Blindness & Visual Impairment Support Group

There's one thing to keep in mind about seeing eye dogs.....

Before you can even get a seeing eye dog, you must prove to the dog agency, that your current mobility skills are top notch.

For instance, before you can get, and use, a seeing eye dog, you must have a video taken of you crossing at a traffic light safely on your own without difficulty. You must also be able to get around a shopping store on your own, and walk down a street without assistance

if you cannot do these things, then they won't let you have a guide dog.

Thats the biggest misconception that people make about guide dogs, or guide animals in general.

THe reason for this, is because the Guide Animal doesn't know where your going. You still have to know what your destination is before the dog can lead you there. THe dog can find things for you like doors, for instance, but you can do the same thing yourself just by walking forward, and you have to prove that you can do that sort of thing on your own before they'll even let you have a guide animal.

don't get a dog and a person confused. You can't tell a dog out to get someplace and have the dog lead the blind person there, thats not how guide dogs work. Dogs don't understand directions. A dog isn't going to understand "turn left when you get to halls guest house" for instance. A dog isn't going to understand the difference between a red light and a green light, so you still have to know your mobility skills before a dog can help you, because sometimes dogs will play tricks on you, depending upon the breed you get. Some breeds they won't pair up with totals just for that reason, like for instance, siberian huskies are too smart for totals and will play tricks on them, so generally they won't pair up siberian's with totals. Thats just an example, but my point is, remember that a guide animal isn't a person a dog can't lead you to your destination, all it can do is find certain things along the way like doors, stairs, lead you around crowded rooms, things of that nature. Trust me, my mobility instructor told me, they ask you for 3 references, a report from your mobility trainer, which they ask your mobility instructor what you know and don't know, and they require a video of you crossing streets blindfolded safely without problems on your own.

I realize this isn't a terribly current post, but thought I'd jump in and offer some information on guide dogs.

I would highly recommend training with a guide dog from an accredited guide dog organization rather then trying to train a dog for yourself. The benefits of training with a dog that has been prepared by experts in the field far outweigh those of attempting to train your own dog. A handful of people have trained their own guide dogs, but only after having worked with program trained dogs for a number of years. Self-training is rarely successful for a variety of reasons, and the people I know personally who attempted training their own dogs went back to the tried and true, leaving it up to the experts to prepare the perfect match for them.

No guide dog organization requires six weeks of training! Training lasts an average of 26-30 days maximum. Guide dogs are trained dozens of commands, not just "forward" "left" & "right".

Of the approx. 20 guide dog schools in the US, only two or three require potential students to provide video of themselves. With most schools it is not required that one be skilled in Orientation & Mobility to be accepted into the program, though it certainly is a plus to be capable of getting around in your daily life using a cane.

Rule of thumb... if you're not able to find your way out of a paper bag before getting a guide dog, you're not going to find your way out of a paper bag with a guide dog. You must be familiar with your surroundings, your neighborhood, as you must direct the dog where you want to go. The dog's job is to get you from point A to point B safely, with your direction. The dog is trained to stop at curbs, steps, guide around obstacles, overhangs and barriers, and to safely negotiate street crossings and maneuver safely in any traffic situation.

It sounds pretty simple, but it really isn't. These dogs go through usually 16-18 months of socialization & exposure training with a foster family prior to returning to a school for a minimum of four months formal training. During the puppy raising period dogs are taught basic obedience, good manners, are socialized and gradually exposed to the sights and sounds of life in public venues and learn to handle the stress of traffic and every sort of thing that people might encounter on a daily basis.

Once they return for formal training they are introduced to the harness and the tough work begins. What these incredible dogs go through in preparation for their life's work is amazing and more then impressive.

I've been partnered with five guide dogs over the last quarter century. My first three were from Guiding Eyes for the Blind in Yorktown Heights NY, and my fourth dog and my current guide from The Seeing Eye in Morristown NJ.

Also important to understand, dogs that guide sight impaired people are not called "seeing eye dogs", the correct term is guide dog or dog guide. The Seeing Eye is one of many schools in the US (and around the world) that train guide dogs, and in fact was the first school of its kind in the US. That's why so many people incorrectly use the phrase "seeing eye dog".

Most schools in the US offer their services free of charge to any eligible person. Lions Clubs do not pay for people to get guide dogs, but they do sometimes sponsor a person to help defray the cost to the school for providing the training and all that's involved.

