[NAGDU] Question Regarding Guide Dog Schools

[Megan Borella]

Hello,

I am in the process of choosing a guide dog school to apply to in order to obtain my first guide, and was hoping to receive input from recent graduates regarding the programs I am considering. I would very much like to work with a German Shepherd, but have found that options for this breed are more limited than I had expected. I live in California, and no schools in my vicinity breed German Shepherds, which is why Fidelco's program caught my eye. Their in-home training was also of interest to me, as I would prefer to not have to go to a program in a different state for an extended period of time.

However, as I have conducted more thorough research, stories I have heard about Fidelco, its policies, and the quality of the guides it has produced in the past decade have raised some serious concerns. Does anyone know if Fidelco has undergone any improvements? Is their program worth applying to? I also know that the Seeing Eye is another school that specializes in German Shepherds, although I do not know if they would be willing to conduct in-home training. Has anyone graduated from their program recently who might be able to provide feedback?

Finally, I live very near Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc., which I have heard nothing but wonderful things about. I have visited their campus and adopted one of their dogs through their career change program, and she could not have been any better. My only hesitation about applying to their program is that they do not breed German shepherds. Either way, the quality of the dog matters to me more than the breed. Does anyone have any thoughts on whether the quality of the schools that do specialize in German shepherds is high enough to warrant submitting an application?
Thank you so much,
Megan