April 17 - Meeting a Guide Dog

Probably, the title for this post shouldn’t be so much “Meeting a Guide Dog” as “Meeting The Owner of a Guide Dog.” After all, a guide dog, although very clever, well behaved, expensive and diligently trained, is still just a dog. The person holding the leash or harness is a person and at first meeting this is the one you need to speak with. It must be very frustrating for owners of guide dogs to be ignored while attention is paid only to their dog guide. While it is a matter of courtesy to speak with the guide dog owner first, it is more importantly a matter of safety. When guide dogs are in harness, they are working. They are trained specifically to be the eyes for someone who is unable to see for him or herself. The person who is holding the harness is dependent on the animal to lead him/her and to negotiate a safe path through any obstacles. If you should approach a working guide dog and perhaps lean to pat it, you run the risk of distracting the animal from its job.For instance, guide dogs are trained to stop at curbs and at the top of a flight of steps. Although the dog is trained to ignore distractions, it is after all, only a dog. There is always the chance that it might temporarily be distracted and so fail to stop when it should. If you or perhaps your own dog should be the cause of such a distraction, this might not bode well for the person who is holding the other end of the harness. This doesn’t mean that you should never ever have the opportunity to pat these beautiful creatures. The other week when Sue and I went for our walk, I very carefully followed Sue’s responses to Button. When Button stopped at a curb, Sue and I did likewise. However, when we arrived at the coffee shop, Sue removed Button’s harness. Button immediately curled up on the floor by Sue’s chair and I was at last able to pat her smooth yellow coat. Button knew that she wasn’t in working mode and gave my hand a friendly lick.Only a very small percentage of people who are blind or visually impaired choose to use a dog as a guide. Once they are matched with an owner, guide dogs need daily care and that means exercise and renewed training.  Fortunately, the only attention I need to give my white cane is to remember to take it with me when I go outside!