Guide Dogs

What is a Guide Dog?

A guide dog is a dog that guides a blind or visually impaired person around. Guide dogs are also known as seeing eye dogs, dogs for the blind and also referred to as blind dogs. The term "blind dog" is used overseas, but is technically incorrect as the dog should not be blind if it is guiding people around. We do however know what they mean when this term is used.

What does a Guide Dog do?

On duty: A guide dog is a well behaved guide, that safely gets a person to their destination and back again.
Off duty: A guide dog is a very well behaved pet, that (just like any other pet) needs exercise, the correct diet, play time and vet checks.

How can I identify a legitimate Guide Dog team?

A guide dog team consists of the handler (who is being guided) and the guide dog. A true guide dog team in NZ will have the following:

The handler will carry a guide dog passport signed by the Manager of Guide Dog Services (NZ) stating the dog's name, guide dog number and member's name. It also provides information and rights (under NZ law) regarding public access and discrimination in terms of the Human Rights Act 1993, Dog Control Act 1996 and the Health Act 1956. This may have to be produced from time to time to verify that they are a real working guide dog team.
The guide dog will have a harness on it with a handle, so that the guide dog user can hold onto it and be guided.
The guide dog will also have a gold oval shaped medallion on its chain. The front of the medal has a picture of a dog with a handle and a hand on it, and the words GUIDE DOG. The reverse of the medal has the letters RNZFB and states the guide dog's number, along with a contact number.

A Guide dog's life

Life at the kennels

When the puppies are born, they stay at the kennels until they are 8 weeks of age. At 8 weeks of age, they leave the kennels and go to puppy walkers.

Puppy-walking

At approximately 8 weeks of age, the puppy leaves the kennels and goes to live with a puppy walking family where they are taught basic commands (sit, come, down etc). The role of the puppy walker is to socialise the puppy, and expose the puppy to the many environments that they may encounter as a guide dog (shopping malls, public transport, busy city conditions and country environments). They get to wear a little red coat, and are able to go into public places, just like a fully trained guide dog.

Intensive training

Between 12 and 16 months of age, the dog goes back to the Guide Dog Centre for intensive training. This is usually for about 6 months, but depends on the individual dog. Initially they will go through an assessment period to see if they are up to the standards to become a guide dog. The assessment process involves visiting several environments and observing how the dog copes/reacts to the different conditions. No pressure is put on the dog at this stage; they are simply walked on a long lead.

Matching with a prospective guide dog handler

Things such as walking speed, traits, temperament, social needs and health issues are taken into account when considering who is matched with which dog. Guide dog trainers compare handlers needs and discuss possible matchings.

Meeting the new guide dog handler

Usually once the new guide dog arrives, it will need to bond with the handler. This means it will not be worked until the training starts. It's a time for both the handler and the dog to get to know each other as a team. Plenty of pats, games and encouragement here help to make the new team bond and build a relationship. The guide dog instructors usually like you to stay home during the bonding process, (or at least the first couple of days). Also, you will need to limit the amount of people wanting to meet your new guide dog; all the attention that the guide dog receives during this time should be from the new handler. Also, this helps to prevent the dog from getting over excited! At this time, you will also be given a good run down of what is going to happen over the training period. During this time, you can ask plenty of questions too.

Training schedule for the new guide dog team

This is where training starts with your new guide dog. You will need to be rather fit, as it is a full on training schedule. You will be training at least 2 to 3 times a day. This could be in the morning, afternoon, or sometimes at night. It may be in any kind of weather as well. Usually, the sessions are for about 1 hour or so, depending on what has to be covered.

Harness training for the new handler

You will be taken to another part of town, where you will get out of the guide dog vehicle to do some basic commands. This will not be with your guide dog, but with its harness often referred to as "short handle work". The guide dog instructor will hold onto the front of the harness at about your dog's height, and the handler will hold onto the handle. This is to get you to follow wherever the dog may go, and also get you used to the commands that you will use with it. This will include left turns, right turns, and going forwards and back the way you came, and how you should be positioned for these turns as well.

Some essential techniques for the new handler: left turn, right turn and straight ahead

Examples of turns practised with the harness, for once you have perfected the harness training and are allowed to use your dog are:

To turn left at a corner, turn side on so you are facing the side of the dog, and moving your foot / leg to block the dog from going straight ahead, use a hand signal or voice command to "find left".
To go right, you would step back so you were in line with its back legs and give it a voice command and hand signal in the direction you wanted to go in to "find right".
If you have stopped and are in a stationary position, you would be standing up near their shoulders. To go forwards, you would leave your left leg near its shoulders at the front, and move your right leg back half a step or so, and then use a hand signal and voice command to move "forward".

