Abstract:
Dogs are used for so many purposes in today's world. They are used to hunt, search for and rescue endangered individuals, keep our country safe by sniffing out bombs and drugs, entertain us in dog shows, lead the blind, or simply provide companionship.Dogs are of particular interest to me. I am a dog-lover! Therefore, my honors project has two, hands-on, experiential components and a final, reflective component comparing my experiences as both a volunteer puppy raiser for Leader Dog for the Blind and a foster mom for the Muncie Animal Rescue Fund.During the first experiential component, I spent ten months raising a Golden Retriever Leader Dog for the Blind puppy named Tater. I followed all of the guidelines and expectations provided by Leader Dogs for the Blind out of Rochester, Michigan and learned a great deal from the experience about dog training and myself.For the second experiential component, I spent five months being a foster mom for the Muncie Animal Rescue Fund. I housed, cared for, and adopted out four dogs during that time- Penny, a German Shepherd mix, Jabba, a German Shepherd/Rottweiler/Border Collie mix, Maggie, a Mountain Curr, and Miles, a Beagle/Corgi mix.Finally, for the reflective component, I wrote an essay explaining and comparing the two experiences. In the essay, I address the processes to become both a Leader Dog puppy raiser and an ARF foster mom, my goals during each experience, the challenges I faced, the training techniques I used, and how rewarding each experience felt.
