It almost brings a tear to your eye with appreciation to watch a guide dog helping his or her visually impaired master navigate through a busy thoroughfare or supermarket. Guide dogs give "working like a dog" a whole new meaning. And, when they are not guiding, they sit or lay quietly waiting to be commanded.

Did you ever wonder how guide dogs learned to guide? Well, Tom Harris in his article on Guide Dogs published on How Stuff Works tells us in this detailed nine page article.  For example, a guide dog must know how to:

Keep on a direct route, ignoring distractions such as smells, other animals and people;
   
Maintain a steady pace, to the left and just ahead of the handler;

Stop at all curbs until told to proceed;

Turn left and right, move forward and stop on command;

Recognize and avoid obstacles that the handler won't be able to fit through (narrow passages and low overheads);

Stop at the bottom and top of stairs until told to proceed;

Bring the handler to elevator buttons;

Lie quietly when the handler is sitting down;

Help the handler to board and move around buses, subways and other forms of public transportation;

Obey a number of verbal commands.

The most amazing part of a guide dog’s training is learning what is called selective disobedience. That means the dog must know to disobey any command that would put the handler in danger. WOW!

Most guide dog schools use Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, or German Shepherds because these breeds are characterized by intelligence, obedience, stamina and friendliness. Many to-be guide dogs are raised by volunteers until they are old enough to begin training. Puppy Raisers, as they are called, receive special training in how to work with the puppies.

One of the most important aspects of raising a future guide dog is to get it comfortable with all kinds of situations. Socialization is important for any dog, but it is crucial for guide dogs. Once the puppy is ready for formal training, a rigorous process of instruction begins.

Typically, training lasts four to five months. Unlike ordinary obedience training, guide dog training does not use food as a reward for good performance. This is because a guide dog must be able to work around food without being distracted by it. Instead, instructors use praise or other reward systems to encourage correct performance.

The final stage of a guide dog's training is learning to work with its new master. Training schools match handlers with guide dogs according to the compatibility of their personalities. The dog and handler will work together in supervised activities until they are comfortable with one another. 

The phase of transferring the guide dog to the handler may take a month or more.

Posted by Barbara.