Training of guide dogs

“To lead a blind person is maybe the most difficult work which a human demands from any animal.” (Bruce Johnston)

In each group of dogs with special training, its natural behaviour develops through training. For example, a good hunting dog has hunting in its genes. It performs this activity naturally and the required level of hunting is subsequently achieved through training. Service cynology uses dog predispositions for scent work and applies its willingness to defend the owner’s interests.
Herding dogs have information in their genes that tells them that the herd needs to be kept together, and the shepherd will teach the dog exactly when to do this. During the training of an assistance dog, its inclination for human contact and a willingness to retrieve is used. These are also qualities which a dog has or does not have in its genetic make-up.

It is different with a guide dog.A guide dog’s work is an unnatural and complex task. The whole course of training is directed in such a way that the dog understands the task which has to be achieved by the end of training, regardless of obstacles that have to be dealt with.

The quality of a future guide dog depends on several factors:

• congenital ability of the dog to achieve concrete decisions
• quality of socialization
• training methods of the trainer
• sits owner’s ability to continue supporting training and to maintain the dog’s skills by regular training

The training of a guide dog and its work in the 1950s stimulated a polemic about the mental activity of a dog, disproving the long-held opinion that dogs cannot ‘think’. If this opinion had been true, then a dog would not be able to successfully guide a blind person, because the dog has to daily solve situations which are new and which hadn’t been dealt with during training. It is not possible over six to eight months of training to simulate all situations the dog may face during its whole working life.

We accept the theory that: “Special-purpose and problem solving reactions can appear only in an animal with an ability for mental activity.” (Craik 1943). The dog is thus capable of a particular mental ability.
This theory is proved by another phenomenon found during guide dog training: Conflict of dominance. The dog has to obey and respect the commands of its master. This rule is crucial for guide dogs in that the owner of the dog does not have visual control.
There is an exeption from the rule in our work that the dog has to recognize. If the blind owner inadvertenty commands the dog to do something which could endanger its master, the dog will not respect the owner’s dominance and instead will solve the situation to avoid the danger. The dog refuses to obey a command, if by obeying he would endanger its owner.
In such critical situations the dog becomes dominant: During guide dog training “obedience” has certain limits because if the dog always obeyed its commands regardless of circumstance, it would be dangerous. Such is termed “intelligent disobedience”.

In this context it is also necessary to mention dealing with the obedience practices which the dog must master. A guide dog isn’t trained needlessly for absolute subordination, because this would negatively influence the development of the dog’s initiative which is necessary for a guide dog.
Another important principle for the right teaching of a guide dog is the hierarchy of teaching, whereby the teaching at each level is contingent on the managing of needed factors at lower levels. We prevent a dog being overburdened with information as this can lead to its demotivation or lack of discipline.
There are many other very important factors in the whole process of guide dog training, but not even the best trainer training an excellent dog will be successful without mutual trust.