1 Max lives in California, USA. He is only two years old, but he’s just finished training for a very special job. Max is a guide dog. He is going to spend his life with a blind person. Max will help his owner get safely across roads. Max will also take his owner shopping, and travel with him on buses and trains. Max isn’t a pet. He will have a lot of responsibility.
2 Max’s training began almost as soon as he was born. When he was just eight weeks old, he went to live with a family who taught him how to get on well with people and other animals. When Max was eighteen months old, he went to a special school. He learned how to guide a blind person safely through everyday life. Max was at this school for five months. For the last month of his training, Max’s new owner came to stay at the school with him. Now that Max has met his owner, they are ready to start their lives together.
3 Max will stay with his owner for many years. Some guide dogs work until they are eight to ten years old. When Max retires, he might stay with his owner after his owner gets a new, younger guide dog. If not, he will find a home with a family who will look after him very well. Old guide dogs are very popular pets. Max is just one of thousands of hard-working guide dogs around the world.