Last Friday I attended my favorite Rose Scholar event so far, the Pet a Puppy event. Guiding Eyes brought in a few dogs for us to play with while they gave a presentation about their incredible program. Although they seemed like average dogs, we soon learned that these animals go through an extensive training program which essentially starts from the moment that they are born. I couldn’t believe the amount of training that these dogs go through to become certified. By the end of their training, these dogs can become life changing for their new owners. Some dogs are given to those who are visually impaired so that they can lead as independent of a life as possible. One incredible thing that I learned was a new purpose that these dogs are now being used for. They are being given to families whose children have autism. Autistic children are prone to running away and this can be incredibly dangerous. However these dogs can be attached to autistic children and if the dog feels tension on its leash, they know that the child is trying to run. The dog will immediately lie down and use its body weight to keep the child from running away. This tendency to run away is almost always eradicated from autistic children who have these dogs. It is amazing to learn about how capable these animals really are. I hope this program continues to grow because it is doing a lot of good for a lot of people.