Guide dogs for the blind and partially sighted are excellent companions who, thanks to precise training, improve the quality of life of blind people. You will often have seen the guide dogs with their owners and noticed their exemplary behavior. Sometimes they are considered special dogs and there is a reason!
In theory, any dog can become a guide for blind people, but there are breeds more likely to be trained and to complete certain tasks. The most used breeds for this very important job are Labradors, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds and Australian Shepherds.
In general, a guide dog must have a peaceful disposition, be attentive, courageous and obviously must know how to orient himself. The unsuitable dogs are those of small or too tall stature, hunting dogs, lively or aggressive ones.
Females are more likely to fulfill the task, but in most cases they are sterilized so as not to give problems to the owner.
Generally, the law of many countries of the world allows guide dogs to enter public buildings, trains, restaurants, supermarkets, universities, cinemas, theaters and so on.
|
|
Guide dogs are born for this specific task. There are specialized schools that dedicate themselves to these activities, to offer the blind a dog perfectly trained since a puppy. It is unlikely that another dog could be trained for this task in adulthood. Let’s see the basic stages of training.
- From 0 to 3 months. The puppies are the result of a careful selection guaranteed by a series of strict health checks: genetic selection and character, phenotypic and molecular tests.
- From 3 to 12 months. All puppies grow under health control and at perfect educational level. The puppies can be entrusted to selected families, who breed them for the first year of life.
- 12 months. An accurate health check is performed to check the good health of the dog. Then, a check at the character level to evaluate the reactions, bringing the dog both inside and outside the school (traffic, public transport, crowded places). Only dogs deemed suitable at this stage can continue training.
- From 12 to 18 months. This phase is characterized by the actual training which includes:
- harmony between trainer and dog
- path in the internal obstacle course where the dog learns commands and obstacle recognition
- external route in low traffic areas
- external route in medium traffic areas
- external route in high traffic areas and public transport
- Assignment and harmony. The assignment of the dog to the blind person is carried out on the basis of the physical characteristics: height, weight, activity. To get to know each other, the dog is handed over to the blind person for a period of approximately 15 days.
- Training the person. The blind person needs training to understand how to behave with the guide dog, what commands to perform, how to correct dog’s mistakes and how to establish a good relationship with him. In fact, when walking with the guide dog, the responsibility for what can happen is never only one of the two, but they are a team and as such they work together to obtain a good result.
Eventually, the guide dog for blind is like any other dog. When his task ends at the end of the day, he is free to play and be pampered. He can rest, go for a run and perform all the behaviors of a normal dog. Even if they often help their owner at home, it is absolutely not necessary to think that he is exploited and that he has no free time.
A myth to dispel is that guide dogs cannot play with other dogs. Indeed, they often live together in the house, who play harmoniously all together. Obviously during their mission they cannot be distracted by anyone.
|
|
What are the tasks of the guide dog
The guide dog for the blind is accompanied by a leash and a harness to which a handle is tied. When the dog is kept by the leash, it behaves normally, if instead it is held by the handle it stops instantly entering fully into its role as guide.
The guide dog learns to react to about 30 commands. This allows the handler to guide the dog in the right direction using acoustic signals and to be signaled the different places. During training the dog learns to recognize obstacles and react accordingly.
A guide dog learns to proceed straight, to distinguish the right from the left and to signal or circumvent obstacles of all kinds, on the ground, on the side, at human height. Walkways, stairs, doors, ticket offices, free seats and public transport are part of the basic training.
What’s the most difficult thing about guiding? The recognition of high obstacles and the ability to avoid confrontation with other people and dogs are the most difficult tasks for the guide dog.
A guide dog can guide its keeper for an hour without interruption. But it always depends on the difficulties of the path. The guide dog cannot know the route and the blind or partially sighted person must tell him by vocal orders, indicating the direction. The person must therefore have a “map” of the places on his head.
|
|
How to behave when meeting a guide dog and its owner
In order to help the guide dog and its owner to proceed safely, it is important for everyone to understand what to do and what not to do when we meet them on the street. Some of our behaviors could distract, confuse or agitate the dog, and consequently his owner who could go wrong or endanger himself. Let’s see the key points to keep in mind.
Don’t distract the dog. It is rumored that when a guide dog is called by a person it does not react. However, there is no reason to test the dog, in fact, if distracted from his task, he could make mistakes that will go back to the owner. There is no more wrong behavior than this: to draw the attention of a guide dog at work. So it is always a good idea not to whistle, make gestures or call him. Don’t touch him or caress him because you could distract him from his mission. In no case should you offer him food! The most appropriate thing you can do is ignore it and let it do its job.
Don’t contradict the dog owner! The guide dog is always in training! Every day learn new paths and new things to do. The blind person is not completely dependent on the dog, and has the task of correcting it when he makes mistakes. Seen from the outside, some of the owner’s behaviors may seem rigid, or unfriendly, but we always should remember that the dog is working.
Don’t be afraid of the guide dog. This kind of dog is not suitable for the guard and does not intervene to defend the owner. They are always very docile and calm dogs, they also come from adequate training, there is no reason to fear them.
Keep your dog at distance. If you also have a dog, keep it under control, preventing it from causing an accident when passing by the guide dog. Even if your dog is docile and should approach with a friendly attitude, the blind person, being unable to visually recognize your dog’s posture, can be frightened and disoriented. So always keep the dog on a leash and prevent him from approaching. It would be nice to talk to the blind person, greet him and inform him that we are passing by him with our dog.
Respect the dog and its owner. The guide dog can enter many public places that are forbidden to other animals. Even if we don’t like dogs we have to understand that the blind person needs the dog to be independent. A guide dog is very discreet, does not bark and does not approach food, but remains on the ground or sitting patient. The dog is unlikely to bother anyone.
|
|
How to help a blind person with a guide dog
Despite the presence of the dog, a blind person may still need help. For example, to get on the right train, find the exit of a building, or go through a very crowded or noisy area where the dog may be in difficulty. In this case we can kindly ask the person and approach his left side, so that the dog remains on the other side. If the person accepts, he will usually ask us to offer him our arm and he will put the dog to rest. Also in these cases do not distract the dog, do not touch him and do not play with him. The dog will follow us and its owner, when he is ready, he will take the dog back to the handle and continue on his way.
A group of people standing in the center of a sidewalk, arranged in such a way as to make it impossible for the person and dog to pass, should, when they notice their arrival, move so as to give them the opportunity to pass.
Cars and motorbikes parked on the sidewalks are an obstacle for everyone, but they become particularly dangerous for a blind person and his dog. They will be forced to change their path by going down the sidewalk and then resuming it after having circumvented the obstacle. This in many cases can become dangerous.
|
|
Now we know guide dogs for blind a little more and we understand better how their job is important and difficult. Moreover, we can appreciate their effort to help their beloved owners and we can do more to help them when we meet on the street.
|
