Guide dogs

For centuries, dogs have helped people in a variety of jobs - hunting, service, fishing, participated in rescue and military activities, protected the territory, the house and its inhabitants, herded cattle ... It is difficult to say at once when such a faithful pet is not able to support, and - mastering the profession "guide". After all, not even every person is able to work in this field ... However, there are breeds of dogs - guide dogs, who, like anyone, manage to be the "eyes", "hands" of their owner, understand him half-way, protect him from external dangers and be real "Guardian angels".

Guide dog: why you need and features of the application

In contrast to popular belief, guide dogs are useful not only for people with vision problems. For example, in America, the practice of training soldiers who have undergone amputations is applied along with guide dogs. The four-legged comrades provide assistance in domestic affairs — they escort you out of the house, serve clothes, newspapers, and so on.

Such pets are recommended to start for children suffering from various ailments, accompanied by sudden attacks. The list of diseases includes heart failure, diabetes, epilepsy and other diseases. The dog not only guards and protects his ward, but is also able in a critical situation to press a special button on the phone or sensor that calls emergency assistance.

The course of the guide case is rather complicated. According to statistics, only a quarter of all trainees successfully pass it and begin this difficult work. Specialists engaged in training such dogs, are sure that what is important is not the breed or the intelligence of the animal, but the specifics of the activity.

Unfortunately, there are too few schools in Russia that train four-legged guide dogs, and the process of raising such dogs turns out to be too expensive. This leads to the fact that not all people who need such an assistant can afford it.

Unlike European countries, where guide dogs provide at least 50% of patients with disabilities, here this figure does not exceed 5%. Most of this attention is paid to the UK.

What are the requirements for pet helpers?

The minimum course of training in support work is 8-9 months, but most often it takes a year or more. For training, older puppies of 4-6 months are selected or young dogs that have shown certain abilities during training.

A puppy, first of all, needs to learn a basic skills program, after he gets into the family of the future owner, where his socialization takes place. When a pet grows up, in 10-12 months he returns to training, where he masters all the specifics of the work ahead.

Naturally, the dog must be educated, have a high learning ability and be able to adapt to certain conditions. There are no separate breeds that can cope with this activity, often the mongrels become guides. But no matter whether a purebred dog or not, he must have the following innate qualities and acquired skills:

stable psyche;
resistance to stressful situations;
friendly nature, lack of obvious malice and aggression against people, but it is desirable to have protective qualities;
among psycho-types, sanguine persons are most suited;
the dog must be able to ignore the natural instincts: not to rush past the cat running through, an attractive individual, etc .;
have strong physical health;
not have defects, deviations of a genetic nature;
it is excellent to transfer transportation by water and other types of transport.

The dog trainer begins to train the guide after the application is made. In simple terms, a person who needs such a pet indicates his disease and a number of requirements for a future four-legged assistant.

Learning nuances

Before proceeding with the course, the trainer will assess the skills and characteristics of the dog’s mind:

reaction to loud noises - the dog should react, but calmly;
behavior in transport - it must be collected and not afraid;
the dog must be able to bypass obstacles, preferring a safe route;
The pet must have an excellent memory and remember important routes: to the hospital, shop, pharmacy, etc.

It is important to train the dog to move only along the left side of the pedestrian zone; for this, the left and right commands are practiced. In addition, a number of training sessions are conducted in areas of landfills covered with various road materials.

Important! Such training is based on the basic program, which the dog must not only know perfectly well, but perform at the level of intuition.

The dog must learn to walk in front of the owner, ensuring the safety of his movement, carefully avoiding obstacles and signaling their presence. For example, a person, in order not to get injured, must be warned that there is a ramp, threshold, ledge, staircase, etc. ahead.

The dog must independently assess the size of the threat, that is, if he believes that the owner will not be able to overcome the obstacle, the pet must stop and block the passage with his own body. After the dog chooses another road, directing the owner along it.

This guide is able to independently create a route, and this skill is taught in the conditions of the landfill. Such a development resembles the course of auto-driving: cones and obstacles are put on the track, and the dog decides where it is possible to cross the threshold, and where it is better to get around it.

