Dogs have been associated with blind people as guides and protectors for at least a thousand years, but it was only at the beginning of the 20th century that organised guide dog training was considered possible. It happened almost by accident.
During the First World War, a doctor caring for war-wounded in Germany, was called away from his conversation with a blind man in the garden of the hospital where he was working.
The doctor left his Alsatian with the man and when he returned was so impressed by the reaction between the two that he decided to try some experimental training with blind patients. The idea took off and was copied by other individuals until in the 1920s various specialised dog-training centres were established in Europe and America.
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The Seeing Eye Dog
One of the early instigators was Mrs.Dorothy Eustis, an American breeder and trainer of Alsatians in Switzerland. Mrs Eustis, who worked mainly for the army and police, founded an organisation called The Seeing Eye (which is where the term “seeing eye dogs” originated).
Co-incidentally, and quite independently in Moscow, Mrs Irene Liakhoff, daughter of Prince Vladimir Ourossoff, was doing something similar with both civilians and war-wounded. As Princess Irina Ourossoff, she had nursed on a hospital train under the auspices of the Red Cross during the Russian Civil War. She too was now working with blind people and dogs.
Letter to the Editor
Reading about Mrs Liakhoff’s activities, a Mr. Robert Tissyman wrote to the Editor of the English evening newspaper, the Liverpool Echo, asking if there was anyone sufficiently interested indog training locally to help a blind friend of his.
The only reply came from Miss Muriel Elizabeth Crooke, a doctor’s daughter living in nearby New Brighton. She contacted Mrs. Rosamund Bond, who bred and trained Alsatians and on Mrs Bond’s advice, contacted Mrs Eustis requesting details of The Seeing Eye.
Mrs Eustis’ response was to send a trainer from Switzerland.
Guide Dogs are launched
The outcome was that in 1931 Miss Crooke launched the first British branch of Guide Dogs for the Blind. It was based in Wallasey, a town near Liverpool but on the opposite side of the river Mersey.
Her trial scheme operated in a rented garage with an adjoining piece of land and her first ‘pupils’ attended in October of that year. In 1934, a local town councillor made a large empty house available. The house, known as The Cliff, was the first real home of the Association.
As its name suggests, the house was on the seashore: a wild and craggy site, with winds forever whipping up from the Irish Sea. Being almost derelict, it was hardly the ideal place for such a project but it did enable students and staff to work together under one roof.
It established the principle of providing a home in which blind students could stay for a few weeks to become acquainted with their dogs; a principle that still applies today.
Work continued at The Cliff until the outbreak of war,when the house was requisitioned for use by anti-aircraft battery.
Puppy-walking
In 1941, the Association moved its headquarters to Leamington Spa, in the Midlands, since when several more training centres have been opened.
The puppy-walking idea began in the 1950s, when carefully-selected puppies were purchased and placed – at the age of six to eight weeks – with families who undertook to bring them up in their own homes. The scheme still holds today, though the term is something of a misnomer, because ‘walkers’ do so much more than walk.
Families who take on these youngsers must familiarise them with routine domestic sounds such as the ring of a doorbell, the whine of a vacuum cleaner, the general hustle and bustle of the average household. Puppy-walkers are also encouraged to socialise their charges by taking them to the shops, up and down lifts and on public transport. The idea is to challenge and socially integrate them.
In the early days, potential guide dogs came from many sources and unfortunately some 80 percent failed in training. The present selective breeding programme, introduced in the 1960s, ensures that only dogs of absolutely the right type are available. Selective breeding and raising puppies in homes where they grow used to both family life and town/country conditions has dropped the failure rate to virtually nil.
Great care is taken to match them
Most of the breeds selected are Labradors, golden retrievers, cross Labrador/golden retrievers, German shepherds, and Border collies. Choosing dogs in this way means that blind people are given intelligent, good natured, confident companions who are responsive and willing. Great care is taken to match dog and owner and involves complementing the two lifestyles.
An elderly person who does not go out much would be given a more sedate dog than an active young man who might start his day with a three-mile job and pursue his energetic activities until bed time.
The partnership between dog and owner is one that will, hopefully, last for many years, during which time both lives will be greatly enriched.
Going away to ‘school’
Getting the balance right usually means a delay of some weeks before the potential handler is invited to join a group of other blind people at the training centre. During their period at the centre sudents are taught how to be supportive towards their dogs and how to use them efficiently.
The dogs’ training starts much earlier than that of their future owners. It begins as soon as they reach adulthood, when they’re about a year old.
The first upheaval in their routine comes when they leave their puppy-walkers and go away to ‘school’. There they must spend the next seven to nine months under skilled instructors, preparing for the day when they can become leaders in their own right. It is only during the final weeks of training that they meet their eventual owners.
Reaping the rewards
Dogs, like humans, all have their own rate of learning. Some make rapid progress, others are slower but all those who have been selected get there in the end and in time those long-awaited partnerships are sealed.
Dog and future owner are taken out and about; the dogs to reap the rewards of their lengthy training, the humans to familiarise themselves with their new friends and to get to gripswith the situation.
There is no doubt that these dogs enjoy their work and that the owners benefit enormously from their company. Who among us has not been fascinated and impressed by the sight of what these harnessed dogs can do? Their training is really put to the test when they have to mingle with crowds in busy shopping centres, guide their companions across crowded pavement (where all too often youths now ride their bikes), keep a constant watch for obstacles their owners might have missed. Their abilities as they manoeuvre in and out of traffic are remarkable.
Aftercare is essential
At the end of the training period there is no question of dog and handler being thrown out into the world together and told to get on with it. Aftercare is essential. It starts with the instructor going out to visit the owner with days of returning home with the new dog; accompanying the blind person around the locality, helping him/her find their way and giving advice on problem areas.
Many follow-up visits are made to ensure tha both are coping with their new circumstances. Some experts maintain it can take anything up to a year for complete adjustment.
Routine visits are made annually, more frequently if necessary. During these visits, experts can assess when the time has come for a dog to retire and the blind person to retrain with a new dog.
Financial help available
Although the high cost of maintaining the breeding, puppy-walking, training and after-care programme is met entirely from the generosity of the public, the blind person is charged only a nominal 50p for the dog. There is a feeding allowance, help with veterinary bills, even food in some cases. This applies to all guide dogs, whether working or retired.
The aim is to ensure that everyone who needs and can use a guide dog effectively has the opportunity to apply for one.
Any sight-impaired person aged 16 or over and resident in the UK can apply to train with one of these amazing dogs. There is no upper age limit. The only requirement is that the applicant be reasonably active and able to look after a dog.
Members of the public can help in a variety of ways listed on the website www.guidedog.org.uk
Guide Dogs (working title of the GDBA) is a registered charity. Its numbers: England and Wales, 209617; Scotland, SCO38979.
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It may be of interest to someone out there that the Mr Robert Tissyman mentioned on this website was my wifes paternal grandfather. He was a police sergeant and among various activities, was a Liverpool City councillor in the 1920′s.
Thank you so much for your comments. We did know about Robert Tissyman’s background. The writer of the article, a Liverpudlian, came across his name many years ago when researching the city’s history for a newspaper feature.
Mr Tissyman did admirable work in the city.
Nice post, I’ve just got a border collie puppy to train.