Guide Dogs are allowing people suffering from disabilities to become more mobile and realize new freedoms that they have never experienced before. I am sure that at some point in your life you have been out in the public and have seen a guide dog at work. I am amazed that these animals are trained to help the physically disabled and generally those who have trouble seeing. These dogs who work with the blind are referred to as sight dogs which is indicative of the type of work that they perform.
According to Bridget Smith in the article “Dogs for People with Disabilities” found at http://www.healthyhappydogs.com/Article.SeeingEye she mentioned that guide dogs have been used for many centuries for the disabled but it was not until after World War I that a formal program was established for the purpose.
There are several specific breeds of dogs that have become well known as being good “guide dogs.” These breeds include German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, and Labradors. Why were these breeds chosen for such an important job? Looking specifically at German Shepherds they tend to have a strong sense of loyalty to their owners giving the breed a tendency to be protective of their owners. This is very important because people suffering from disabilities can be taken advantage of easily and with an animal that is capable of instilling fear in others fraud is less likely to occur. In addition, most of the guide dogs that were trained after World War I were trained in Germany where the German Shepherd breed was common to that region. Many of these breeds are also very obedient and quick learners.
The use of Guide dogs in the United States began when Dorothy Eustis heard about the German program and decided that this was a very useful service that could be adopted. She decided to write an article in the “The Saturday Evening Post” about the potential for guide dogs for the blind. Morris Frank read this article in the newspaper and contacted Mrs. Eustis about training a guide dog for him. Mr. Frank became the first person in the United States who was known to have a guide dog to help him with everyday living tasks. Mr. Frank enjoyed the idea so much that he started his own business entitled “The Seeing Eye” and that is where the Seeing Eye term came from.
Guide Dogs serve many different people with a variety of disabilities. There are guide dogs that are specifically trained to guide people who are deaf and are known as “Hearing Ear Dogs.” There are also dogs who aid the physically disabled as well as those who suffer from blindness. Over the years guide dogs have allowed people suffering from disabilities to realize their individual freedom and at the same time allow the person to form a close bond and friendship with the animal.
I really enjoy talking about this topic because I have personally encountered many individuals utilizing the guide dog service. Physically disabled individuals get so much more out of life with these guide dogs and many times they become close friends with these animals. If anyone is interested in finding out how to acquire a guide dog I have found several websites that offers this service at no charge.
http://www.guidedogs.com/site/PageServer.