POODLE PUPPIES DESTINED TO HELP.

Byline: Lisa M. Sodders Staff Writer

SYLMAR - When Sierra, a bundle of soft, curly black fur was placed in 9-year-old Lindsay Robb's arms Friday, the poodle puppy immediately started licking the redheaded girl's face.

``She's very sweet,'' Lindsay said. ``She's just so cuddly!''

But Sierra isn't destined to be an ordinary household pet. The standard poodle will be trained by Lindsay to be a seeing-eye dog for the visually impaired - among the first of its breed to serve in such a capacity.

On Friday, Guide Dogs of America in Sylmar sent its first five standard poodles home with their puppy trainers, who will work with the dogs for a year before they are matched with their visually-impaired owners.

Traditionally, group has raised German shepherds, golden retrievers and Labrador retrievers for guide dogs but has decided to try poodles because they are hypoallergenic.

Debbie Sands, GDA sponsor program coordinator, said the not-for-profit organization frequently fields calls from people who would love to have a guide dog but are allergic to the traditional breeds.

Sharon Majewski, who, with her husband, David, raised the poodles at their home in Vancouver, Wash., said they have ideal temperaments for guide dogs.

``They love people and they really like to perform for you,'' she said. ``They like to show off how smart they are, and how well they can teach you stuff.''

Unlike some other breeds, which can go charging ahead, ``poodles are light as a feather; they bounce from place to place,'' Majewski said of the dogs, which stand 21 inches to 26 inches at the shoulder. ``They're very light on their feet.''

Corey Stein, 40, of Sunland, got Sousa, a rolly-polly poodle puppy with white fur. She has raised a black Labrador guide dog before, and originally was interested in raising a cross between the two breeds, known as a labradoodle, but none were available.

``I am not a patient person, and this is a good form of meditation,'' Stein said, as Sousa snuggled up to her. ``You take a deep breath before you train the dog. It teaches you to be a patient person. You get a lot of good stuff out of it, and then someone else gets a lot of good stuff out of it.''

Giving up Sierra at the end of the year will be hard, said Lindsay, who has raised three other puppies as guide dogs.

``But I think it's worth it, because you feel you're helping someone else and you know you're going to make a real difference in their lives.''

The guide dog group, a nonprofit organization, was founded in 1948 and is one of only 10 guide dog schools in the country. The actual cost to raise and train one dog is $38,000 but the dogs are provided free to legally blind men and women in the United States and Canada.

For more information about the GDA, call [phone] or visit www.guidedogsofamerica.org.

Lisa M. Sodders, [phone]

lisa.sodders(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

Granada Hills resident Lindsay Robb, 9, hugs Sierra, her 8-week-old standard poodle at the Guide Dogs of America in Sylmar. Lindsay, who is not visually impaired, will train the dog as a guide dog.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer