Taking pride in training Leader Dogs
By:Linda May, Columnist March 22, 2003
Puppies, wearing their Leader Dog School for the Blind identification tags and bandannas, must be exposed to places they may have to accompany a blind person.
Jewel, a golden retriever puppy, came to our house last week for a "playdate" with Andy, our Pembroke Welsh corgi puppy. The afternoon was both fun and work. Jewel and Andy romped and wrestled, and Jewel saw her first power wheelchair and climbed open stairways.
Jewel is a Leader Dog-in-training. Her puppy-raiser, Shirley Koebbe of Warren, takes puppies to meetings, Sweet Adelines chorus rehearsals, shopping, shows, church - virtually anywhere the family goes. Koebbe has raised five dogs, giving them basic behavior training and socialization.
Puppies, wearing their Leader Dog School for the Blind identification tags and bandannas, must be exposed to places they may have to accompany a blind person.
There are 22 puppy-raisers in Macomb County.
Dixie, a yellow Labrador retriever trained by Koebbe, now lives with a young woman in Venezuela. In an e-mail message, she wrote that she and her dog recently came in near the top of a walk/race. Another puppy of Koebbe's went to Spain, and served its blind master for 17 years.
"We keep in mind that our puppy belongs to the school," Koebbe said. "I'm proud and happy my puppy is going to a person who will love her. The dogs are doing what they were bred to do."
Leader Dogs, based in Rochester, has about a dozen breeding stock host homes in Macomb County and is looking for more families to keep male dogs, or pregnant dogs and their puppies until the puppies are ready to go to puppy-raisers.
Angel Biggert, 16, of Harrison Township, wanted to participate in Leader Dogs breeding project to get a Girl Scouts Gold Award. Her mother, Mary-Anne Polan, applied to the training school. The family got Maggie, a 3-year-old yellow Lab who, because of her exceptionally sweet temperament and good health, was chosen by the school to produce several litters.
Biggert, her mother and brother, assist in the births of the puppies, share feeding and care-giving, then work to socialize them.
"It's exciting to know you are part of the start of the Leader Dog process," Polan said. "We give the puppies a lot of love. We know they are going to great foster homes and have a great life ahead of them."
For information about puppies, call Sam Ziegenmeyer at Leader Dogs at (888) 777-5332.
It costs about $17,000 to train a Leader Dog. There is no charge to the blind person who lives at the school for 25 days to train with a dog that gives them more freedom, independence, protection from travel hazards, and companionship.
Leader Dogs is supported by Lions clubs. It is one of many charities that benefit from upcoming Lions clubs' events.
* * * The Shelby Township Lions Club Kronk boxing fight night is March 25 at the Sterling Inn in Sterling Heights. A steak dinner and open bar begin at 6 p.m. and dinner is at 7:30 p.m., followed by boxing. There are eight boxing matches and two kick-boxing matches. VIP seating is $100 per ticket and general seating is $75. For ticket information and reservations, call (586) 784-8725.
The Center Line Lions Club holds its 47th annual pancake and sausage breakfast 8 a.m.-noon Sunday at the St. Clement High School cafeteria, 8155 Ritter, near 10 Mile Road and Van Dyke Avenue. Donation is $3 general and $1.50 children.
* * * The Richmond Rotary Club holds a "Richmond Swings" swing dance at 7 p.m. March 29 at Maniaci's Banquet Center, 69227 Main St. in Richmond. Tickets are $25 for dance lessons and music of the 1930s and '40s by the Westside Big Band and DJ Cochese. For information, call Jim Berg at (586) 727-3729.
Send news of your service club to: Linda May c/o The Macomb Daily, P.O. Box 929, Mount Clemens, MI 48046 or lindamay@ameritech.net. Phone/fax (586) 791-8116.