You might think residents of Atlantic Shores retirement community in Virginia Beach are beyond puppy love. Not so. Residents there have volunteered for the Atlantic Shores Puppy Love program, raising dogs for Guiding Eyes for the Blind. Linda Palminteri and Jack Stokes have each taken in a black lab puppy for the program, named Puppy Love by Atlantic Shores resident Betty Brown. The puppies, Godrick and Joanie, met the community at a welcoming ceremony in October, which included Atlantic Shores residents and some of their favorite four-legged friends.

Atlantic Shores is the first retirement community in the country to raise dogs for Guiding Eyes for the Blind, an international organization which provides guide dogs for blind and visually impaired people. Gina Rose, regional coordinator for Guiding Eyes, hopes the program at Atlantic Shores will set an example for other senior communities.

The Puppy Raisers, as the volunteer trainers are called, keep the puppies for 16 to 18 months while they learn obedience and socialization. Then the animals return to the New York headquarters of Guiding Eyes for up to 18 more months of training with their permanent owners. Individuals who are paired with a guide dog receive continuous support, training, and veterinary care without charge.

Labrador retrievers and German shepherds have been found to be best adapted to the training, but other breeds are sometimes used. Guide dogs aid not only the visually impaired, but also people with autism and other disabilities and can also be taught search and rescue duties.

Linda Palminteri is raising Joanie because she saw how valuable a guide dog was for her twin sister, Lois, who is disabled by muscular dystrophy. “I call Joanie my gem,” Linda said, “because she has a white diamond-shaped mark on her chest.” Joanie was ten weeks old when she came to Linda. Following a preliminary meeting with Guiding Eyes staffers, Linda was interviewed in her home and attended four pre-placing classes. 

“It’s all about patience and trust,” Linda said of the puppy training. She doesn’t have to go it alone. Trainers from Guiding Eyes for the Blind visit twice a week, and Gina Rose comes by frequently to give help and advice. Kathy Parks, resident director for Atlantic Shores, and Betty Brown and Marge Miner, Atlantic Shores residents, serve as part of the puppy raising team.

Linda never uses punishment or “no” to teach Joanie. She relies on voice commands, distraction, and food rewards. As a result, Joanie was easily housebroken. Linda is now teaching her to respond to “sit,” “stay,” “down,” “go to place,” and “get busy,” which means go to the bathroom.

The puppy has become accustomed to walking on a leash and is learning house manners: no jumping or chewing, no getting up on furniture. She goes out in the car to shopping centers, and Linda has even taken her to a violin concert. Joanie behaved very well, without howling or whining, Linda said. When Linda goes to her crafts class at Atlantic Shores, Joanie goes along and settles into her cage there for a nap while Linda works.

Atlantic Shores shares the Puppy Love program with two elementary schools, Corporate Landing and Ocean Lakes. Joanie and Godrick visit to become acquainted with children, and the children learn about guide dogs. The students’ drawings of the puppies adorn one of the rooms at Atlantic Shores.

It’s not all work and no play, though. There’s Yappy Hour every day at Atlantic Shores, when both the puppies and their raisers can indulge in treats.

When Linda walks Joanie around the Atlantic Shores campus, the little lab wears a red bandanna to indicate she is in training and is not to be stopped to play. Joanie has to become familiar with the elevators, sidewalks, sliding doors, hallways, wheelchairs, and walkers she may encounter in her working life. Linda and Joanie often visit the Harbourway assisted living facility and the Seaside skilled nursing center at Alantic Shores to brighten the residents’ days there.

“I want to thank the residents for their patience with Joanie,” Linda said.

Asked if she would miss the puppy when the time came to turn her over to Guiding Eyes for the Blind for her final training and donation to her eventual owner, Linda replied that she will, but knowing Joanie will be helping someone live a better life will make it easier. 

Further information about the Puppy Love program at Atlantic Shores can be found at Linda’s Dog Blog, www.atlanticshoresliving.com/puppy_love.