AKC Museum of the Dog Collaboration

Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation and the AKC Museum of the Dog have teamed up to showcase the German Shepherd Dog and how this special breed changes the lives of people who are blind.

During the past several months, the training staff at Fidelco started thinking about art and music as training tools for our future guide dogs. Music, specifically jazz, which seems to be the favorite genre of Fidelco dogs, is played in the kennels each evening. Observing how the dogs play in sprinklers and wading pools gave us the idea to give them non-toxic paint to play with.

And so, “Art of the Dog” — an inaugural event at the AKC Museum of the Dog — was born! We challenged staff to teach young dogs who had just joined the training program to paint with paws and brushes. We set up the puppies to roll in paint and shake it off onto a canvas on the floor. We rolled out a floor keyboard and had the dogs prance and run across it. The “Art of the Dog” event featured a live auction of original pieces “painted” by Fidelco guide dogs under the guidance of Fidelco trainers.

We now have a great set of training tools and a great source of laughter and enjoyment for everyone. The videos of the dogs creating art and music can be hilarious, and what we’re seeing is highly intelligent, hard-working dogs adapt to new experiences and give their full attention to succeed.

All proceeds from the event supported Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation and AKC Museum of the Dog, both 501 (c)(3) non-profit organizations.