Are you a dog person? There are things a guide dog does that a cane simply cannot equal. However, a cane does not need to be fed or groomed. A cane is also not associated with all the pleasantries and not so pleasant chores that go along with dog ownership. Both partners, the handler and the dog, must be committed to the relationship. A guide dog is still a dog and dogs thrive on love. Therefore you must first ask yourself – Am I a dog person?

A guide dog is trained to obey its partner but a guide dog is also trained to be an independent decision maker. A guide dog is trained to obey commands only when it is a command that will not harm or adversely affect the handler. While walking, your guide dog will stop at every intersection or curb until you command the dog to ‘go’. However, if you have erred in your judgment and it is actually not safe to cross, the dog will correctly disobey your command to ‘go’ until it is safe. Another dynamic of the team aspect is in avoiding overhead clearances. Your guide dog can judge the distance between you and an overhead obstacle and will lead you safely, avoiding the hazard.

A guide dog is one of the most highly trained animals in the world. The training time is approximately 7,000 hours, from birth until age 1 ½, at which time the dog is ready to meet its human partner. At that point, the two will train together for between 2-4 weeks. This training is done at the dog training facility. When back home, the training is ongoing. You may need your dog to learn specific tasks to accommodate your personal lifestyle. You can train your dog to obey custom commands like ‘Go to work’ or ‘Go to Starbucks’. The dog will take multiple steps that would otherwise need a series of commands to reach your destination. The dog will learn that ‘Go to Work’ means walk to the train station, get on the train, look for a seat, etc… A guide dog will quickly learn your routine.

There are approximately 10,000 guide dog partnerships in the US and Canada. During your decision making process you should speak to others who have used guide dogs. You may benefit from their experiences with situations you might have in common.

In most instances the dog training facility will provide the dog and its services at no charge.