Ohioan trains guide dogs for the blind
Medina resident MEDINA—
Morgan Kowalski is raising her third puppy for New York-based Guiding Eyes for the Blind.
When Kowalski graduated fromHoly Name High School in 2018, she said she needed something to do at home and wanted it to be service related, so she applied to raise puppies for the blind.
She receives each puppy when it is 8 to 10weeks old.
Her task is to teach house manners, socialization, how to behave politely in public and to obey basic commands such as sit, down, heel, back up and over. The “over” command instructs the puppy to roll onto its side so that the owner can easily fasten its harness.
A trainer in the Cleveland West Region of Guiding Eyesworked one on one with Kowalski in Berea for a month before she got her first dog, Becky, a yellow Labrador retriever.
A current student at Cleveland State University, Kowalski often took Becky to class with her. She said the teachers and other students loved the dog.
After 17 months, it was time forBecky to go toNew York for more specific training to work with a blind owner.
“I cried a lot when I left her, but she was happy, so I felt better,” Kowalski said.
Becky and her blind owner just graduated from their training and are living in Vermont.
Kowalski and her second puppy, Robin, also a yellow Lab, spent only 6 months together. Because of Robin’s exceptional health and temperament, she was chosen to live with a foster family and serve as a brood.
Hagrid, Kowalski’s current trainee, is a tall and strong male black German shepherd that she is co-raising with a person from Avon.
According to Kowalski, “Hagrid is very mellow and willing to work.” She expects to train him for the full 17 months until he is ready for further special training.
Kowalski is pursuing a dual major in biology and education and hopes to teach after graduation. She works at the Medina Community
Recreation Center and takes lots of walks with Hagrid in local parks.
Because partofhis training is learning to behavewell in public, she saysHagrid has a regular fan club atWalmart, Marshalls and Target. He especially likes Starbucks, where he gets “Pup Cups.”
Kowalski’s family is very supportive— hermomhelps with the training and her dad “follows the rules.” Their miniature schnauzer and Hagrid also get along well.
When asked how she would like the public to interact with the puppies, Kowalski said to please ask before saying hi or petting the dog. In most cases, she will say yes and consider it part of the dog’s training, but sometimes the puppy
may be having a bad day and petting would not be welcome.
Once Hagrid has completed his guide dog training and is paired with someone who is blind, he will
give that person unprecedented freedom and independence, at no cost to them. The entire process costs about $50,000, but the recipient never pays a dime.