Elijah Logue has always loved to wrestle, run track, and hike in the mountains near his home. But for years, the Colorado Springs middle schooler used a special tool to get around—a white cane. Elijah, age 13, has been blind since birth (see What Visual Impairments Can Look Like). Like many others who are blind, he would sweep the long, thin cane back and forth to sense his surroundings. Even with the cane, Elijah would sometimes bump into people or objects. He had to walk slowly to move safely. Elijah wanted to become more independent.

In July 2024, Elijah started a partnership that changed everything. He teamed up with a guide dog named Maple! This pooch is so well-trained, he’s replaced Elijah’s cane—they even walk really fast together! “Having Maple help me navigate safely and having him as a friend has changed my life,” says Elijah.

How did Maple learn how to be a guide dog? The pup went to school!

Elijah Logue has always loved to wrestle and run track. And he enjoys hiking in the mountains near his home. Elijah goes to middle school in Colorado Springs. But for years, he used a special tool to get around. It was a white cane. Elijah is 13 years old. He has been blind since birth (see What Visual Impairments Can Look Like). Many blind people use the long, thin cane. Elijah moved it back and forth to sense things around him. But sometimes, he still bumped into people or objects. He had to walk slowly to be safe. Elijah wanted to be more independent.

In July 2024, things changed. Elijah teamed up with a partner. It was a guide dog named Maple! This pup is very well-trained. He replaced Elijah’s cane. They even walk really fast together! “Having Maple help me navigate safely and having him as a friend has changed my life,” says Elijah.

Maple had to learn to be a guide dog. But how? The pup went to school!

Guide dogs are a type of service animal. They’re specially trained to lead people with visual impairments as they do their daily activities. Guide dogs need to be loyal, alert, and smart problem solvers. A pet dog may learn to sit, stay, and fetch. But a guide dog learns how to keep their human safe. “The ultimate trick is being responsible for your human,” says Jolene Hollister. She’s a trainer for Guiding Eyes for the Blind in New York.

Certain dogs are better at this job than others. That’s because different breeds, or types, tend to have different traits. Plus, each individual dog is unique. Maple, Elijah’s dog, is a crossbreed, or mix, of a Labrador retriever and a Bernese mountain dog. Labradors are usually smart, eager to please, and easy to train. Bernese mountain dogs are typically calm, good at solving problems, and protective. A mix of these traits makes a dog a promising candidate.

Guide dog organizations around the world typically breed their own dogs. Staff members seek out parent dogs that have the right traits. Nine weeks after puppies are born, they go to temporary homes. Volunteers raise the pups for 12 to 18 months (see Training a Guide Dog). The puppies are exposed to as many environments, sounds, people, and smells as possible. This helps socialize the dogs and build their confidence.

Guide dogs are a type of service animal. They get special training. Their job is to lead people with vision problems during their daily activities. Guide dogs need to be loyal and alert. They must be smart problem solvers. A pet dog may learn to sit, stay, and fetch. But a guide dog learns to keep their human safe. “The ultimate trick is being responsible for your human,” says Jolene Hollister. She’s a trainer for Guiding Eyes for the Blind in New York.

Some dogs are better at this job than others. Different breeds, or types, may have different traits. And each dog is different. Maple, Elijah’s dog, is a crossbreed. He’s a mix of a Labrador retriever and a Bernese mountain dog. Labradors are usually smart. They want to please, and they’re easy to train. Bernese mountain dogs are usually calm. They’re good at solving problems, and they’re protective. A dog with a mix of these traits may be a good guide dog.

There are guide dog organizations around the world. They usually breed their own dogs. Staff members find parent dogs with the right traits. The puppies are born. Nine weeks later, they go to temporary homes. Volunteers raise the pups for 12 to 18 months (see Training a Guide Dog). The puppies experience different environments, sounds, people, and smells. They see as many new things as possible. This helps socialize them and build their confidence.

Not all dogs graduate. During training, dogs have to pass behavior and health checks. For example, if a dog is nervous or doesn’t enjoy leading someone, they’re not a good fit for the program. Those dogs will change jobs or be adopted as a pet.

At the end of training, dogs that graduate are paired with a blind person. Schools match dogs with handlers based on personality, walking pace, and where they live.

Now it’s the handlers’ turn to go to school! At the training center, handlers bond with their dogs and learn how to work with and care for them. To meet Maple, Elijah went to Mira, a guide dog school in Canada. He spent four weeks training with Maple.

Finally, the pairs go home to start their lives together. When the dogs aren’t working, they bond with their handlers. For fun, Elijah and Maple like to play games like tug-of-war. But Maple is happiest when he’s on the job, says Elijah.

“Sometimes if we stop to talk to people, Maple will sit there and whimper because he wants to get back to work,” he says. “He loves to work—all the guide dogs do—but I think him especially.”

Not all dogs graduate. Dogs must pass behavior and health checks during training. A dog might be nervous. Or maybe it doesn’t enjoy leading someone. Then it’s not a good fit for the program. Those dogs will change jobs or become pets. 

Training ends. Dogs graduate and are paired with a blind person. Schools match dogs with handlers to be a good fit. They consider personality, walking pace, and where they live.  

Now the handlers go to school! They bond with their dogs at the training center. They learn to work with and care for them. Elijah met Maple at Mira. That’s a guide dog school in Canada. He trained with Maple for four weeks.

Finally, the pairs go home. They start their lives together. The dogs bond with their handlers when they aren’t working. Elijah and Maple like to have fun. They play games like tug-of-war. But Maple is happiest on the job, says Elijah. 

“Sometimes if we stop to talk to people, Maple will sit there and whimper because he wants to get back to work,” he says. “He loves to work—all the guide dogs do—but I think he especially does.”