"Pass Backs"

Dogs in formal guide dog training that are passed back
from their original string to strings at an earlier stage of training.

DOGS STAYING AT CAMPUS FOR OVER 5 MONTHS
Dogs that do not do well in the kennel environment are not kept in training any longer than necessary. Any dog being passed back numerous months are individuals that do not have difficulties in the kennel environment. Training dept. does not want to maintain any dog in the kennel environment if we are unable to enrich their surroundings adequately. Dogs will be career changed that cannot effectively cope with the kennel environment that has been sufficiently enriched.

REASONS THAT DOGS ARE PASSED BACK

• The dog is not progressing as well as desired and it is felt that if they return to an easier level of training, they have potential to either do better or simply be successful.

• A health concern has arisen and the vet staff needs more time to evaluate progress with that issue before determining if the dog can be issued as a guide.

• A health issue has arisen that causes the dog to need more than couple of weeks with no training, resulting in them missing too many training sessions.

• The dog has been identified as a possible match for a student that wants to schedule for a particular date in the future (a class date for a later string of dogs).

• The dog has been identified as a match for a student requiring custom training on an individual dog. Training additional behaviors will add from one to five months training time, depending on the extent of the responses taught.

• The dog is progressing adequately, but due to the dog's confidence level being low, it is in the dog's best interest to regress to an easier level of training to help build that confidence.

• The dog is very hard to match and we are waiting for that student to arrive. If the dog is passed back for this reason for more than 4 months, the dog will be re-evaluated as to it being realistically matched.

• A dog is demonstrating temperament or behavior issues that we have major concerns over and need a lot of time to evaluate and work on them. Training department will go to extreme measures to improve single issues with dogs of excellent guide temperament and personality.