I had several friends in college with guide dogs.

One friend got her dog before she was 16. We went to college prep program the summer before our junior year of high school. It became evident to the councilors that she had failed to maintain her dog’s training. The next summer they would not let her use her dog because she/her dog had not been retrained yet. So she had to use a cane. A year after that we were college roommates. They were retrained.

She had few issues with people who were afraid of dogs, but not many.

I am in college currently with my guide dog. I got him the last week of my senior year after waiting for 3 years on a waitlist. He has changed my life in so many good ways but it does take time to adjust to everything that comes with a guide dog. For me, I am visually impaired and wear glasses to partially correct my eye sight so I get a lot of ignorance from the public assuming that I am just “training” him because I don’t “look” blind. The micro aggressions like that have doubled since I got him, and so had my advocacy skills.

Before my guide I was very comfortable advocating for myself as a cane user, and I was confident going into a guide dog partnership because I knew it would get me far, but I don’t think I could have even been prepared for the amount of attention we get.


It is a huge decision to make.


You have to not only worry about your safety, but now your dog’s safety too. In our first year together we had 24 negative dog interactions that could have led to my dog getting hurt if I did do my best to keep him safe. We’ve encountered a lot of fraudulent service dogs, especially reactive little yorkies. (I hate small dogs now for this reason)

Your whole life now revolves around your dog. You need to keep a set feeding and relieving schedule. You need to make sure they are healthy and maintain a healthy weight. They need to be enriched when they are off duty. You have to keep up with their training and make sure they follow commands correctly.

Personally, when planning for things I think more about my dog than I do about myself in a plan.

This is not a light decision to make, it’s a about 10 years of commitment! It a rewarding experience and a great partnership but maybe wait until you have settled into the swing of college.

For now look into some different schools and see what you like about each one.

I am a graduate from Guide Dogs for the Blind. They do retrievers, labs, and crosses between the two. The have a cute graduation ceremony and give you the opportunity to meet your puppy raisers! They also have a veterinary financial assistance program so you don’t have to worry about the cost of any medical needs for your guide.

Other schools are great too, just find what fits for you!!