a puppy raiser can contact me at racorman@comcast.net, and I will happily connect you with the club leader.