Dog Guides for Blind People
Hello there, young one! Let me tell you an incredible story about how dogs became the eyes of their blind owners.
A long time ago, a big war called World War I was happening. This war lasted for more than four years and sadly, millions of people lost their lives. Many people were injured and some even lost their sight. One day, a doctor was walking outside a German military hospital with a soldier who had been blinded in battle. The doctor’s dog joined them, and when the doctor was called away, he left the blind soldier alone with the dog.
To the doctor’s surprise, when he returned, he found the dog leading the blind man across the hospital grounds! The doctor was amazed by what his untrained pet dog had done and decided to see how well a trained working breed of dog could lead a blind person. The results were great, and the German government soon expanded the dog guide program.
An American woman named Dorothy Eustis learned about the dog guide program when she visited Germany. Through an article she wrote for a magazine, she brought the program to public attention in the United States. The first American dog guide school called The Seeing Eye, Inc., was established in 1929. Today, there are ten major organizations that train dogs and teach blind people how to use them.
German shepherds, golden retrievers, and Labrador retrievers are the most popular breeds for guide dogs. These dogs must learn hand gestures and simple commands to lead the blind person across streets and around obstacles like holes and low-hanging tree branches. The dogs must also exercise good judgment. If the blind person gives a “forward” command, but the dog sees danger, the dog must know when to disobey. This is called “intelligent disobedience.”
Did you know that dogs have been leading blind people for a very long time? Ancient paintings and legends tell of dogs leading blind men since 100 B.C. However, before the doctor’s untrained dog and the first training program were initiated, the incidents were scattered, and the dogs were not always efficient. So, there you go! Dogs truly are a person’s best friend, especially when it comes to guiding those who cannot see.
