Michele Pouliot

Michele Pouliot General Information

Biography

Ms. Michele Pouliot served as Director, Research & Development at Guide Dogs for the Blind. She has been a professional Guide Dog instructor for more than 30 years. Before venturing into training guide dogs, she was a professional horse trainer, instructing horsemanship, Dressage, and 3-Day-Eventing disciplines. She competed in obedience trials with her pet Labrador and became fascinated with the comparisons of how dogs and horses learn. She began her instructor apprenticeship with Guide Dogs for the Blind in 1974, attaining her California State Guide Dog Instructor's license in 1977. Prior to her current position as Director of Research and Development, she was Apprentice Development Supervisor, Class Supervisor, and Training Supervisor. She authored the school's first Guide Dog Training Manual in 1980. In 1994, She became the Director of Training for the school's then-new Oregon campus, where she staffed the Training Department and established dog and student training programs. She was responsible for all training "Standards and Techniques" at both campuses, ensuring consistency in the school's overall training program. Since 2000, she has served as an international guide dog School Assessor for the International Guide Dog Federation, an organization that reviews guide dog training organizations throughout the world for quality control and adherence to the humane treatment of animals. She has completed assessments on guide dog schools in Norway, Austria, the Czech Republic, France, and Great Britain.