This page is dedicated to my three dog guides and is here to provide information for dog guide users and others who have some interest in the topic of dog guides and service dogs.
Guide dogs are among a larger class of working dogs commonly known as service dogs or assistance dogs. These dogs perform a variety of functions for people with disabilities, including retrieving objects, pulling wheelchairs, and alerting deaf people to certain sounds. I have done a bit of research on dogs which assist people who have seizures. Information about these dogs is very hard to find, and I am still not certain where they are trained. To my knowledge they can be trained to alert help if a person is having a seizure or to stay with a person during a seizure. I have heard some people report that their dogs alert them to impending seizures, but this is not something that every dog will do or that schools train them to do.
I began working with Elli, my first dog guide, in 1991. She worked for eight years and had a happy retirement at my parents' home in Indiana. Elli passed away on January 2, 2003, at the age of 13. For more information about my experiences with her, read Elli's story.
As Elli began to slow down and show signs that working in crowded places was no longer enjoyable for her, I began to think about retiring her. I began to take trips without her, trying to prepare myself for official retirement. At first, going places without Elli was difficult emotionally. Although I had left her at home at times during her working life, this had always been a choice and there were many places where she accompanied me regularly. The finality of my decision hit me when I took a two-week vacation without her. I found I would open my mouth to call her when my friend and I were leaving the house. Upon returning, I expected to be greeted by her when we came back from an outing. I laughed about these things, but they were also very painful reminders of the decision I had made. Of course, Elli enjoyed her retired life, but she also enjoyed working very much. At times I still wonder if I chose the right time to retire her; but both of us adjusted and enjoyed frequent visits until I moved to Florida shortly before her death.
On September 25, 1999, I returned to the Seeing Eye to train with a new dog. I kept a journal and have put it online. Go to the journal index.
My journal entries provided the basis for several articles which were published in The Braille Forum, the monthly publication of the American Council of the Blind. Expanded versions of the articles are available below.
Sadly, Dori experienced medical problems which interfered with her work. I have placed a final article on this site, "Retiring Dori," in which I discuss my final months with Dori and the decision to retire early. Dori now lives with a family in Indiana, and she is in good health.
In October, 2001, I returned to the Seeing Eye for training. I am now working with Meghan, a sweet and very confident yellow Labrador retriever. I've decided to break down and let Meg tell you her own story. Meghan was raised by a teacher, and anywhere where there are children is a place where she likes to be. If you have children, I hope they will join you in reading Meghan's story.
While at The Seeing Eye in 1999, I became very interested in the history of dog guides. I have written some brief articles on this topic:
Like all dogs from the Seeing Eye, my dogs spent their first year living with a family who took responsibility for exposing them to various real-life situations. If you would like more information about what puppy raisers do or how you can become a puppy raiser, please visit the puppy raiser page.
Many people wonder how traveling with a dog compares to traveling with a cane. Comparing the two travel methods is a bit like comparing apples and oranges. A person may prefer one method, but neither method is better or more effective. The October, 1995, Braille Monitor was dedicated to the topic of dog guides vs. canes. This is a fairly long download, and the articles are quite controversial. Reading them stirred up a lot of emotional reactions for me.
I have also written a paper about this topic: "Cane or Dog Guide?". In this paper, I describe my observations and experiences with dog and cane. I also provide tips for preparing for training with a dog guide.
Following are links to information for prospective dog guide users from several dog guide schools.
Note: This is not a complete listing. Not all schools provide information for prospective users on their sites, and some schools' sites contain a lot of broken links.
It is important to remember that service dogs are dogs. They have incredible talent and intelligence, but they still have the behaviors, instincts, and physical needs of a dog. Dog guides sometimes scavenge for food, get distracted by other animals, experience fear, and forget about their work when other people talk to or pet them.
Service dogs need to be in excellent health in order to perform their jobs. Their weight must be within a normal range, and they must be able to control their relieving habits. They must also maintain excellent behavior in public settings, not jumping or begging for food in a professional or social setting, as this can interfere with the blind person's relationships and personal interactions. Feeding a dog table scraps or extra food can have a negative impact on health, relieving habits, and behavior. Please do not offer treats to a service dog.
When you meet a person with a service dog, please talk with the person as you would talk with any other person. If you are helping a person with a dog guide to get somewhere, give the person directions or talk with the person as she follows you. She will give the dog the correct commands for following you. Please do not call the dog. The dog is used to working for the blind person. If it is responding to you, it is no longer focused on the blind person's needs but on you. This can place the blind person in danger if the dog does not avoid obstacles. Furthermore, it is important for the blind person to become familiar with the environment so that she can travel independently with the dog if necessary. A blind person who is trying to keep up with an excited dog who is not paying attention and guiding effectively cannot concentrate on organizing observations that would help her to familiarize herself with the environment.
I was not fond of dogs as a child. In fact, I was terrified of most of them. I can remember burying my face in an Afghan hound and wishing I had one, and I remember there was a friendly St. Bernard who roamed the neighborhood freely. But mostly I stayed away from dogs and restricted my devotion to cats.
That all changed when Elli came into my life. I am now quite fond of dogs, especially Labrador retrievers. If you share my interest in Labs, please visit my Labrador retriever page for information and links to some of the best Labrador sites I've found.
Do you need peer support, training, or a speaker for your community event? Visit Sarah Blake's services page to find out how she can help.
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