Learning to lead: Canine Kyla using local landscape as training ground

If you see Sun Prairie's Wendy Wright milling about town, chances are you'll also see her canine sidekick, Kyla.

For the next year, Wright will be a volunteer puppy raiser for Leader Dogs for the Blind, teaching this Labrador retriever/German shepherd mix house manners and basic obedience, and exposing her to the world.

"She has gone with me to shopping malls, schools, restaurants, grocery stores and hotels," said Wright. "And we've walked outside in different environments and on streets with varying degrees of traffic to become acclimated to the sights, sounds and smells.

"I've even taken her to various school functions such as sporting events and band concerts in order to expose her to all of the sounds and crowds she may experience in the future," said Wright.

Some settings take more adjustment than others, said Wright, recalling a high school basketball game she attended with Kyla. "It was kind of scary for her with all the horns, whistles and players running right in front of her, so we backed outside the door and watched for awhile. After halftime, we went back in and she was used to it enough that she fell asleep."

View a close-up of Kyla.

Getting started

Wright learned of the Leader Dogs program through her work as office manager for the Lions Eye Bank of Wisconsin and volunteer activities with the Madison Central Lions Club -- organizations that have played a significant role in helping people who are visually impaired.

"When I became aware of an opportunity to work with animals through the Lions organization, I believed this was another way I could contribute in a special way for the Lions and other individuals in need," said Wright, a life-long animal lover who is trained as a veterinary technician.

Strength from the pack

As Wright takes on these challenges, there are others she can turn to for support.

"There are several Leader Dog puppies being raised in Wisconsin," she said. "Once a month those of us located in the Madison-Milwaukee-Racine area get together with our puppies and visit a restaurant or another public place ... and get a chance to discuss some of our experiences.

"These events are always fun and we certainly attract a lot of attention," she said. "This way the dogs get a chance to play with each other, meet lots of new people of all ages and learn how to behave in public.

"In order for the dogs to get used to being trained and working with other individuals," said Wright, "we'll trade off walking and working with each others' dogs during the outing."

Dog differences

One of the most difficult aspects of raising a Leader Dog, said Wight, "is not being able to treat her like a pet, play with and spoil her as I have my other dogs. While I have always loved to play fetch and Frisbee with my dogs, this is a game she is not allowed to play other than in a very low-key manner.

"As a service dog and not a pet, she is not to learn any unnecessary tricks such as shake or roll over," said Wright. "She does have a great time playing with my other dog, though."

Facing the future

"Kyla is incredibly smart and cute, and I love having her with me," said Wright. "She has a great time playing with my daughter and other dog, and we're all definitely attached to each other.

"When it's time for her to go back to Leader Dogs for the Blind in Michigan for her medical evaluation and continued training next February, I know we'll have a difficult time giving her up," she said. "But I believe one of the keys to doing something like this successfully is to realize right from the start that she is not my dog.

"Like a foster child, she is in my care for a limited time and my job is to do the best I can in raising her for the purpose for which she was bred," she said.

"There is already a plan for her life with a very noble goal -- to assist someone who is visually impaired regain, or gain for the first time, a greater degree of independence, allowing them to travel anywhere in the world they may wish to go with confidence and wonderful companionship."