Jo Byrns High welcomes service dog trainee as newest student

A four-month-old yellow lab has joined the student body at Jo Byrns High School.

A new recruit for Southeastern Guide Dogs (SGD), Arthur was introduced to classmates at Jo Byrns on Jan. 11 alongside his trainer, senior Maxine Knoepfel, who will be responsible for the dog’s first full year of learning.

It will take about two years for Arthur to complete his training and become the eyes for a visually impaired or blind person.

Knoepfel has been taking care of him for the past two months and says she’s excited about her part in shaping his education.

“I was looking for my FFA Supervised Agricultural Experience,” she said, “and I decided that I wanted to help out the community while doing something I love. I have my own personal dogs that I compete with and I knew this was something that I would love to do.

“The main purpose of this program is to socialize the dog and get him used to populated environments like grocery stores, malls, and the like. The secondary purpose is training him in house manners and basic commands like, heel, sit, and stay.”

The crowded halls, classrooms and cafeteria of JBHS will help acclimate Arthur to the distractions that public places can produce for a guide dog, Knoepfel said.

After his year with Knoepfel, Arthur will return to the SGD campus for a year of advanced training, but until then, he’ll literally be the teen’s constant companion.

“He’s already super engaged in me,” she said.

Dogs like Arthur are bred specifically for temperament and healthy genetics.

A gentle, patient temperament is necessary for optimum interaction with the public and an eventual owner, Knoepfel explained. She added that good genetics are the best assurance an owner can have because Arthur will not have to retire early due to health or physical complications.

Knoepfel owns and trains two other dogs in competition, but this is her first involvement with a service dog, she said.