International Guide Dog Day is held each year on the last Wednesday of April, to celebrate the tens of thousands of guide dogs around the globe, and their handlers, who are blind or visually impaired. Guide dogs are highly trained service animals that often provide a greater level of independent travel for their handlers, as well as the companionship a working partner can offer, both in and out of their harness.
The use of guide dogs began in the U.S. in 1927 when Morris Frank traveled to Switzerland after learning of a program that trained German Shepherds as guide dogs for travelers with a vision loss. Frank was partnered with his first guide dog, Buddy and trained for five weeks before returning to the U.S. Frank and Buddy traveled widely and later co-founded Seeing Eye, the first guide dog school in the U.S., in Morristown, NJ, in 1929.
Today, laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protect the right of both handlers and their guide dogs to access virtually all public spaces, including restaurants, stores, and all types of public transportation. Not everyone is familiar with the laws about public access with guide dogs, however. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon to hear of a handler and guide dog being denied admission to a restaurant or ride service because the owner is not aware of the law. Last year, the International Guide Dog Foundation (IGDF) included access with guide dogs as one of the themes in their podcast celebrating International Guide Dog Day.
Although guide dogs can make travel for handlers more independent, they are not for everyone. Handlers need to have a high level of orientation and mobility skills to qualify for a guide dog, and dog ownership requires a commitment to caring for the dog, daily exercise, and regular visits to the vet.
If you’re thinking about a guide dog and want to know a little bit more, the Hadley Guide Dog Series is a great place to start. The series contains 3 short workshops that cover some of the basics, including guide dog care, common misconceptions, and what you can expect as a guide dog handler out in public. To learn more from a handler’s perspective, Hadley Presents provides an interview with two guide dog owners in the podcast episode, Guide Dogs and Vision Loss.
While The Seeing Eye was the first guide dog school nearly 100 years ago, there are many more now. Check out the Ultimate List of Guide Dog Schools in the United States and Canada to see a comprehensive list by state and province. Schools vary in the length of training required and the breed of dogs used. Many schools have been breeding their own dogs for decades and only the best make it through the extensive training. Once old enough to leave the litter, puppies are transferred to puppy handlers, often volunteers, who spend a great deal of time with the dogs and acclimate them to a wide variety of situations they will encounter as guide dogs. The best pups, then go on to months of training. New guide dog handlers often spend weeks at the school when they first get their dog, making sure the partnership is a good match and learning how to incorporate their existing orientation and mobility skills in with skills needed as a handler. To learn more about raising puppies, check out the interview with Jessica Smith, Raising a Future Guide Dog, on Hadley Presents.
Here’s the best news—although training guide dogs is expensive, often $40,000-$60,000, most guide dog schools are non-profits, designed to make the dogs available to appropriate applicants, at little to no cost. Some may even assist with the vet bills during the guide dog’s life. Guide dog schools differ in what they provide for both training and support after handler and guide dog are matched up and head home together. Be sure to check out what ongoing support is available from the guide dog school you’re interested in.