Blake fetched the ball and proceeded to "sit."
A big university can be a lonely place. After her first year at Georgia State, Amylyn Johnson decided that a four-legged friend might help make Georgia State home. Rather than going to the Humane Society and adopting a puppy, Johnson looked into being a puppy raiser for the Guide Dog Foundation.
“I had a tough first year of college, and I’m sure a lot of people at [Georgia State] do,” John- son said. “You are taken away from your home, where I had four dogs, so going from four to zero was hard.”
Georgia State’s size and limited number of people on campus also hindered Johnson from relationships with other students.
“Finding friends at [Georgia State] is hard because it is mostly like a commuter college or a fraternity/sorority club college, so I guess it made it easier the second year, having a dog.”
Blake, who is still a puppy, will complete training and aid a vision impaired person one day.
She saw other students involved in the program and decided to look into the opportunity. “I saw it at UGA, I saw all the dogs there… there are about 40 of them there [that day], but we only have one at Georgia State,” Johnson said. The University of Georgia is home to more than 200 Guide Dog Foundation volunteers.
Blake, a 9-month-old lab/golden mix will assist a vision-impaired person one day. But for right now, he is the sophomore’s constant companion. Johnson said there were a number of reasons she chose to keep a future service dog.
“Now I am living where I can’t technically have dogs but I can have him,” she said. “As a college student, you aren’t home a lot so hav- ing a dog I can take with me is nice because you don’t have to worry about coming home to let your dog out. And it’s doing something nice for someone else, because if they do make it through the program, then they will be help- ing somebody that is blind. “
The process of getting Blake was much more extensive for Johnson than a dog adoption. The online application turned into an eight-month event.
“Once you apply online, they give you a call and explain the process, find out if you really want to do it…you have to visit two meetings before you can be put on the list for a dog…”
After getting Blake, Johnson consulted with the university to make sure that she would not encounter any issues with the dog coming with her to class.
“The library gave me problems about it… but legally he is allowed anywhere,” she said.
Johnson got a one-day notice before Blake arrived. “It’s like fostering a kid,” she said.
No formal training is required to be a “puppy raiser,” although a history of having dogs is necessary. Johnson and her family have always had dogs. Her family has a Lab and two mini Australian Shepherds.
Blake fetched the ball and proceeded to “sit.”
As a puppy raiser, Johnson teaches Blake a little more than the average dog, but he will have to wait until he is a little older to receive his more formal training.
Some things Blake must learn are to “find the chair” and “find the steps.” His treats and toys must also be monitored.
“When he makes it through the program, he will be fixed with a blind person that fits with their temperament and where they are from,” Johnson said.
There are a few things that make Blake special from other dogs. For one, he must go with Johnson everywhere to prepare him for his life as a service dog.
“He has to go everywhere with me and that is sometimes a challenge,”
Johnson, who does some film production, sometimes has problems bringing Blake on sets
Sometimes Blake causes unwanted attention.
“Everyone wants to ask you about him, everyone wants to tell you about their dog,” which can be a nuisance at times, Johnson said.
According to Johnson, Blake has adjusted to college life with ease. Service dogs are all work when their vests are on. When Blake takes off his vest, he turns into a regular, albeit well-behaved, puppy.
“When you take it off when we get home he is ready to play…but out in public he pretty much sleeps,” she said.
With Blake always at her side, Johnson stays away from some typical college student fare.
“We’ve never been to a night club,” Johnson laughed. “I’m not the club type person, but if I was, I would probably have to leave him at home…he would not like that.”
Although Blake keeps Johnson busy, he creates some unique challenges for the sophomore.
“I guess going into it, I thought it would help make friends, but there are a lot of people at Geor- gia State that don’t like dogs,” Johnson said. “There are a lot of people that will jump in fear of Blake, but he’s not going to do anything. He will never bite anybody.”
Johnson said people give her a hard time about Blake on a daily bases.
“When you are in Downtown Atlanta a lot of people don’t like dogs,” she said. “I think the funniest instances that I have experienced are when big guys that look like they are on the Georgia State football team…see Blake and shriek in fear and jump over their friends.”
Potty places in Downtown are another challenge for Blake, according to Johnson. “There’s not a lot of places to take him…he goes on pine straw.”
Amylyn pulls Blake forward to communicate to him.
Johnson said Blake has never had an accident at school or at home. He is still a puppy and learn- ing how to be a future guide dog, so accidents have happened.
“He pooped in Perimeter Mall once,” John- son said. “It was mortifying. That day I didn’t have bags in my purse…so I took out my economics notes and that’s the only thing I had in my purse to pick it up with.”
For now, her biggest challenge is understand- ing that she will have to give Blake to a new home one day.
“It’s going to be hard to give him up,” Johnson said. “It will be hard to go back to not having a dog with me everywhere I go when he goes back for training.” At 12-14 months Blake will leave Atlanta to complete his training.
“When you don’t have him with you, you have these ‘where’s Blake?’ moments where I get scared and realize he’s not with me,” she said.
But for now, Johnson and Blake will roam Georgia State together; in search of potty places and teaching students the importance of a well- trained guide dog.
“It’s not all fun and games, it’s like a job and it’s hard work.”
