Photo by Alexander Naglestad on Unsplash
Jan. 29 is Seeing Eye Guide Dog Anniversary. On this date in 1929, the first guide dog school in the United States, The Seeing Eye, was incorporated in Nashville, Tennessee. Seeing eye guide dogs are specially trained service dogs whose job is to help safely guide people with visual impairments or blindness around obstacles and help them avoid dangers.
Here are some interesting — and possibly even surprising — facts about seeing eye dogs:
- The guide dog movement was started by Philadelphia-born Dorothy Harrison Eustis and Morris Frank, who trained a German Shepherd named Buddy to help Frank maintain his independent lifestyle.
- Though the guide dog movement began in the 20th century, dogs have been helping humans in this way for centuries — at least according to an ancient Roman mural from the first century AD, which depicted a dog leading a person.
- They became much more common after World War I, as many veterans returned from the fighting with vision problems.
- Guide dogs typically serve in this capacity for 8 to 10 years before retiring. They are often adopted as a family pet, while the visually impaired person is paired with a new guide dog.
- In addition to GSDs, Labrador retrievers and golden retrievers are among the most popular breeds chosen as seeing eye guide dogs.
- Guide dogs go through rigorous training, and pairings are done carefully, taking into account the person’s lifestyle and family makeup, among other criteria.
- Considered service dogs and afforded protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act in the U.S, they are permitted nearly everywhere people can go, with a few exceptions such as sterile environments like hospital operating rooms.
- If you see a guide dog with their handler, it is best not to try to pet the dog. The guide dog is working and needs to focus on its task. However, once “off duty,” guide dogs are free to run and play just like any other canine.
