Traveling Life’s Roads Together

Don Brown tried not to imagine what it would be like when he met Feliz, so he wouldn’t be disappointed. When he finally met his new partner, three anxious days later, the 2-year-old black Labrador retriever outdid his expectations.

Brown has been legally blind for 15 years because of retinitis pigmentosa , a progressive eye disease commonly known as tunnel vision. He recently spent 28 days at the Guide Dogs of America (GDA) training center in Sylmar, where he and six classmates stayed in a dorm to experience what they affectionately call “doggie boot camp.” In Brown’s case, that meant temporarily leaving behind his San Francisco State University job ensuring that the school complies with regulations protecting disabled people.

From the outset, Brown and his new companion were together constantly. The intensive schedule consisted of general obedience training, guide dog exercises and lectures on the animals’ care. Field trips around Los Angeles prepared the teams for real-life experience.

The entire training costs $25,000 per dog-student team, which covers the expense of the dogs’ breeding and medical care, maintenance of the training center and instructors’ pay. The students are not charged fees because GDA relies on donations from individuals and businesses to support its nonprofit program.

Brown applied for a guide dog about a year ago, although he has excellent cane skills.

“With a cane, it is stressful because you have to hit an obstacle first before you can go around it,” Brown explained. “With a dog there is no hesitation. She leads you around objects.”

The teaming of Brown and Feliz wasn’t random. Like any good matchmaker, the guide dog instructors make the pairings after carefully interviewing the students about their lifestyles and which type of dog they prefer--German shepherd, golden retriever or Labrador retrievers.

“The matching is so important,” explained instructor Mari Knapp. “We spend hours discussing it. With Don and Feliz, she was very active and he likes to go a lot, to work a lot, so that worked out really well.”

Another crucial element in guide dog training is the bonding between the dog and its new master to make sure their movements are synchronized for safety and efficiency.

“It’s incredible,” Brown said. “I view it as a very intimate experience.”