Complete Guide to Types of Guide Dogs with Pictures

A guide dog is a kind of dog that has undergone professional training to help blind friends in ordinary life, such as taking the bus, fetching items, and so on. Because the requirements for dogs are relatively high, not just any dog can serve as a guide dog. Below let us take a look at the complete guide to types of guide dogs with pictures.

I. Complete collection of pictures of guide dog breeds

1. German Shepherd

The German Shepherd, also known by another name, the German Wolfdog, generally has an adult height of around 55-56 cm, a weight of generally around 34-43 kg, and an average companionship time with humans of around 10 years. This breed's personality is very independent and strong-willed, and its temperament is relatively stable. It is fairly wary of strangers, but if the correct training methods are used, the dog is still easy to train. Because the German Shepherd's appearance is relatively tall and imposing, many children may feel afraid, so although this breed is suitable to become a guide dog, the number of cases in which it actually serves as a guide dog is not as many as that of the Labrador Retriever.

2. Golden Retriever

In the past, the Golden Retriever generally appeared as a hunting dog. Generally, an adult dog has a height of around 51-61 cm, a weight of generally around 25-34 kg, and an average lifespan that is relatively long, generally reaching around 15 years. Moreover, the Golden Retriever itself has a relatively sturdy build, and its overall immunity is relatively strong. The dog's intelligence is also relatively high, and it usually does not bark randomly at other dogs, so the Golden Retriever has also been selected by many people to become a dedicated guide dog.

3. Labrador Retriever

The Labrador Retriever, affectionately called Lala by people, generally has an adult height of around 54-62 cm, a weight of around 25-34 kg, and an average lifespan of around 12 years. The Labrador Retriever's intelligence is relatively high, equivalent to the intelligence of a 6-8 year old child. Its personality is gentle and lively, and its temperament is stable, not overly slow, but also not extremely lively. It is relatively friendly toward people and other animals, so after training, this breed is also relatively suitable to become a guide dog. After training, the Labrador Retriever can become familiar with the routes the owner often travels and moves along, take its owner to safe places, and skillfully master many of the owner's commands.

II. How are guide dogs trained?

From weaning to 1 year of age, a guide dog is sent to a foster family to live two months after birth, adapting to various social environments and getting along harmoniously with people; at around 6 months it begins to receive professional skills training, and at 1 to 1.5 years old it is taken back to the guide dog center to receive professional training. The training mainly includes: not lowering the head to sniff and having to walk in a straight line; reaction speed when encountering obstacles and avoiding obstacles in time; stopping before going up and down stairs, and also learning to take public transportation and cross the road; lying quietly in public places, holding urine, and so on, and also resisting various temptations.

Afterward it lives with its new owner for one month. This is the final stage of its training, and its blind owner needs to participate in the training together. The owner also has to learn how to give commands to the dog, feed the dog, care for the dog, and conduct physical examinations, and so on; the dog has to become familiar with the blind owner's living environment. Only when both parties cooperate with mutual understanding and pass the assessment can it be taken home by the blind owner to live together. Throughout this entire training process, the assessments are very strict, and the elimination rate of guide dog trainees is as high as 70 percent. Dogs that are eliminated are arranged to become service dogs or comfort dogs, and so on.

Afterward, during the stage when the dog is 8-10 years old, the guide dog will always live together with the owner, helping the owner in daily life and taking the owner to the places he wants to go; if a guide dog is to change to a new owner, it still needs to participate again in testing and training before it can take up the job again.

Guide dogs retire after completing their service period at 10-12 years of age. Guide dogs are arranged to return to the base for retirement. The guide dog's original user has priority to keep the dog and care for it until the end of its life. If they cannot care for it, the original foster family or volunteers may also apply to care for the guide dog in its later years.

If one wants to apply for a guide dog, the blind person or his family members need to apply to a domestic guide dog organization. The organization will send people to conduct an on-site inspection. After the blind person who meets the requirements passes the inspection, they will be arranged to spend around 1 month with a guide dog. After they become familiar with each other, they still have to pass a strict assessment, and only after passing can they live together.