Quote:
Originally Posted by dpg
No way I could do it either!!! I'd want to keep them. Two questions:
1: Does it ever happen that a family refuses to give up their dog after taking them on as a pup? What happens then?
2: Do any dogs ever "not make the grade" and if so are they offered back to the original family that had them?
Anyone know?
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I don't know the full answer to question #1 whether it happened but I can tell you that is not an option. These dogs are owned by Guiding Eyes and they are very expensive to breed, and train. I don't recall if we signed anything to that effect but it's very clear what you are getting into when you take on the responsibility.
As for questions #2, Yes it happens all the time. I don't know the percentages but they are very strict about the performance and health of each dog that gets thru. Some may not qualify as Seeing Eye dog but may qualify for something else like for an autistic child. Some become bomb or drug sniffers. Some are cut out right from the get go. When Perkins leaves here on Saturday he will go back to the NY headquarters and be tested for all kinds of things. Health is a big one, of course. If a puppy has 3 or more ear infections they are cut from the program. If they are habitually afraid of something, such an an umbrella or a vacuum they are cut. When that happens the family that raised them gets first crack at keeping them but if they don't want them there is a long list of people waiting to take them. I am told that even once they are let out of the program they are continually tracked and checked up on.