Guide dogs

Dogs for centuries have helped people in a variety of jobs – hunting, service, fishing, participated in rescue and military activities, guarded the territory, the house and its inhabitants, grazed cattle … It’s difficult right away say in which cases such a faithful pet is not capable support, and proof of this – the development of the profession “guide”. After all, not even every person is able to work in this field— However, there are dog breeds – guide dogs, which, like no one manages to be the “eyes”, “hands” of their owner, to understand to protect him from external dangers and be real “guardian angels.”

Content

• 1. Guide dog: why is it necessary and features of application
• 2. What are the requirements for guide pets?
• 3. The nuances of learning
• 4. What breed of dogs make the best guide?

Guide dog: why is it necessary and features of application

Guide dogs, by contrast are useful not only for people with vision problems. For example, in America, the practice of training soldiers having undergone amputations, along with guide dogs. Tetrapods comrades assist in household affairs – accompany during exits from the house, serving clothes, newspapers and more.

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

The guide course is quite complicated. According to statistics, only a quarter of all students successfully pass it and begin this hard work. Specialists training such dogs, sure that what is important is not the breed or intelligence of the animal, but specifics of activity.

Unfortunately, there are too few schools in Russia preparation of four-legged guides, and the process of education of such dogs turn out to be too expensive. This leads to the fact that not all people who need such an assistant can do it for themselves let it.

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

What are the requirements for guide pets?

The minimum training course for guide work is 8-9 months, but most often it takes a year or more. For training matched puppies of 4-6 months or young dogs are selected showing certain abilities during training.

First of all, the puppy needs to learn the program of basic skills, after he enters the family of the future owner, where he goes his socialization. When a pet grows up, at 10-12 months he returns to training, where he masters all the specifics of the upcoming work.

Naturally, the dog must be educated, possess highly trained and able to adapt to certain conditions. There are no separate breeds that can handle this activity, often the guide dogs become mongrels. But it doesn’t matter whether a thoroughbred dog or not, it must have the following innate qualities and acquired skills:

• stable psyche;
• resistance to stressful situations;
• friendly character, lack of obvious malice and aggression addressed to people, but the presence of protective qualities is desirable;
• among psychotypes sanguine people are most suitable;
• the dog must be able to ignore natural instincts: not rushing past a running cat, an attractive individual and others;
• to have good physical health;
• not have defects, genetic abnormalities;
• perfectly carry transportation on water and other types transport.

The dog handler begins to train the guide after the application is submitted. In simple terms – a person in need of such pet, indicates his disease and a number of requirements for the future four-legged assistant.

The nuances of learning

Before starting the course, the trainer is assessing existing skills and characteristics of the psyche of the dog:

• reaction to loud noises – the dog should react, but calmly;
• behavior in transport – it must be assembled and not to be afraid;
• the dog must be able to avoid obstacles, giving preference safe route;
• the pet must have excellent memory and remember important routes: to a medical institution, a store, a pharmacy, etc.

It is important to train the dog to move only on the left side of the zone for pedestrians, for this, the teams “left” and “right” are worked out. Besides In addition, a number of trainings are conducted in the areas of landfills covered by various travel materials.

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

The dog must learn to walk in front of the owner, providing safety of his movement, carefully avoiding obstacles and signal about their availability. For example, a person not to get injury, must be warned that in front of the ramp, the threshold, ledge, stairs, etc.

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, pet obliged to stop and block the passage with his own body. After the dog chooses another road, directing the owner along it.

A real guide knows how to independently lay a route, and he is taught this skill in a training ground. Similar operating time It resembles a driving course: cones, obstacles are placed on the track, and the dog decides – where it is possible to overcome the threshold, and where better neatly get around.

One of the specific activities is rope exercise and pendulum. The load begins to move from side to side, and the dog should hold the “person” so that contact with the load and the rope did not happen.

When working out new routes at the landfill gives positive and sustainable results, training goes into practice – the dog begins to learn the real routes of its owner. But also Here, training is not complete without a professional, and the process of dating with the new owner occurs during training.

When the dog finishes training courses, he is given a number right Guide dog allowed:

• ride in any kind of public transport;
• be in public crowded places: hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, shops, etc .;
• the trainer or instructor remains the guardian of the animal and may protect your ward.

What breed of dogs make the best guide?

In America and European countries, guide dogs are not choose by blood purity. The main criterion is the growth of the dog, suitable for wearing a special harness with a handle for which must be held by the owner.

Most often among guides you can find a border collie, Bernese Mountain Dogs and almost all representatives of the shepherd rocks. In the USA, there is a practice of training dogs for working with people, suffering from epilepsy, there are no restrictions either in size or in pedigree, but the dog must be choleric temperament.

There is a special kind of guide that gets skills observation and preservation of infants, have a tendency to sudden death syndrome from respiratory arrest.

There are several breeds that make excellent guides for the blind. Of course their abilities identified exclusively by practical means, after being evaluated statistically. The following breeds fall into this category:

1. Лабрадор-ретривер Универсальная собака, чаще всего выступающая вcompanion roles and an excellent mastering guide program art. Most schools choose Labrador Retriever. In addition, these dogs are often involved in rescue operations both on land and in the water element. To one from Labradors nicknamed Dorado, managed to save his master in The time of the fall of the twin towers on September 11, 2001. The dog didn’t run away sensing danger, but found the owner and led him to the emergency exit.
2. Золотистый ретривер Голдены – обладатели не только золотистойwool, but also of a “golden” character. By nature they are not too different from labradors, but their coat needs more thorough care. Golden retriever successfully fulfills the role Nanny is an excellent adult companion. Among the goldens also a lot of heroes, for example, the dog Toby helped his mistress, choking on a slice of apple. He knocked over the mistress on his back and literally trodden on her forepaws, until a woman started to breathe. And the Golden retriever of Yoga, previously unrelated to rescue work, stayed with its owner, fell from bike and seriously injured. And later he called for help, and injured was promptly delivered to the hospital.
3. Немецкая овчарка Еще одна универсальная порода, по популярностиsuperior to everyone else. They are most often used in office goals, but also a guide among them quite a lot. “Germans” possess high intelligence, with proper training, they are balanced and master any skills.
4. Collie Scottish Shepherds are also the smartest dogs to have received basic skills while grazing and protecting livestock. Pet is capable execute commands the first time, very efficient and positive. The long-haired variety of collie has the most beautiful appearance thanks to luxurious wool. But care is such a pet requires more thorough. But the owners have a choice – collie with short or hard coat do not need frequent combing out.
5. Aussie This is an Australian breed of shepherd, which is flush with the collie, both in hereditary characteristics and in skill to contact with a person. In addition, individuals with blue merle wool and blue eyes are on the list of the most beautiful dogs. Many schools training guide dogs specialize in these two rocks, getting amazing results.
6. Ротвейлер На первый взгляд может показаться, что эти здоровякиare fighting dogs, however, the breed is a service dog, its representatives also act as partners. Dogs really have a serious disposition, but with the right learning become pretty docile. But their looks play with them a cruel joke, and, despite the great potential, rarely anyone decides to take such a guide. In addition, the appearance a formidable companion can cause panic in a public place.
7. Доберман Служебный пес, отлично справляющийся с охранной иguard work, strong, agile. Doberman has the necessary qualities of an attendant. 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 defend with the breast. its owner.

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