Boulder Puppy Club, Guide Dogs for the Blind and RTD team up to train prospective guide dogs on boarding buses with their handlers

The evening of Oct. 15, US 36•Broomfield Station went to the dogs. Volunteers from the Boulder Puppy Club, a group of volunteers who raise puppies from approximately eight weeks old and prepare them to become future Guide Dogs for the Blind, met with RTD bus operator instructors Ike Veiga and Annette MacNeal to provide a unique training opportunity for the puppies and handlers in attendance.

The training session began at 6 p.m. when nearly 30 labrador and golden retriever puppies and their handlers were trained on how to board RTD’s coach-style buses using the wheelchair/ADA lift. The handlers would then guide their puppies through the buses, training them on how to find a seat and guide their handlers off the bus. After the puppies had the opportunity to get comfortable with the lift, everyone boarded the two buses and rode along on a makeshift route to get the puppies comfortable with a moving bus.

“The RTD outing provides lots of challenges for our pups,” Cathy Baker, a leading member of the Boulder Puppy Club, said. “Riding the external lift, for instance, and climbing the narrow, steep stairs at the front of the bus. The tight spaces they need to occupy at their feet on the bus also prepare them for future travel by airplane.”

“Since most of the RTD outing is in the dark, they also experience being around a large vehicle at night with bright headlights and potentially scary sounds,” Baker said.

Between 13 and 16 months of age, the puppies will return to one of Guide Dogs for the Blind’s two campuses for formal training, and when they graduate from the program, they will become certified guide dogs.

If you are interested in getting involved with the Boulder Puppy Club, visit http://www.boulderpuppies.org.