When I walk down the street, people often ask about my dog guide.  She is a striking female German shepherd, mostly black with large paws and radar dish ears.  She is a gentle, calm, serious and responsible individual who enjoys being with her people and going to new places and she is a very easy dog to live with.  People ask me her age, or how long she has been with me.  They complement us on our work together and ask where we received our training.  At this point, our story diverges from the majority of dog guide owners because my dog received her
guidework training from me and I obtained her privately as an untrained, but well socialized young adult.

Since 1970, I successfully worked and trained with dogs from various dog guide schools.  Training my own dog guide would not have been my first choice, but after retiring my previous dog guide in late 1989, I attempted to obtain a suitable replacement, spent fifteen weeks at a total of four separate schools and came home without a dog.  The "trained" dogs the schools offered me fell far short of the quality I experienced  with my previous three dog guides.  When I finally decided to search out and train a dog myself, I felt certain I could do better than what the schools had lately offered me and could educate a dog to guide in a safe and competent manner.

Before sighted people took on the work of training dogs to lead the blind or organized the knowledge around such training into formalized schools, the blind trained dog guides for themselves. Some blind people handle and train their dog guides well and these offer valuable examples.  I know of a blind Canadian who trains his own dogs and trained several dogs for other blind  people.  I also know of blind people who hire sighted people to privately train dog guides for them.

Fortunately, I use a long white cane in combination with excellent orientation and these skills are essential if one expects success in educating and working with a dog guide.  It also helps to read everything available on dogs and dog guides, to speak extensively with a wide range of dog guide owners and to gain hands-on dog handling experience prior to selecting a canine candidate for dog guide work.

In January, 1991, a breeder referred me to Delores Miller who
owned two female German shepherds.  After speaking at length with Delores about my situation, she offered to drive the long distance from her home to show me her dogs.  The younger female shepherd named Delight seemed to have potential.  She accepted her new surroundings and the new people, albeit she seemed a bit  bewildered as to what all the fuss over her meant.  She walked enthusiastically with me on leash and didn't shy from my white  cane or the cars rushing along the heavily traveled street.  During this initial walk, a bus pulled up to the bus stop and I boarded it with Delight.  She readily walked into the bus and did not react to the noises the bus made.

Delight belonged to one of Delores's teen-age boys and Delores said she would speak with him about letting Delight try to learn to become a dog guide with the understanding that the dog would return to the family if she failed the training.  After the Millers drove down with Delight and a family consultation occurred, Delores phoned to say that they would place Delight with me.  The Millers exhibited none of the skepticism, patronization and controlling attitudes so prevelent among
agency workers and dog guide schools set up to serve the blind. They saw no reason why a blind person could not safely and properly educate a dog as a guide and their gift of Delight to me demonstrated confidence in me and belief in their dog.

Originally, the Millers raised Delight as a brood bitch and family pet.  Delight spent most of her time in the Millers home and accompanied them to such places as horse stables, grocery stores, dog club meetings, malls, social gatherings and restaurants.  We made special arrangements which allowed the family to take Delight into a wide variety of public places and Delores commented that the dog was turning into a regular party  animal.  During this period, the Millers drove to Boston and spent the day walking and traveling throughout the city via public transit and Delight confidently rode with them on the T.

On February 15th, 1991, I began Delight's training.  Because she would be living and working in a primarily urban environment, Delight needed to master leash relieving on pavement.  She eventually learned this, but as Delores predicted, it took her a long time.  She did not have accidents in the house during her introduction to leash relieving however, and remains clean in buildings to date.

It has always been very helpful to consult Delores about Delight's habits and traits.  For instance, in her puppy home, Delight received her food on an on-demand basis -- Delight demanded and her family provided.  Delores said it was nothing short of total gluttony for Delight around their house. so, quite naturally, she did not take readily to a regimented, dog food based, time constrained feeding regime.  Delores predicted correctly that in the adjustments Delight would be asked to make for her new career, this would be one of her most difficult.  I  use a high-grade commercially available dog food as the base of her diet.  She is a "hard keeper" and I find that Delight retains weight, good coat and vigor when cooked chicken, vitamins and oil are added.

At first, Delight performed very rudimentary guidework so I continued to carry and use a folding long white cane.  However, even in the very early stages of her education with me, proved quite easy to take Delight into public places, public accommodations and on to transportation because her behavior and general appearance matched and often surpassed the behavior and appearance of dogs working as guides from the schools.

The second week with Delight, I agreed to travel to New Haven to assist with some organizing for the National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut.  Beforehand, I called Delores to ask how she thought Delight would manage.  Delores confidently assured me Delight would do fine, so, I packed my things, Delight's rug and toys and off we went.

