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A premier, internationally accredited guide dog school headquartered in Palmetto, Florida and one of only 10 fully certified guide dog schools in the country, and the only guide dog school in the Southeastern United States. Their Programs include Paws for Independence for blind and visually impaired individuals, Paws for Patriots for blind and visually impaired veterans, and Gifted Canines, which places dogs into narcotic or arson detection, search and rescue, therapy and other specialized careers. Southeastern Guide Dogs is one of only 10 fully certified guide dog schools in the country, and the only guide dog school in the Southeastern United States. Their mission is to create and nurture a partnership between a visually impaired individual and a guide dog, facilitating life’s journey with mobility, independence and dignity.
Established in 1982, Southeastern Guide Dogs currently has more than 800 active guide dog teams across the country and continues to create more than 70 new guide dog teams annually.  They provide all services - including Paws for Independence , Paws for Patriots , and Gifted Canines. All free of charge. “Visiting Southeastern Guide Dogs is like a day in the park, a breath of fresh air, a witness to a wonderful future, a moment in the life of a person with new hope, a meeting of kind and loving minds and a welcomed sniff of puppy breath. It’s a place of new beginnings, cherished memories and hard work. Southeastern Guide Dogs is a gift to many of Independence and Freedom.” Florida, Southeastern Guide Dogs is accredited by the International Guide Dog Federation in Reading, England and is a member of the Council of U.S. Dog Guide Schools. They have recently instituted proactive follow up programs through their Graduate Services division, including home visits and consultations via telephone and email, all aimed at keeping their graduate teams on track and on task with maximum results. To make things even better, they’ve recently acquired their own on-site veterinarian to ensure the health of all the pups and dogs during their stay at the Southeastern Dog Guide facility. The Dogs
 Selective breeding is the first step toward success with the dogs of Southeastern Guide Dogs. They breed Labrador Retrievers (both Black and Yellow), Golden Retrievers, Goldadors (Labrador/Golden Retriever mix), Australian Shepherds, Smooth Coat Collies, and Hungarian Vizslas. After weaning, the puppies are placed with volunteer puppy raiser families where they learn house manners, basic obedience and social skills. At 14 to 20 months of age, the dogs return to the school for intensive harness training that lasts between 6 and 8 months. Southeastern Guide Dogs’ training model is based on love, respect for the animal and repetition. Their certified trainers and apprentices teach each dog more than 40 commands during harness training - including Intelligent Disobedience, which is the refusal to obey any command that would place the blind master and dog in danger. Following successful training, the dogs and the visually impaired students are paired together as new teams, spending 26 days of on-site training before they take on the world. They also provide home-based placement services to students who meet certain criteria. All guide dog candidates must pass an extensive medical and behavior evaluation and show a willingness to learn and work. If the guide candidate does not meet all the necessary requirements, the dog is evaluated for an alternative career and provided a new job and good home through the Gifted Canines program.
The Fun It sounds like a ton of work for the dogs and it is but it certainly doesn’t come without play time as you can see from these pictures. There just happened to be Hungarian Viszla puppies playing outside on the day BellaDOG stopped by to take pictures. They are a bundle of energy and a ton of fun! Though their training is definately regimented, there is plenty of time to be “just a dog” and they get that chance everyday of the week! Puppy hugging is another great way that Southeastern Guide Dogs properly socialize the dogs... and it’s not a bad job for the puppy huggers either! The public can visit their campus and hug a puppy or walk a dog during specified hours. Both programs help them get the dogs ready for guide dog work. Puppy huggers help the 6 to 9 week-old puppies become comfortable with people by interacting with them in our puppy kennel. Volunteer dog walkers go to the campus to provide mild exercise, recreation and occasional grooming to the dogs in training on the beautiful “Freedom Walk”. What’s more enjoyable than a stroll in the park – the sun on your face, birds singing in the trees and the smell of blooming flowers along the pathway, but for the students, Freedom Walk becomes much more. Freedom Walk is a practical classroom for training the students, allowing greater access to an “on-campus” atmosphere and providing an opportunity to learn - in private - how to work with their guide dogs in situations they can expect to encounter in their daily lives. Quote from Lois Bielass, Volunteer: “Every dog I walk is ‘mine’ for the time I have them, and it is a joy to help them develop. I feel good to be a small part of it.”   Dog Walking Hours (Training Kennel) Paws for Patriots Since their founding in 1982, Southeastern Guide Dogs has been a proud supporter of American veterans. Over the past 26 years, their expertise in training guide dogs to work with people who have multiple disabilities has led many disabled veterans to seek their services.