The Seeing Eye asks for a nominal fee of $150 for the first dog, and when that dog retires, the next dog (and the next and the next) is $50. A drop in the bucket compared to the actual cost which includes breeding, raising, training of the dog, along with training of the dog and person together, 26 day training period, meals, equipment and life long followup services. That cost is estimated to be in excess of $40,000. So $150 isn't much to ask.

Guide dogs do not relieve in the house, for heaven sake. LOL! Dogs are dogs, regardless of how well trained they are, so yes an accident can occur, but these dogs are house trained from tiny puppies and by the time they are fully trained and matched with their person there's little worry of eliminating in the house.

IF a person with a guide dog were to find "little surprises" and "pee stains" in their house, it's likely the person is irresponsible and not very attentive to his/her guide dog's needs... plain old lazy, to put it bluntly. What can be trained can quickly become untrained in the hands of an irresponsible person.

The Seeing Eye trains GSD, Goldens, Labs & Golden/Lab crosses. Most schools primarily train Labs & Goldens, with a few schools also using occasional standard Poodles, smooth Collies, Weims, Boxers, Vizslas and crosses (such as Lab/Golden, Poodle/Golden, Poodle/Lab).

Most guide dog schools have their own breeding programs. But even with years of careful breeding to produce dogs with excellent temperaments that are healthy and well suited for training as guide dogs, about 50% of the dogs wash out and are career changed. It takes an exception dog to succeed as a guide dog.

I hope this info is helpuful. Good luck in whatever path you choose.

Ooops, I meant it takes an "exceptional" dog to become a guide. And also want to add that one or two schools train only German Shepherd Dogs (one being Fidelco Guide Dogs on the East coast). Also there are several schools that train students in their home areas. Most schools require students to train at their facilities and in the areas around their facilities, but once you have had a dog from some programs you can receive home training with successor dogs. I was home-trained with my current guide, a petite GSD. I trained at the schools for my first four dogs, though.

Thanks for the information. After looking and looking I have given up hope for a guide dog. I know , as you, that are many schools that will provide a guide dog for me, yet there are many hurdles that consist with those school that I can not take as of yet. For now I will remain with my cane. The hope that I had for a dog that would help me is gone necause of different reasons like not finding a dog that is affordable for a mortal man.

I know this is an older post here but like to add a few things when a person is looking to train their own service dog (ie guide or combination).

There are several avenues one could take when looking for the right candidate. Programmed, Private Trainers for consulting or self training. The later many people think isn't going to cause a lot for training themselves however it could cost more because the dog may not work out at any time and you may have to retire him/her. Or it's the trial and error cost especially if it's their first time.

Now with that said there is no reason why a blind individual cannot train their own dogs. There are actually quite a lot of blind teams that has.

I have gotten most of my own dogs through the shelters and from individuals donating. I have evaluated all my dogs before, during and after as it's a must.

Maybe at this time you may not be ready for training your own but later down the road you may. Doing your research now is the way to go so you have minimal issues and if there are questions to be answered.

Teamwork I and II is a good start but as you may know there are as of yet no actual guide dog training manual. As training a guide is quite different then training certain types of service dogs. But it does give some basics.

If you have great mobility with your cane that's the one part which actually is incorporated in the training as *Targeting*. Besides for your use you may tab at a curb at the same time cueing stop so your dog is alerted to when to stop. Which brings me to the fact of not teaching auto sit. So many people mess up in their basic structure training and teach their guides Auto Sit to only have to re-shape this behavior to auto stop and when that should be.

In my teachings I have taught all my dogs word associations and objects so if I tell them take to seat, specific door or mail box they know exactly what I mean and take me there. But one has to do the various steps for each and every object. Also guide heel is different then pet heeling as they should be a step or two out in front. Depending if you have other types of disabilities one may have to adapt the teaching method for their needs. That's one thing that schools do not provide.

Another issue is learning out to deal with traffic checks. Although you stated you have a wife. If she is sighted this will help a lot in order to pin point the crossing and training to not obey you when it's dangerous.

With all that you must be committed, have patience's and be consistence in your training or you and your dog wouldn't be one unit.

One more thing when the time comes that you decide it's right. Please teach your guide not only to guide when harness is on but also on leash too. Reason for this and it has happened that the harness may break. Or you happen to take your dog out in back on leash for exercise. Some schools are actually starting this approach now. Good luck.