Groton resident Scott Skinner is amazed at how fast his new guide dog, Zed, was able to change his life.

"I've had Zed for a month now, and I am taken aback at how quick the bond has formed," Skinner said as Zed rested comfortably on his foot. "He likes to sleep there in case I go anywhere because he likes to know what is going on."

Skinner suffers from retinitis pigmentosa, a group of rare genetic disorders that is damaging his retina. His condition grew worse over time, and Skinner began to struggle to enjoy hiking or even to get his change at the store. While he is not blind, he does have trouble seeing.

Skinner decided he needed help, and since he did not enjoy using a cane, he went to Guiding Eyes for the Blind. Guiding Eyes is a nonprofit based out of Yorktown, N.Y., that provides the visually impaired with a guide dog to help them retake their independence. There he met Zed, a 2-year-old black Labrador retriever who serves as Skinner's guide and companion.

"It's amazing how intelligent he is," Skinner said. "The whole experience was incredible, but those early days where we would come to an obstacle and Zed's head would scan the situation and then he would weave us through it — that was just amazing."

Guiding Eyes guide dogs are trained from birth by specialty breeders. They are introduced to their names at 3 days old, are given temperament evaluations at a few weeks and are sent from their breeders to the Guiding Eyes facility in Yorktown at 18 months. Zed is from Maine, and Skinner said that his puppy trainers drove five hours from Maine to see Zed and Skinner graduate at the end of the program.

The program featured three weeks of intensive training. Days started at 6 a.m., and training would last all day. The training involved obedience school, practicing navigating environments and even lectures on proper dog care.

A guide dog generally costs $50,000 to breed, raise and train. Guiding Eyes provides all their services free of charge. They rely on donations to operate and are one of 14 accredited U.S. members of the International Guide Dog Federation.

Skinner says that since Zed came home, he has noticed a lot of differences.

"When you have my condition, you can almost fake it," Skinner said. "No one really knows you might have an issue unless you tell them, and I never made it a big deal. When you get a guide dog, that changes. Everyone knows you have an issue. Everyone just sort of assumes that you're totally blind, and I'm not. There was a lot of anxiety of returning to teach my class because of that."

Skinner teaches career classes at the Educational Training Institute. He teaches a four-hour class and was worried that Zed would be too energetic or cause a disturbance. He was happy to report that he was completely wrong.

"The first day I brought him to work, he went and laid down under my desk and did not make a peep," Skinner said. "At one point, I forgot he was there. I was lecturing and walking towards my desk, and Zed has his paw out. I didn't step on it, but I kinda stubbed my foot against it, and he simply moved his paw and didn't make a peep. It shocks me how laser focused he is when he's working."

There are some challenges. Zed is still just a puppy. He turned 2 years old on June 18. Scott says that they can be a pain, but he smiles as he describes the problems.

"Zed has so much energy at home," Skinner said. "I order a lot of stuff from Amazon, and Zed loves the paper they package it in. He'll grab that and run around. Getting dressed can be an issue, too, because Zed loves socks. If I don't keep them in my hands, he grabs them and runs all around the house. He does have a pretty easy tell when he has something he's not supposed to. He begins to hop with glee all over the place and then makes me chase him around to get it. But given that those issues are only at home and he's so hard-working when we're out, I think I can live with these downsides."

Not all dogs are suitable to be guide dogs. A dog that is too shy or too curious will be unlikely to become a guide dog. However, due to their obedience training, these dogs are often quite useful in other jobs. They can become fantastic therapy pets or drug-sniffing dogs. Others may not enjoy the work and may simply be adopted as pets. Skinner says that Zed has lots of passion for work.

"He gets so excited when I take out his vest in the morning," Skinner said. "He loves to go to work."

Skinner looks forward to becoming more familiar with Zed and taking him on hikes.

Those interested in learning more about Guiding Eyes for the Blind can visit their website at guidingeyes.org.