Growing up, my sister and I always wanted the responsibility of having a dog. It wasn't until two years ago when my family and I found a great organization where both taking care of a loving companion and being a volunteer for a rewarding organization went hand in hand.

Guiding Eyes for the Blind is a nonprofit organization that presents trained guides dogs to people who are either blind or visually impaired. What's spectacular is that the dogs provided are free to those who need them. If you love dogs, are looking to get more involved with the community and want to volunteer, Guiding Eyes is a great operation to do it for. Volunteers may assist in raising and home socializing puppies or provide a foster home for a brood or stud dog. All of these programs require some training, which is important to learn how to properly take care of the dogs. Two years ago when my family and I went in for training to take home a stud dog, we met the almighty, Dougal!

Dougal is a 4-year-old stud dog which we happily provide a home for. When going to Guiding Eyes for training sessions, my family and I were taught proper hand gesture movements and commands for him to follow. After working with Dougal for three sessions, we learned not only the proper way to command but also some hygiene tips like brushing his fur, cutting nails, brushing his teeth and more. We were also amazed at how obedient he was having gone through guiding eyes training. Walking Dougal 3-5 miles a day is a requirement because they need to make sure their dogs are in their best physical shape in order to produce puppies that will hopefully fit guide dog qualities. All of these things, as well as providing a loving and devoted home are important to the guiding eyes organization.

Two years later, Dougal is a part of our family! With taking Dougal back and forth to Guiding Eyes for breeding sessions, he has sired 72 puppies. Some of which passed their training to become guide dogs! In the future, my family and I also hope to volunteer more and participate in puppy home socialization as well. Living with Dougal is a rewarding experience because we not only get to help out an organization that gives back, but also give a home to a loyal companion who loves cuddling and provides us with plenty of happiness!