Administration does not provide guide dogs to soldiers. This spearheaded an effort by the Board and the school to bring awareness to top military leaders that they could serve these blinded soldiers. In addition to providing guide dogs to blinded soldiers, they have placed therapy dogs at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. and the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD to spread encouragement to soldiers during their grueling physical therapy as they learn to recover from their injuries. Southeastern Guide Dogs has also placed companion and therapy dogs with soldiers who can benefit from the unconditional love and scientifically proven therapeutic effects of one of their dogs. Quote from Michael Jernigan, Paws for Patriots Graduate: “Brittani has been an essential part of my recovery process. She is not only a guide, but she’s also a great companion when the world gets too difficult.”  Paws for Independence
 Graduate Chris McNamee and Max Paws For Independence partners students with visual impairments with professionally trained guide dogs. Certified instructors provide students and their new guide dogs with 26 days of individualized instruction at the Palmetto, Florida campus or in-home placements - and lifetime follow up and support. Students accepted into the program spend approximately four weeks bonding and training with their new guide dog under the watchful eye of the certified instructors at a student to trainer ratio of 3 to 1. A bond of love, trust and devotion forms between the blind master and the dog as they become a team. Quote from Robert Gladstone, Graduate; “I now have companionshipand eyes to guide me. I feel confident with my girlfriend in one hand and my dog Simba in the other”. Southeastern Guide Dogs provide the guide dog, equipment, single-room lodging, all meals, outings, instructionand post-graduation support completely free of charge, thanks to the generosity of their important contributors. The average working life of a guide dog is eight years, and the majority of graduates obtain multiple guide dogs from Southeastern Guide Dogs. The process of developing and serving a successful guide dog team takes an average of ten years (two years of training and eight years of post-graduation services).
Gifted Canines  The Gifted Canines® program provides law-enforcement agencies, hospitals, assisted-living facilities, nursing homes, schools and individuals with special needs with dogs who participate in narcotic or arson detection, search and rescue, therapy and other specialized careers. Only dogs that do not meet the stringent criteria for guide dog work are placed in the Gifted Canines® program. Whether brightening the day for the elderly or ill as therapy dogs or offering service in critical situations, the Gifted Canines ® make a real difference in the lives of many. Southeastern Guide Dogs trainers handle the evaluation, preliminary training and placement of each dog into the Gifted Canines ® program. In addition, they also handle the training of therapy-dog volunteers who commit a minimum number of hours per month for visits with the elderly, ill or injured. The dogs also receive additional specialized training from police or fire departments. Dogs placed into therapy careers receive additional follow up and support from the training staff. To date, SEGD have placed more than 160 dogs into the Gifted Canines ® program Forward Together 
A sculpture by Stephen Huneck “A strong believer in fate. There is no doubt that his figures are whimsical, amusing and charming, but they also have the power to evoke an immediate emotional response in anyone who sees them. Therein lies their wide and ever-growing appeal.” ~ Roberta Vesley, Library Director, AKC. This sculpture represents the student at the end of their training and the beginning of their journey through the rest of their life with “trust” at their side. Most often, when a student begins their quest for freedom through the Southeastern Guide Dog program, they are meek and uncertain, feeling awkward with their new companion and unaware of how to handle them. At graduation time, you witness a completely different person. No longer do you see a student, but a person of the world, ready to begin their new life. Shoulders back, head held high, they are confident for the first time in years. This sculpture captures that moment beautifully. “Forward Together” represents so much to so many and it sits on the grounds of the Southeastern Guide Dogs for all to enjoy.....the proudest moment of all for these people of great fortune. Southeastern Guide Dogs, Inc. comes from individuals, civic-minded organizations, such as the Lions clubs, charitable foundations, planned gifts, estates and memorial gifts. They receive no federal or state funding and solely on the philanthropic generosity of their friends. They are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and all donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. Florida Consumer Services registration number SC-04075. Please support them so their wonderful school can continue to provide the highest quality of care and training and life-time commitment to their students and guide dogs. Come and experience what it’s like to walk blindfolded with a trained dog! 4210 77t h Street East • Palmetto, FL 34221
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