When Marybeth Hearn was 10 years old, she asked for a puppy. But she wasn’t after cuddles and long walks. She wanted to train a guide dog to help blind people. Her desire became a lifelong mission.
When Hearn first approached her parents decades ago, the possibility seemed unlikely. Her mom didn’t like dogs, and her dad secretly doubted she would be able to find a sponsor to pay for the cost of the training.
Hearn was so determined, however, that she presented the project at a Lions Club meeting. She raised $2,500.
So on a summer day in 1962, the family welcomed a black Labrador retriever named Letta. The pup was the first of a long string of puppies-in-training.
For the next almost 60 years, Hearn raised dogs to assist visually impaired people—56 of the service animals! But the former agriculture teacher’s legacy doesn’t end there. An example of doing good to others and leading by example, (1 Timothy 4:12, Titus 2:7) Hearn inspired several family members and dozens of students to turn out many more helper hounds.
Two sons and a granddaughter have followed in Hearn’s footsteps. But her greatest impact has been mentoring a generation of student puppy trainers. Since 1992, her recruits have worked with 170 dogs.
Student trainers spend 14 months with each puppy. They teach skills like house-training, walking on a leash, and behaving in public. The dogs live full-time with the students, attending classes and field trips to become socialized.
“If you can imagine a classroom with 21 under-a-year-of-age puppies and 30 kids, it’s quite the extravaganza,” Hearn says.
Dogs then move to certified trainers from Guide Dogs for the Blind. When the pups graduate, the group pairs them with two-legged companions. Canines not up to the difficult task of assisting the blind sometimes work as other kinds of service animals.
After classes went virtual in March due to the coronavirus restrictions, the puppy training program continued. Students came to the school for what Hearn called “socially distanced play dates” in the fields, with dogs “running all over the place.” Even with the difficulties of 2020, Hearn’s students completed training with 12 puppies.
“It was great,” Hearn explains, “because it gave the kids a way to communicate with each other and not be so completely isolated.”
Guide Dogs for the Blind CEO and president Christine Benninger says Hearn’s work has had a “tremendous positive impact” for the nonprofit organization—and its recipients.
Hearn says, “I like doing something good for somebody I just haven’t had the chance to meet yet.”
I wish i could train the
I wish i could train the puppies... They look really cute.
PUPPIES
I LOVE TRAINING DOGS!!!!!!!!!! I TOTALLY WANT ANOTHER PUPPY NOW! THEY ARE SO MUCH FUN TO TRAIN!!!!!
AWWWWWWWW
As a fellow dog lover, this is an INCREDIBLE idea. it is so sweet how she wanted to help the blind! However, I would suck at this job. XD I got my dog, a golden retriever, when I was eight, She was only a few months old. I TRIED to train her, but she really only completely understands "sit," "shake, and "no." I wasn't super diligent in her training either. XD I love her a lot tho! She is seven now and obeys my commands when she figures them out (all except "stay"). I had to beg my parents to get her for me and promised to take care of her. My mom hates dogs, but my dad likes them so we eventually compromised. I have my dog, but she lives OUTSIDE. lol, she loves outside tho...
this is mylee
this is awesome how they are doing this for blind ppl! What type of dogs do yall have ? If ya'll have any. We have a Boston Terrier, A poodle which my grandma takes care of but we own. and a blue lacy (the state dog of texas ) We didn't know her breed for 10 years just figured it out. We Thought she was a whippet. THe lab in some of the photos looks like our dog who died *cries*
@Above
That is cool what she is doing. It is such a great idea.
We have a Texas Heeler, which is a cross between a Blue Heeler and Australian Shepherd. She is a very beautiful dog!
@ Mylee (Twins)
So what breed was she?
this is mylee
Bethy s our dog that passed was a lab she was so pretty. And our old dog who turned 10 is a Blue lacy the state dog of tx.
I've seen a lot.
I've seen a lot of service dogs before COVID-19 came.
@Mylee
We have two black labs
P.S. This is Caro
Has anyone watch Pick of the Litter? It is about training guide dogs!
@Caro
no I have not.
@Mylee
We just got a dog. She showed up at our house and we said we would pay for her now that some of us are older, so since both of our parents like dogs, we got to keep her! She's a mutt with a lot of Mountain Cur and Catahoula Leopard in her. She has blue eyes, which is really cool! She hunts moles.
@Mylee
8 Huskies (mixed breeds between Siberian, Malamute, and Greenlandic Dog) Names
Swivel
Coal
Laska
Kenya
Carhartt
Rascal
Maple
Muffin
They are our DOG TEAM! I am the one who feeds, waters, and runs them, so i call them 'my dogs' though really only 2 (Kenya and Maple) are mine. Today i took four out for a trip and we went super fast for about 4 miles out of town. it was super fun bc i am training two puppies (Maple and Swivel) who did awesome. My grown up dogs? (Kenya and Coal) Not so good. The puppies did better than they did!
Amazing
It's great to see people step up and help others!
@Desarose
It is so cool that you have a dog team!!!! It must be hard work to train them!
@Dessie
Yeah how do you go about training them? That is cool I love Huskies!! Although I haven't been around them much but they are so beautiful!!!! That must be so fun to have a dog team!!!!!!!
@Everyone: I am looking for a puppy and am not sure which I should buy like more of a guard dog if I get sheep or if I should get a fun dog so could y'all pray I make the right decision? I don't want to waste my money.
Training a Dog Team
Is actually not that hard!
Huskies are born and breed to run. Their enthusiasm does most of the training for the musher.
The main thing is...START THE TRAINING EARLY. As soon as the puppy can walk, put a tiny puppy harness on it. Get it used to the pulling movement. Walk with it. Get attached to it. Teach it Gee and Haw.
Once the puppy is running and seems like a energetic potato, Let it follow you loose while you run the other sled dogs. (This is where the puppy gets annoying....it won't stop PLAYING with the older dogs. It's comical because the older dogs growl at it and nip at it like 'Stop that! Trying to run here!' ) After the puppy realizes the whole concept, then just hook it up and it does great! Very basic outline, if anyone is more interested in the details or funny dogsledding stories I'd be happy to tell you more!
Training a Dog Team
Is actually not that hard!
Huskies are born and breed to run. Their enthusiasm does most of the training for the musher.
The main thing is...START THE TRAINING EARLY. As soon as the puppy can walk, put a tiny puppy harness on it. Get it used to the pulling movement. Walk with it. Get attached to it. Teach it Gee and Haw.
Once the puppy is running and seems like a energetic potato, Let it follow you loose while you run the other sled dogs. (This is where the puppy gets annoying....it won't stop PLAYING with the older dogs. It's comical because the older dogs growl at it and nip at it like 'Stop that! Trying to run here!' ) After the puppy realizes the whole concept, then just hook it up and it does great! Very basic outline, if anyone is more interested in the details or funny dogsledding stories I'd be happy to tell you more!
@Dessie
Very cool! So I think 'Hike!" means 'Go!', correct? So then which way is 'Gee' and which way is 'Haw'? I have heard both the terms before but don't know which one is which.
This has probably helped so
This has probably helped so many blind people. She is a blessing.
@Riley
Yep! Hike means 'go'. Gee means Right, Haw means left. :) Question: Someone told me that for horses it is the opposite? is that true?
@Riley
Yep! Hike means 'go'. Gee means Right, Haw means left. :) Question: Someone told me that for horses it is the opposite? is that true?
P.S. This is Caro
Desarose, my dad as teaching us to ride (horses), we cluck and kick for walking and trotting and for cantering we smooch and kick, and she is a little lazy so we also use the riding crop(it doesn't hurt her though)
@Dessie and Caro
well it really just depends on who is riding. For us, we kick, or I guess nudge unless they are not behaving, and smooch to go forward at any pace, and cluck to go backward, with some leg work as well. For right and left, you just guide them with your legs and reins. Sometimes you can train horses to learn the words like "walk" "jog" "lope" and "gallop" and i guess right and left too, but most people use rein and leg communication.
@Caro
Do y'all ride English because you said a riding crop? Just curious! We typically ride western, but I do like to ride English sometimes too I have a saddle of each! But we don't ever use riding crops or whips we just kick!
this is amazing!
This is amazing! I would get too attached to the dogs and probably spoil them, HOW CAN HER MOTHER NOT LIKE DOGS!? Theyre little cute angels that God sent to us to make us happy :) I have a dog, hes a boxer and his name is Buster.
now we have dog colleges
now we have dog colleges
Puppy
I love dogs! I have a mini golden doodle (golden retriever and poodle). She's very sweet. She acts like a guard dog even though she's small!