Dog Services

It takes a combination of ingredients to produce the most effective man-dog team. The dog should be big enough to pull a man out of danger, healthy enough to work in all weather. It mustn't be a fighter, and must have a strong sense of responsibility. The master should be a kind, reasonable person. The dogs are trained to respond to kindness and understanding. Yet the master should be strong enough to control the dog at all times and handle calmly any crises that might arise. On top of this a person has to be in pretty good shape to use a guide dog. Someone in poor condition won't be able to keep up with the dog's lively pace or meet its dayly needs. As far as age is concerned, most authorities agree that master should not be younger than 16. The assumption is that people much younger haven't had time to develop the responsible maturity necessary.

First comes obedience training - the basic commands of sit, left, right, forward and fetch. After basic obedience dogs are taught to deal with curbs, pedestrians, obstructions, low-hanging objects, elevators - all the hazzards taken for granted by the sighted. They must be able to cope with heavy traffic, crowded streets and presence of other animals. At the end of training, they must be capable of "intelligent disobedience" - the ability to disobey a direct command which might put dog and master to danger.