Guide dog team training in real life situations

Once the trainers are happy with your positioning, commands and so on, the next step is to harness up your dog. They will also clip on another lead to the harness and walk alongside of the guide dog on the opposite side to you. This is where you get to go down the street in controlled conditions while encountering everyday conditions. This will be where you will go up and down the street in a straight line to get used to your dog and its stride. You may also encounter distractions such as barking dogs and children on bikes etc.
Getting in and out of vehicles is an essential part of the training, as you will be doing a lot of this.
Once the trainers see that you are walking correctly and going with the dog nicely, they will go onto corner work. This will involve going around a block, (usually 2 or 3 streets), then turning right and doing the same until you get back to where you started in the first place. This will involve crossing from one street to the next via the pram ramps if they are there. (This will be done in both directions around a big block).
Later on, when they are happy with your commands and turns then the next step is to do left and right turns around those streets. This can be rather daunting in the early days for the new user - trusting the new guide dog (especially if you have had a guide dog previously). You will be totally putting your trust into the new guide dog. If you don't fully trust your new dog, you might try to override it while it is working - especially if you have some residual vision.
You may have two instructors with you, one off to the other side of your dog, and one following from behind at a distance.
Once they are happy with your work and crossings, then will come the traffic work. This will include near and far traffic. (For example, if you wanted to cross the road and the traffic was close to you, you are asked to give the command to cross in front of the car. What will happen, is that the dog will not go, or it will turn in front of you to stop you). All of the traffic work is done under controlled conditions. This includes vehicles coming in and out of driveways, or cars parked across footpaths. There may even be obstacles put in your way so that the guide dog has to go around them.
Once they are happy with the work you are both doing, they will take you out of the area and do the same sort of work. This could be in another town or city nearby. Here, they will cover your street work (going from one part of town to the other), road crossings, going up and down steps, lift work, and navigating in and around shops. Basically, this training includes anything that you may have to navigate in everyday life (For example aisles, people, and trolleys etc). Training even includes sitting down for a coffee at a cafe, and where you may be able to position the dog, so as to keep it out of people's way. The locations will change all of the time, so there are new situations you come across when training. An example would be for step work - the guide dog stops on the bottom of the first step until you give the command to go up, and it will be the same idea going back down the steps; (IE. it will stop at the top of the steps until you give the command to go down).
Once they are happy with your work together, you will start learning your routes from home to the destinations in town that you will want to go to (whatever they may be). Usually, the most common places you go to, will be the first ones that you learn. This may be from home to the corner shop and back home again. Later on, you will increase the destinations that you go to with your new guide dog. As you teach the dog new destinations, and the places are learned, more will be added.

Graduating

Once your guide dog trainer is happy that you and your new dog are working well together, you will graduate as a guide dog team.

Follow up training

Follow up training is essential to ensure that all the hard work put into training you and your guide dog is being maintained, and that no other issues have arisen since. This follow up is done at one month, three months, six months, twelve months and then yearly after that. The guide dog trainers are only ever a phone call away, and you are able to phone them at any time should issues arise outside of these times. The trainers may also call in from time to time if they need to see another handler in your local area. Usually they will phone you first.

Retirement

Guide dogs generally work for about 8 to 10 years. As with humans, this is of course dependent upon health and other factors. Retirement of a guide dog is always a sad time, both for the handler and the family that have looked after the dog. It is a great privilege however, to be able to adopt your retired guide dog and provide them with the loving retirement they so deserve. In some cases however, limited housing resources or illness may prevent a handler from keeping their retired dog. In these cases, the dog may get adopted out to people who can look after it. These may be the original puppy walkers, family or other people who want to take good care of a pet. Each situation varies, and is as individual as the people and dogs themselves. Retired guide dogs still require exercise, socialising, a good diet, vet checks, and of course loads of pats. Sometimes, an older dog may be jealous of the new one coming into the home, and so you need to be careful not to exclude your old dog from activities. As with children, it is a matter of loving discipline combined with fairness, and making sure you spend equal time with both of them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Am I allowed to pat a Guide Dog?
A: It depends on the Guide Dog handler. You need to ask the handler first - they may or may not let you.

Q: Can anyone have a Guide Dog?
A: The person must pass certain criteria to have a Guide Dog. They must have sufficient sight loss to have one, must like animals and must also be prepared to be responsible for a dog.

Q: Where are Guide Dogs allowed to go?
A: Almost anywhere while in harness. For example restaurants, trains, buses and supermarkets. The only exceptions would be a zoo (where animals are running free) or an intensive care ward or burns unit.

Q: How much does a Guide Dog cost?
A: Thanks to fund-raising, donations, sponsorship and bequests, this is a cost met by Guide Dog Services through these avenues. The cost is estimated at around $22,500 NZD however it is free to the Guide Dog user.

Q: Where do Guide Dogs get their names?
A: Traditionally, a litter is named after a particular letter of the alphabet.

Q: How long does a Guide Dog work for?
A: Generally, it is until around ten years of age, but this will vary according to the dog's health and workload.

HOME