Top 10 guide dogsBy Pawzy Team
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Guide dogs are the talented windows into the world for their beloved owner. Their job is to guide the visually impaired or blind handler. While any dog can be trained to become a guide dog, only certain breeds have the paws to fill the role! Large breeds are most commonly trained as guide dogs due to their physical strength and ability.
Guide dogs are carefully paired with their owner based on a specific criteria. Everything from the individual’s activity level, lifestyle, hobbies, family and living arrangements are taken into consideration. When the handler applies for a guide dog through a non-profit organization, they are then matched with a pal that best serves their needs. Once a person and guide dog are matched, the organization will ensure there is a strong bond through extensive hours of training together.
Guide dogs wear a special assistance harness when they are on duty. The harness is white, as this is the colour protected for guide dogs and visually impaired. Many people think they can put on the harness and they are good to go! In reality, there must be a trustworthy and loyal relationship between the dog and owner before they can take on the world together. Below lists the Top 10 Guide Dogs that can bring the independence and mobility that wheelchairs and canes can’t!
When were dogs first used as guides?
Guide dogs for the blind and visually impaired have an impressive history that began in Germany during World War I, where the first guide dogs helped veterans blinded in combat. The guide dogs’ notoriety increased in 1927 when American dog breeder and Swedish resident, Dorothy Harrison Eustis, wrote an article on guide dogs for The Saturday Evening Post. Her article inspired a visually impaired American named Morris Frank.
Frank visited Switzerland and trained with Buddy, one of Eustis’s dogs. Frank and Buddy traveled together back to the US where they toured the country demonstrating the abilities of guide dogs. Their public appearances highlighted the need for service dogs to have access to hotels, restaurants, shops, public transportation and other places that were previously off-limits to canines. They also founded the first American guide dog training school, called The Seeing Eye, which is why guide dogs are often called “Seeing Eye dogs.”
How are guide dogs trained?
Some guide dog training facilities breed and raise pups onsite. When the pups are weaned from their mothers, they live with foster families who socialize them and provide loving care.
At about 16-18 months of age, the dogs return to the facility and begin a 4-6 month period of formal training that marks the beginning of an amazing career. The first 4-5 months is spent with an experienced, sighted trainer for in-depth training. Under supervision of the instructor, the dog’s last month of training is spent with a blind person who will become his handler and new best friend.
Training institutes educate both the dog and the owner. The dog learns to “guide” the person. The person learns to handle, communicate with, and care for the dog. During this process a strong bond develops that enhances the relationship profoundly.
The dog learns to navigate various obstacles, but he is never the “leader.” The human part of the dynamic duo is taught how to direct the dog and utilize commands learned in mobility training exercises. In other words, the dog is the driver of the car watching for obstacles and the handler is the navigator determining how to get from Point A to Point B. The human knows where he wants to go and the dog gets him there safely.