I took the train and stayed in a downtown hotel.  During my stay in New Haven, the Millers visited me and took me to a Mexican restaurant and, of course, Delight accompanied us.  She followed the Millers accurately from their car into the restaurant and remained quietly out of sight under the table.  Some patrons  didn't realize a dog was there until we stood up to leave.  In  the hotel, Delight stopped for the few steps descending into the dining room and followed the hostess to a table, ignoring the other diners.

At the luncheon meeting which culminated the NFB's organizing effort, numerous blind people using dog guides and canes attended and Delight behaved beautifully.  Delight's behavior and performance seemed exceptional, especially in the face of her rudimentary level of experience.

Delight learned to stop for curbs, cross straight at streets and avoid stationary obstacles.  As her education progressed, I  asked a friend with steady nerves and reflexes to assist me in Delight's traffic education.  To ensure that Delight understood that she must stop, back up or refuse to proceed in the face of an unsafe traffic situation, my friend followed on foot during work with "natural" traffic.  Initial traffic work took place after Delight mastered stationary obstacles and gained a fair understanding of avoiding moving ones, such as pedestrians.

In the summer of 1991, I flew to New Orleans to attend the national convention of the National Federation of the Blind. Delight accompanied me and accepted her first plane flight as a matter of course.  Approximately three thousand blind people attended the convention and with so many dog guides and white canes to maneuver around, Delight guided well.  I did not have problems with her adjustments or reactions and Delight seemed to thrive on the new experiences and the lavish praise and attention she received in her guide work role.  Although her guide work education consisted of only four and one-half months' previous experience, we spent time in the hotel complex as well as in the French Quarter.  Delight handled the noise, crowds and distractions very well, despite her newness and some points of disorientation on my part.

Not all of Delight's guidework experiences have been positive. During the summer while sitting in an open air mall eating my lunch, a dog guide from one of the schools dragged its blind owner over and initiated an attack upon Delight.  Even though the attacking dog had a history of similar serious behavior problems which people reported to the school, the school took no action.

Responsibility for team safety and success rests squarely upon hard work, consistent handling and a profound and very personal respect for the value of a superb dog guide.  Since Delight did not receive training through a school, a few blind and sighted people have expressed skepticism about her safety and abilities. However, the majority of responses are very positive and most say that the dog has to go through fewer transitions and can be better tailored to my needs.  In opting to train my own dog guide, I can gain access to information on the dog's entire background and medical history.  I can control every aspect of
training and can disqualify the dog at any time if it seems unsuitable.  I own my dog outright, whereas the majority of dog guide schools withold dog ownership from their blind graduates. Most importantly, because of highly developed long cane travel skills, I am not locked into using a dog guide and at any time, I could continue to get around well with a long white cane or choose to look for another suitable canine candidate.

A year has passed since I began educating my new canine partner. She is guiding and handling her responsibilities well and it is especially refreshing to work with a reliable dog guide once again.

In early February, 1992, Delight accompanied me by train to  Washington, D.C.  I directed Delight who guided me efficiently to and from Capital Hill, through the Metro subway system, around sidewalk construction and throughout a large, congested hotel complex.  I find the time and effort I invested in educating my own dog guide to be well spent and I am satisfied with the high quality result.

I hope to work with Delight over a long stretch of years and when Delight retires, I hope to find people as generous as the Millers, friends and associates as willing to assist me with the dog education process and a dog as lovely and suitable as Delight.

List Management

      I am located in Connecticut and the dog I am looking for will be
      trained privately as a guide for a blind person.  I'm the person
      the dog would be guiding.  I have successfully trained and used
      privately educated dogs as guides and now am looking to retire
      my current dog.  I have worked with dog guides for thirty years
      and have handled and owned Gsds since childhood.

      I am looking for a Gsd, preferably female of moderate size
      (between 55 and 85 lbs) who demonstrates physical and
      temperamental soundness.  The dog should not have orthopedic or
      digestive problems or physical characteristics which would
      prevent the dog from meeting the Gsd standard.  However, long
      coats are not a fault in this line of work.

      The dog I require would exhibit good manners combined with drive
      and a strong work ethic.  The dog must be home raised, not
      occasionally brought in for a few minutes from a kennel.  The
      dog needs to be well socialized and comfortable around a wide
      range of animals, people and environmental situations.

      I am looking for dogs whose lines have been used successfully in
      some sort of work such as sar, high scoring obedience
      competition, signal or guide work or police service.  I am not
      looking for an overtly protective dog but one with presence and
      stability and the ability to think and react under pressure
      without falling apart.

      Would you be willing to execute simple tests and score them to
      gain further insight on your dog(s) suitability for guide work?

      In what areas do you work with or compete with your dogs?

      Thank you for responding to my e-mail inquiry and for suggesting
      your dog as a possible candidate for me.  If you are interested,
      please e-mail me for on going discussion.