Southeastern Guide Dogs provides its dogs and training to students free of charge. The school will provide the dog, equipment, training, housing, and most meals during your training. Southeastern Guide Dogs will offer your guide dog high-quality food, monthly preventatives, vaccinations, and the annual veterinary wellness visit – free of charge. However, you must have the ability to financially cover your guide dog’s other veterinary expenses and general expenses such as treats, toys, crate, dog bed, etc.

Our guide dog students join us for 20 days at our Palmetto, FL campus. We offer private, single occupancy rooms, with a private bathroom, single bed, walk-in showers, closets, small refrigerators in each room, flat-screen televisions with cable, a desk for working, wireless access, and much, much more. We have two chefs on staff that provide healthy and delicious meals for our students. They’re happy to accommodate any special dietary requests.

We also provide guide dog training in pre-approved applicants’ home communities, depending on the circumstances, and the length of training time varies, depending on the person’s previous guide dog experience and skill level. This training takes place in neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, and communities.

No, however, you must be legally blind to qualify for a guide dog. The clinical diagnosis refers to a central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with the best possible correction, and/or a visual field of 20 degrees or less.

“I thought I wasn’t blind enough.” We’ve heard that from many people with low vision who thought that guide dogs were for people who are totally blind. After they learn that legal blindness is the requirement and they experience the freedom and confidence a guide dog can bring, they tell us, “I wish I hadn’t waited so long!”

We do our best to match our guide dogs with qualified applicants as quickly as possible. After your paperwork has been turned in and your application approved, the waiting period ranges from about two months to one year, with an average of six months.

The timing of approval of your initial application depends on how quickly we receive your paperwork, including information we must receive from the providers named on your application.

After approval, factors that affect your waiting period include identifying just the right dog to fit your needs, with your unique lifestyle, activity level, and pace taken into consideration. If you are particular about requesting a specific breed, gender, or coat color, then your waiting period may be extended.

Southeastern Guide Dogs provides its dogs and training to students free of charge. The school will provide the dog, equipment, training, housing and most meals during your training. Southeastern Guide Dogs will offer your service dog high-quality food, monthly preventatives, vaccinations, and the annual veterinary wellness visit – free of charge. However, you must have the ability to financially cover your service dog’s other veterinary expenses and general expenses such as treats, toys, crate, dog bed, etc.

Our service dogs restore independence, combat loneliness and anxiety, and bring light to the darkness of PTSD. They can interrupt nightmares and flashbacks, turn on a light in a darkened room, and indicate when someone approaches from behind. Their physical touch and presence create positive emotional responses. With unconditional love and loyalty, they become battle buddies for the veterans who need them and can help restore stability and wellbeing. With a dog by their side, veterans share powerful stories of renewed connections with loved ones and society once again.

Eligibility: To qualify for our service dog program, the applicant must:

• Be retired or inactive military, or approaching retirement within the next 3 months
• MUST have an honorable discharge
• Be at least 18 years of age
• Reside in the United States
• Have NO felony convictions, NO history/charges of violent crime, domestic violence, sexual offenses, animal mistreatment/abuse/neglect/cruelty, or protection orders against you
• If an applicant has a history of substance abuse (drugs and/or alcohol), a health professional must provide documentation of sobriety *Please note: a minimum of one (1) year sustained sobriety required
• Have no more than two other dogs at the residence
• Have the cognitive ability to learn training concepts and apply them consistently
• Have the financial ability to cover the expenses associated with the proper maintenance and care for the life of a service dog
• Be able to demonstrate the physical and mental ability to consistently handle, work, and exercise a 50-80 lb service dog
• Be able to demonstrate a need for assistance for one or more of the following challenges: PTSD*, mobility assistance, or seizures. *PLEASE NOTE: If applying for PTSD assistance, it MUST be military service-connected and the applicant MUST be in current treatment with a mental health professional
• Be able to provide a safe, loving, healthy, and stable home for a service dog
• Have an appropriate family/friends support system
• Pass a phone interview with a certified service dog trainer
• Pass an in-home interview with a certified service dog trainer
• Be able to complete a rigorous training course and reside in our campus dorm in Palmetto, FL for 12 days
• Be able to maintain a relationship and communication with Southeastern Guide Dogs for the duration of the dog/handler partnership

Please be aware that an applicant with any of the following conditions is NOT eligible for our programs:

• Any applicant who has had attempts or thoughts of self-harm within the past year
• Any applicant currently receiving dialysis treatment

The waiting period varies depending on how long it takes for paperwork to be submitted and any unique requirements an individual may need from a dog. On average, the waiting period is six months to a year.

It depends on the type of dog. For our Kids Companion Dogs for children with vision loss and our Gold Star Family Dogs for children who have lost a parent in the military, there is no lower age limit for the child.

We provide guide dogs to mature teens ages 15 and up. For these teens, we recommend attending our informational, hands-on guide dog camp first to find out if the teen is ready to take this step.

We offer guide dogs to mature teens ages 15 and up, and recommend that teens attend our Guide Dog Camp to help make this important decision.

For children of any age with vision loss, we offer our skilled Kids Companion Dogs. These dogs are considered adopted pets and build a bridge between the child of today and the guide dog handler of tomorrow. The child gains confidence and learns the responsibilities of caring for a dog of their own, as well as a new best friend.

No, deciding to have a guide dog is an important decision and our teen guide dog camp is designed for teens that are considering a guide dog.

One of the goals of the camp is that it offers a great opportunity for teens and parents to learn if the guide dog lifestyle is the right choice for them, and can also help determine if it would be better to wait until the teen is more ready to become a guide dog handler. Campers and their parents will be introduced to the unique benefits and responsibilities of working and living with a guide dog. There’s really no better way to gain valuable information and experience, than through the program’s fun discussions and exciting, hands-on experiences.

We’ve designed Guide Dog Camp to equip teens and their parents with information and a special experience to support them with making an informed decision about if, and when, a guide dog is right for them.

Yes, at least one parent or guardian must accompany their teen to Guide Dog Camp.

Not only is parent/guardian attendance required for liability reasons, but there are special sessions devoted to parents where we will talk about what it means to be ready for a guide dog including the important roles maturity and independent living skills play in guide dog readiness.

Parents also learn some practical tools they can use to help prepare their teen if guide dog travel is the path they choose, the critical role their teen’s orientation and mobility (O&M) skills factor into guide dog readiness, as well as financial expectations of long-term dog care, and how to best support their teen’s decision.

While attending Guide Dog Camp, parents have a chance to speak to our certified instructors about their teen’s experience walking with a guide dog and acquire their expertise. In addition to gaining valuable information, parents get to experience hands-on fun too.