FAQ'S - Guide Dog Training
When the dogs are about twelve months old, puppy raisers return them to the training school. There they are assessed for a willingness to learn, initiative and
concentration skills. Instructors also check for nervousness, aggression,
anxiousness or distraction around other dogs or cats. Sensitivity to touch
and sound is important, because signals come through the harness and from the
handler.
After many walks a trainer uses a scoring system to assess a
dog's character and temperament.
1) Means a dog can begin training.
2) Not ready, try again.
3) Not suitable as a guide dog.
Please note that this is only an example scoring system
and may not be used by all the schools.
These guide dogs in training will now undergo a four month
training program in three stages. During the first stage dogs are shown how to
walk in a straight line and stop at a curb. During the second stage a
trainer assesses the dogs' understanding of what they are being asked to do. In
the final stage of training, dogs should be confident doing the following:
Walk in a straight line without sniffing.
Walk on the left hand side slightly ahead of the trainer.
Stop at all curbs.
Wait for a command before crossing roads.
Stop at the top and bottom of stairs.
Avoid head high obstacles.
Avoid spaces too narrow for a dog and a person.
Board and travel on all forms of public transportation.
Take the trainer to an elevator button.
Learn around forty basic commands.
Lay quietly in restaurants or at work.
Intelligently disobey commands which may lead the handler
into danger.
Dogs are carefully matched with a vision impaired person to
make a successful team. We consider personalities and a person's lifestyle. For
example, a very active person living and working in the city needs a dog that
handles stress, likes to work and can switch off for many hours while the person
is in the office.
The trainer introduces the dog to its new owner. This meeting and the next four
weeks of training are critical to the success of the partnership. The person
learns how to work with the dog. They also learn about grooming, diet, health
checks and access laws.
As the guide dog becomes more confident the tasks get more
challenging. Older, more experienced guide dogs may know how to find their way
to dozens of destinations with a simple command like, "Thunder, find the
coffee shop". All this is a progression of careful teaching. Each command
has to be taught and understood.
The partnership between guide dogs and their owners is not
only a great example of animals working with humans, but a rewarding success for
all involved. The guide dog has an interesting life, in a job that rewards
intelligence and intuition-a job that dogs show they enjoy.
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