Seeing Eye Dogs

Training a "Seeing-Eye" Dog for the Blind

Dogs that provide mobility and independence for a blind person come in a variety of shapes and sizes. These dogs provide more than simply eyes for those who are blind. They become their companion, protector, and guide.

The majority of guide dogs are German Shepherds, but there are also many Golden and Labrador Retrievers. Training for their career starts when they are just a few months. During this time, they are placed with a foster family one or two years. These families give love and support, and teach fundamental manners and social skills. Once the dog reaches maturity, he returns to the sponsoring organization to begin formal training and evaluation. Training is intensive and encompasses all circumstances that the dog might come across in the day-to-day work of guiding his blind or visually impaired partner.

A guide dog must be able to disobey his partner’s command when the situation requires it. The guide dog is responsible for his partner’s safety, the standards are high, and not every dog that is considered is selected for placement. Though specifically bred and trained, they are eventually selected for their job based upon individual intelligence, endurance, and disposition. A guide dog is not approved until the handler has placed them through ultimate test – putting their own life at risk by putting on a blind fold and letting the dog guide them.

Upon completion of the dog’s formal training, the guide dog is paired with a blind or visually impaired person. This step is not taken lightly and there are several considerations that are taken into account before the match in final such as:

• The personalities of the individual and dog
• The relative size, strength and energy level

This human-canine team then tackles a rigorous teaching period lasting from three to four weeks to educate the partners for the future life together. The outcome is a distinctive dog-human bond built upon a solid groundwork of trust. That team will work together effortlessly for a ten or more years. This match will increase the blind person’s mobility and opportunities for independence.

One of the most significant aspects of rearing a future guide dog is to get it relaxed with all kinds of situations. Socialization is vital for any dog, but it is crucial for guide dogs. Guide dogs must be able to go anywhere without being sidetracked from their work. They have to be comfortable with loud noises, unfavorable weather conditions, crowds of people and complicated obstacles. A guide dog needs to be confident in any condition its handler might experience. If you begin training the guide dog as a puppy and you want them to do extremely well in advanced training later on. The puppy needs to get a little familiarity with obedience early in life.

It is very important that future guide dogs are helpful and quick to respond to their handlers, and that they have the self-confidence to handle intricate commands and demanding situations. The most important job of a puppy raiser is nurturing these qualities. It is also imperative to teach puppies the fundamentals of obedience – to sit, lie down and walk acceptably on a leash – and get them accustomed to extensive training sessions several times a week. When training a puppy it is vital to train them with leash corrections and praise, never treat rewards. It is very important that a future guide dog not be obsessed on food because when they are on the job, they will have to work without the anticipation of a reward and they will have to sustain focus in restaurants and other areas with food distractions.

By Zahid Sindhu

Zahid N. Sindhu is a dog enthusiast who, after noticing the lack of an online resource for dog lovers in Pakistan, decided to launch http://www.DogsPK.com The site features a comprehensive list of dog breeds, breeders, veterinarians and online classifieds. The site also has a forum where people meet to discuss their canine friends.

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