Guide Dogs FAQ
At what age can you apply for a Guide Dog ?
There is no age limit for prospective Guide Dog handlers. Guide Dogs Victoria train school aged and university students, parents with young families, people who are employed full time, part time or not in the work force. We also train seniors and people from non-English speaking backgrounds. However, prospective handlers should be sufficiently mature to provide the Guide Dog with the necessary leadership and be physically able to manage and care for the dog.
Where do you get your dogs?
Around 130 Labrador puppies are bred at the Guide Dog Centre in Kew each year. Guide Dogs Victoria also uses frozen semen from selected stud dogs from overseas Guide Dog schools to further enhance the quality of Guide Dogs Victoria's stock and ensure an open gene pool.
What breeds of dogs are used?
In Australia, we use Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers and crosses of the two.
Who looks after the puppies when they are little?
Pups are born at the Breeding Centre in Kew Victoria and stay with their mother and brother and sisters until they are seven weeks old. Then they are boarded out with families, known as Puppy Raisers, who care for the pup and teach it basic obedience such as how to walk correctly on a leash. Puppy Raisers are also responsible for socialising the pup by gradually introducing it to shopping centres, railway stations, city centres and a range of other places it is likely to encounter during its training and subsequent work as a Guide Dog. The dog returns to the Training Centre at approximately 12 months of age for assessment and, if suitable, begins Guide Dog training.
How long does it take to train a Guide Dog?
About 18 months: the first 12 months on the Puppy Raising Program; five - six months intensive training at the Centre, followed by one month training with the vision impaired person to whom it has been allocated. The 'Guide Dog team' (person and dog) then receives three to five days of follow-up in the person's home area.
Is it possible for people to train with a Guide Dog in their own local area?
People can undertake their training with a Guide Dog either at the residential Training Centre at Guide Dogs Victoria in Kew (where they live for about four weeks) or in their own home area.
Are dogs or bitches preferred for Guide Dog training?
We use both. Labradors come in a variety of sizes and we need to be able to select a male or female dog which will suit the vision impaired handler's size, personality and mobility requirements. We select the dog to best suit the needs of the individual.
Can the dog judge width and height?
Yes. The dog is taught to judge its handler's width as well as its own. This enables the dog to safely guide the vision impaired person around other people, prams, bicycles and so on. The dog is also taught to judge height, which enables it to guide the person safely to avoid overhead obstacles such as overhanging branches.
How does the dog know when to cross the road?
In fact, it is not the dog that makes the decision about when to cross a road. The vision impaired person has been taught how to use their hearing to assess the traffic flow. In general, the person knows whether traffic is moving, or whether cars have stopped. The person then gives the 'forward' command to the dog to cross the road. If the person has not heard the approach of a vehicle, the dog will refuse the command and then proceed once the car has passed. If, after starting to cross the road, a vehicle approaches, the dog will stop until the car passes, before completing its crossing of the road.
How does the dog know where its handler wants to go?
Usually the vision impaired person tells the dog where to go. Before training with a Guide Dog, the person will be well-oriented to their most often used locations, (eg. to work, the local shop) so they know where they are going. Being aware of clues and landmarks (such as a kerb or a dip in the pavement) enable the person to know how to direct the dog to their destination. Having travelled the route a number of times, the dog will remember the route. In many cases the Guide Dog handlers simply issues a command such as "find the post office" and the dog will carry out the task if it is familiar with the route. There are many cases where Guide Dog handlers have reported that their dogs have remembered a particular doorway or house, even when they have not visited the place for twelve months or so.
Where can a Guide Dog go?
By law, Guide Dogs can go everywhere you or I can with the exception of zoos and operating theatres. This means that Guide Dogs can travel in taxis, buses, trams, trains and airplanes; go into any restaurant, café or food store; go to any theatre or sporting venue; and stay at any motel, hotel or caravan park.
What is the average working life of a dog?
The dogs are normally about 18 months old when they are allocated to a vision impaired person and should have about 8 - 10 working years ahead of them. However, there have been dogs which have worked for longer periods.
Does the dog ever go out as an ordinary pet?
Yes. The Guide Dog is taught it is on duty when in harness. When out of harness, it behaves just like any family dog.
Can a Guide Dog be patted?
When a Guide Dog is in harness it is working and needs to concentrate on leading the vision impaired person around safely. If the situation allows, the person may be able to take the harness off, signalling to the dog that it is okay to play and be patted. It's also important to remember never to feed or distract a Guide Dog when it is working.
What happens to dogs which are unsuitable to train as Guide Dogs?
Dogs may not be suitable for Guide Dog work if they are afraid of sudden noises, busy stressful environments or heavy traffic. They may become part of Guide Dogs Victoria's Pets as Therapy (PAT) program or the Companion Dog program.
PAT dogs are placed with children who have a vision impairment whilst Companion Dogs are placed with people who have a physical, psychological or social disability. Having the companionship of a loving, interesting pet can play an important role in the emotional and physical development of children and can be of great benefit to the well-being of disadvantaged and lonely people.
