Cable's Calling: Born to be a Service Dog: International Guide Dog Day

It’s International Guide Dog Day!

Amanda benefits from the assistance of a service dog who performs many different tasks. Some of those tasks are those of a Guide Dog.

“Guide dogs, a type of assistance dog, are trained to help people in life with disabilities. Also known as seeing-eye dogs, they are specifically trained to lead blind and visually impaired people, helping them navigate situations or obstacles they normally would not be able to.”

https://www.petinsurance.com/healthzone/ownership-adoption/pet-ownership/pet-owner-topics/guide-dogs/

Amanda has a visual impairment caused both by seizure foci on her occipital lobe, and further by the resection surgery which removed her left occipital lobe. She has minimal peripheral vision on her left side and no peripheral vision on her right side. For this reason, one of the many tasks her service dogs are trained to do is to guide her around obstructions on her right side. This is important to help Amanda avoid ditches, poles, people and cars that she would otherwise be unaware of.

CNIB write that the timeline for training a service dog for visual impairment follows this guideline:

0-8 weeks- important time spent with mother and siblings.

9 weeks – 4 months- the puppies are taught to socialize and learn basic skills, commands and routines.

5- 12 months- the puppies learn to navigate obstacles and are exposed to crowds, other animals and public spaces.

13-17 months- the puppies work with a professional trainer, and learn the basics of guiding with a harness.

18 months- the puppy is matched with a Canadian with sight loss, and they learn to work together for the next 6 months or longer until they become a team.