HHP Expert - Dani Landolt, Leader Dogs For the Blind

Humarian Health

On this week’s episode, Dr. B is joined by Dani Landolt, the chief marketing officer for Leader Dogs for the Blind. Dani and Dr. B talk about how she moved from sports marketing to sales to the pet industry and spend some time discussing the background and mission behind Leader Dogs for the Blind. Dani describes the three main services offered by Leader Dogs for the Blind, namely guide dog training (including a dedicated deaf/blind Leader Dog training program), accelerated orientation and mobility training (white cane training), and a week long leadership camp for teenagers that are blind or visually impaired. She talks about the breeds and dispositions of dogs that have been successfully bred as leader dogs and why Leader Dogs for the Blind primarily focuses on Golden retrievers, Labrador retrievers, and German shepherds. She also describes the difference between guide dogs and service dogs, and she explains the importance of intelligent disobedience for guide dogs. You can find more on Dani and Leader Dogs for the Blind at leaderdog.org.