Wiggles, kisses and puppy breath. The five 8-week-old Labrador retriever and German shepherd puppies were open-hearted balls of fluff when they first arrived at Tipton Airport in Fort Meade earlier this month.
Moira, a 9 week old Labrador puppy sniffs the camera after dropping her stick during a Guiding Eyes for the Blind foundation class at Talbot Community Center, in Easton, Md., U.S., Feb. 15, 2022. This exercise helps a puppy with the "leave it" command.
Now, they are on a path to greatness – potentially as guide dogs that will transform the lives of people with vision loss and vision impairment.
Volunteer puppy raiser Suzette Galyean works with 5-month-old German shepard puppy Thunder during a Guiding Eyes for the Blind big puppy class at St. Matthew's United Methodist Church, in Bowie, Md., Feb. 14, 2022.
The furry faithful-friends-to-be traveled aboard a “Pilots To The Rescue” flight from the Guiding Eyes for the Blind headquarters in Yorktown Heights, New York, where they were born and spent the first two months of their lives with their moms and siblings.
Brahms is walked by volunteer puppy raiser Chris Bohmer to board a Pilots to the Rescue flight at Tipton Airport in Fort Meade, Md., Feb. 8, 2022.
Although the young canines have been bred for health and temperament, it will require the expertise of the volunteer puppy raisers here to transform the excitable, wiggly youngsters into well-trained, well-mannered and well-socialized dogs.
Queenie, an 8-week-old Labrador puppy, yawns in a warm sweater before the start of her Guiding Eyes for the Blind foundation class with volunteer puppy raiser Debbie Dugan at St. Matthew's United Methodist Church, in Bowie, Md., Feb. 14, 2022.
The process will involve 14 to 16 months of weekly classes and evaluations. Training starts with the basics: name recognition, manners and commands such as “sit” and “down.” More complex commands are then taught before the puppies are introduced to the world by the raisers and the raisers' families.
Pete, an 8-week-old German shepard puppy, and Gin Owens, practice the free feeding command during a Guiding Eyes for the Blind foundation puppy class at St. Matthew's United Methodist Church, in Bowie, Md., on Valentine's day, Feb. 14, 2022. This command teaches a puppy to wait for food.
Cindy Tait, a regional manager for Guiding Eyes for the Blind's Puppy Program, and others keep a watchful eye on the training and help with bumps along the way.
Kenji, a 13-week-old German shepard puppy, looks up at puppy raiser Cindy Tait after she dressed him in rain boots during a Guiding Eyes for the Blind foundation class at Talbot Community Center, in Easton, Md., Feb. 15, 2022. This exercise helps a puppy get comfortable being handled.
Once a solid, loving foundation is in place, puppies must leave their raisers and return to the Guiding Eyes training center for formal guide dog training. Formal training is where, ultimately, the dogs demonstrate whether they will become a guide for the blind, a different kind of service dog, or someone's pet.
Denali, a young Labrador retriever, waits with volunteer puppy raiser Carolyn Schaefer to board a Pilots to the Rescue flight at Tipton Airport in Fort Meade, Md., Feb. 8, 2022.
Denali is one of four bigger puppies placed aboard a return flight to Guiding Eyes the day the new recruits arrived. Tait got tears in her eyes as she watched Puppy Raiser Carolyn Schaefer say goodbye to the yellow lab and walk him to the plane.
Kenji, a 13-week-old German shepard puppy, sits patiently in a ducky raincoat and one boot during a Guiding Eyes for the Blind foundation class at Talbot Community Center, in Easton, Md., Feb. 15, 2022.
"This is the hard part,” Tait said. But she said knowing a guide dog has the power to help people soften the blow.
Pilots To The Rescue "Top Dog" Michael Schneider gets puppy kisses from Moira, an 8-week-old Labrador puppy, as they arrive at Tipton Airport in Fort Meade, Md., Feb. 8, 2022.
Puppy raisers come back over and over. Tait has raised Roxanne, Katrina, Velour, Gus, Mystic, Oregon, Kelby, Tad, Eagle, Winnie and now Kenji, her 11th guide dog puppy.
Guiding Eyes for the Blind volunteer "puppy raiser" Debbie Roschli, plays with Moira, an 8-week-old Labrador puppy, on the tarmac at Tipton Airport in Fort Meade, Md., Feb. 8, 2022.
Pete, an 8-week-old German Shepard puppy, gets a treat from his puppy raiser Leigh Goetzke, (R), and Gin Owens, (L), as they practice the sit command while placing a shiny heart over his head during a Guiding Eyes for the Blind foundation class at St. Matthew's United Methodist Church, in Bowie, Md., on Valentine's day, Feb. 14, 2022.