One of the specific activities is the exercise with a rope and a pendulum. The load begins to move from side to side, and the dog must hold the "person" in such a way that contact with the load and rope does not occur.

When practicing new routes at the test site gives positive and stable results, the training turns into a practical course - the dog begins to learn the real routes of its owner. But here, training is not complete without a professional, and the process of acquaintance with the new owner occurs during training.

When a dog finishes training courses, he is granted a number of rights. Guide dog allowed:

ride in any kind of urban transport;
be in public places: hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, shops, etc .;
the coach or instructor remains the guardian of the animal and can defend his ward.

What breeds of dogs make the best guides?

In America and European countries, guide dogs are not chosen for blood purity. The main criterion is the growth of the dog, suitable for wearing a special harness with a handle, which the owner should hold.

Most often among the guides you can find a Border Collie, Bernese Mountain Dogs and almost all of the herding breeds. In the US, there is a practice of training dogs to work with people suffering from epilepsy, there are no restrictions on either size or pedigree affiliation, but the dog must have a choleric temperament.

There is a special kind of guide dogs that receive the skills of observing and guarding infants and babies and have a tendency to sudden death syndrome from respiratory failure.

There are several breeds that make excellent guides for people who are blind. Of course, their abilities are revealed exclusively in a practical way, after being evaluated statistically. This category includes the following breeds:

Labrador retriever A versatile dog, most often acting as a companion and perfectly assimilating the guide art program. Most schools choose exactly Labrador Retrievers. In addition, these dogs are often involved in rescue operations both on land and in water. One of the Labradors, nicknamed Dorado, managed to save his master during the fall of the twin towers on September 11, 2001. The dog did not run away, sensing the danger, but found the owner and led him to an emergency exit.
Golden retriever Goldens are the owners of not only golden wool, but also the “golden” character. By nature, they are not too different from Labradors, but their coat needs more thorough care. Golden Retriever successfully performs the role of a nurse, is an excellent companion for adults. There are also many heroes among the golden ones, for example, the dog Toby helped his mistress, who choked on a piece of apple. He knocked over the hostess on his back and literally trampled on her forepaws until the woman began to breathe. A golden retriever of Yoga, not previously associated with rescue work, remained with his owner, who fell off his bicycle and was seriously injured. And later he called for help, and the injured was promptly taken to hospital.
German Shepherd Another universal breed, superior in popularity to all others. They are most often used for official purposes, but there are quite a lot of leaders among them. The "Germans" have high intelligence, with proper training, they are balanced and learn any skills.
Collie The Scottish Shepherd Dogs are also the smartest dogs that have acquired basic skills while grazing and guarding livestock. The pet is able to execute commands from the first time, it is very efficient and positive. The long-haired variety of collie has the most beautiful appearance due to its luxurious coat. But the care of such a pet requires more thorough. But the owners have a choice - a collie with a short or hard coat does not need frequent combing.
Aussie This is already an Australian breed of shepherd dogs, which goes on par with the collie, both in terms of hereditary characteristics and in the ability to communicate with humans. In addition, individuals with blue merle hair and blue eyes are included in the lists of the most beautiful dogs. Many schools of guide pet pupils specialize in these two breeds, obtaining amazing results.
Rottweiler At first glance it may seem that these healthy people are fighting dogs, however, the breed is official, and its representatives act as companions. Dogs do have a serious disposition, but with proper training they become quite docile. But their appearance plays a cruel joke with them, and, despite the great potential, rarely anyone decides to take a guide like himself. In addition, the appearance of a formidable satellite can cause panic in a public place.
Doberman Service dog, perfectly coping with security and guard work, strong, agile. Doberman has the necessary qualities of an accompanying person. His attentiveness, alertness and excellent sense of smell allows you to adjust the path of movement in advance. In addition, the dog is always ready to stand with the breast to defend its owner.

A guide dog is not just a pet, but a pet on which the owner has to rely completely, entrusting his own life. The dog becomes a true friend, an indispensable member of the family and a good helper. The man and his four-legged friend is a real team, working harmoniously and harmoniously, however, despite the dependence of the person, he always remains the main one in this bundle.