Guide Dogs for People with Vision Loss by Dona Sauerburger, M.A., COMS®, Orientation and Mobility Specialist

Dona Sauerburger, M.A., COMS

Dona is a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist, and provides itinerant orientation and mobility services to blind and visually impaired adults and teenagers in Maryland and suburban Washington, DC. She earned a Master's degree specializing in Orientation and Mobility (O&M) from Western Michigan University and has a special interest in working with people who are deaf-blind.

Her book, Independence Without Sight or Sound: Suggestions for Practitioners Working with Deaf-Blind Adults, published by the American Foundation for the Blind, received the C. Warren Bledsoe Publication Award. You can learn more about her book, including ordering information, at the VisionAWARE Bookstore. She is also the recipient of the prestigious Lawrence Blaha Award for outstanding contributions to the field of Orientation and Mobility.

Guide Dogs: Perception and Reality

The guide dog is another mobility aid that can enable people who are blind or have low vision to travel safely. Guide dogs can guide people around obstacles and through crowds, stop at curbs and stairs, and sometimes can even be trained to find a limited number of objects that are within sight when given orders such as “Find the chair,” “Find the door,” or “Find the elevator.” The guide dog user can also train (or “pattern”) the dog to find frequently used landmarks, such as a bus stop pole or a mailbox.

A common misconception is that people who are blind or have low vision and don’t have orientation and mobility (O&M) travel skills can use a guide dog to travel safely and independently; people mistakenly assume that it is the dog that shows the person where to go. This is not true. The person who is blind or has low vision directs the dog; the function and purpose of the dog is to merely guide the person around obstacles and indicate the location of steps and curbs.

Another misconception is that guide dogs indicate when it is safe to cross the street. This is also not true. For example, at a traffic signal, the guide dog does not know when the light changes from green to amber to red. It is the person who determines when it is safe to cross the street and which way to go; the dog then guides the person across the street to reach the other side. Although the dog does not know when it is safe to cross the street, if it sees a car approaching too close, it has been trained to stop or attempt to move the person out of the way.

To get a dog, you must attend a special guide dog school that will assign you a dog and train you to take care of the dog and use it to guide you. All reputable dog guide schools require that applicants demonstrate that they have the skills necessary to travel independently with a cane, including walking safely and efficiently in familiar areas, crossing streets, finding destinations, and being able to problem-solve when disoriented or lost.

Additional Resources for Finding, Training, and Living With A Dog Guide

The following organizations provide trained guide dogs for people who are blind or have low vision. They outline the requirements for getting a dog and answer questions about training and using dog guides:

1. Eye Dog Foundation for the Blind, Inc.
2. Eye of the Pacific Guide Dogs and Mobility Services, Inc.
3. Fidelco Guide Dogs
4. Freedom Guide Dogs for the Blind
5. Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc.
6. Guide Dogs of America
7. Guide Dogs of the Desert International
8. Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, Inc.
9. Guide Dogs of Texas, Inc.
10. Guiding Eyes for the Blind
11. Kansas Specialty Dog Service (KSDS), Inc.
12. Leader Dogs for the Blind
13. Pilot Dogs, Inc.
14. The Seeing Eye, Inc.
15. Southeastern Guide Dogs, Inc.
16. Upstate Guide Dog Association, Inc.
    7926 Routes 5 & 20
    Bloomfield, NY 14469
    E-mail: ugdassoc@aol.com

The National Association of Guide Dog Users (NAGDU) is an affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind and an organization for blind people who currently use guide dogs as mobility tools, those considering getting a guide dog, or those who want to learn more about the use of such dogs. NAGDU provides a forum for those interested in the guide dog movement to discuss common issues and to increase opportunities for those who have chosen to use a guide dog for independent travel.

Guide Dog Users, Inc., an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind, is an international organization dedicated to advocacy, peer support, public education, and all aspects of training, working, and living with dogs that are specially trained to guide people who are blind or have low vision.

Guide Dog Handlers All Ways is a special interest alumni affiliate of Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc. They sponsor an alumni chapter of individuals who have disabilities in addition to blindness.

The Guiding Eyes for the Blind web site provides informative links about puppy breeding, puppy raising, and puppy training.