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Labradors, Golden Retrievers and German Shepherds are most
commonly trained to be Guide Dogs for the Blind. Almost 70%
of all working Dog Guides in the US are Labradors with most
of them being yellow or black in color. The Flat-coated Retriever
is also becoming a favored breed at guide dog training schools.
Breeds such as Boxers, Huskies, Doberman Pinchers, Border
Collies and Dalmatians are also occasionally used as Dog Guides.
Cross breeds like Golden Labrador/Retriever (both breeds mature
early and are also very intelligent) and Labrador/Poodles
termed as “Labradoodles” (they are suitable for
people allergic to dog hair or dander) are also getting popular.
Guide dogs usually work for around 7 years. Then comes the
time to hang up the guide dog harness and retire. After retirement,
most guide dogs often stay on as pets with the owners. Due
to the special bond between owner and dog, retirement is a
time of grief for the owner. However an owner could have up
to 5 or 6 dogs during their lifetime and therefore another
special companion will soon take the place of the original
one.
Training Guide Dogs for the Blind: Dogs
with potential to work as guide dogs are acquired from breeding
homes which specially breed these pups, training schools that
raise their own puppies and from animal shelters if dogs with
potential are found.
When a dog is old enough for dog training, he will first
have to pass a physical exam to determine if he has the ability
to become a dog guide. Then he moves on to advanced training
in a guide dog harness where he learns to help the handler
walk safely, navigate curbs, avoid overhead obstacles and
also retrieve things for the handler.
After two to three months of training, they are paired with
their human handlers and are trained to act as a team. The
handler’s height, walking style and lifestyle all contribute
to the type of guide dog they will be paired with. New teams
may take 6 months to a year to learn to work in sync. When
the team has finished their training, they are certified and
released. Some training schools conduct follow-ups to ensure
that the team have adapted to the outside world.
A dog guide may make a mistake at times. It is necessary
for the handler to correct the dog in order to keep up the
training. Correction could be a verbal reproof. Handlers have
been taught the proper and humane ways of training their guide
dogs in order to maintain their teammates working standards.
History: The first formal training school
for dog guides was established in Pottsdam in Germany just
after the First World War. The school trained German Shepherds
to help soldiers who had lost their sight in the war. The
Pottsdam School for guide dogs did not last very long.
An American woman named Dorothy Harrison living in Switzerland,
heard of the Pottsdam School and felt it was a noble cause.
She is credited with bringing about the modern dog guide movement
in the United States.
Morris Frank, a young blind man living in Nashville, heard
about an article that Ms. Harrison had written about the Pottsdam
School. He wrote to her requesting her to train a guide dog
for him and he promised that in return he would teach other
blind people to become independent. Harrison invited Frank
to Switzerland and he became the first American to use a guide
dog called Buddy, a female German shepherd.
Honoring his promise, Morris Frank established the first
dog guide school in Nashville, America on January 29, 1929
and named it ‘‘The Seeing Eye’’. The
name came from the book of Proverbs 20:12 in the Bible - “The
seeing eye, the hearing ear; The Lord has made them both."
The school and the Seeing Eye dogs became very popular and
soon various guide dog training schools were established in
the United States of America. The Seeing Eye school in Nashville
later relocated to Morristown, New Jersey.
The first guide dogs in Britain were German Shepherds. They
were handed over to their owners, veterans of the First World
War, on October 06, 1931. The ‘’Guide Dogs for
the Blind Association’’ was established in 1934.
When you meet a Guide Dog Team:
- Never pet, call out or distract a working Guide Dog lest
you disturb its concentration and endanger the safety of
its blind partner.
- Guide dogs cannot read traffic lights. Therefore if you
are in a car, do not honk or call out directions to the
team as this will distract the handlers. They listen to
the flow of traffic and other sounds in the surroundings
to decide if it is safe to cross the street.
- Always remember that the Guide Dog teams have the right
of way!
- Never feed a Guide Dog as their diet and feeding times
are monitored to maintain good health and relieving schedules.
- Never snatch the guide dog harness from the handler as
you may distract and confuse the team. If you think that
the handler is in need of assistance, offer it and wait
for his response. Always voice your concern in a calm manner.
Never push or pull the blind owner or grab the guide dog
harness.
- Always check with the guide dog handler before petting
the dog guide. Speak to the handler and not to the dog.
Synopsis:
- Dog guides are carefully trained service animals used
to help people who are blind.
- Dog guides work very effectively with people who are totally
blind.
- Dog guides and their handlers have to go through painstaking
training in order to learn to work safely and effectively
as a team.
- Dog guides are trained to move only in response to directions
from their masters. They will disobey commands if they sense
danger.
- The dog owners are responsible for the health and well
being of their guide dog.
- Guide Dog users are trained to relieve their dogs regularly
and to clean up after them.
- Concentration is very crucial when a person travels with
a dog guide. Guide dogs work in incredibly demanding situations
and the owner’s safety is dependent on the dog’s
concentration. Petting, feeding, or distracting a dog guide
will interrupt his concentration and can be dangerous.
- All public and private organizations are required by law,
to admit dog guides and all service animals into their facilities.
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