STRONGSVILLE, Ohio — Amanda Solak is raising her puppy Ralph to do some very important work.
"My greatest dream would be for him to be a guide dog," said Solak. "That is the end game."
Solak is helping him get there as his his volunteer puppy raiser.
"When I saw my first puppy raiser I thought that is the luckiest person I've ever seen in my life," she said.
That means she trains him on basic skills and makes certain he has great house manners. Solak does it all through 'Guiding Eyes for the Blind'
"Raising a guiding eyes puppy is very very fulfilling, but its also a commitment," said Theresa Camloh.
Camloh has worked for 'Guiding Eyes for the Blind' for 13 years and she's raised six puppies. She says each puppy raiser gets some initial training then brings their dogs to class once a week to keep them on track.
"House manners is huge and then basic obedience and socialization we want to expose them to as many different sights, sounds surfaces, people," she said.
If Ralph doesn't want to become a guide dog that's ok. There are plenty of other puppy careers to choose from.
"Some of the dogs that do not want to be a guide dog could become a service dog, a companion dog, our dogs have gone into detection we have a dog that is sniffing electronic for the FBI," said Camloh.
Ralph will live with Solak until he's a little over a year old. Then its on to his new life of service.
"It's definitely hard, but I always think of it like my feelings are not bigger than his future," said Solak.
'Guiding Eyes for the Blind' is having a information session at South Park Mall in Strongsville on Saturday, March 2nd from 10am-2pm.
