Guide dogs for the blind are gaining popularity and becoming more and more well-known in Sweden, although many people still do not meet them on a daily basis. Nonetheless, they perform many important tasks: they can increase the mobility of a blind or visually impaired person considerably, offering him or her much more independence. Furthermore, research has shown that taking care of a dog (or other pet) has a positive effect on a person’s mental and physical health (an effect not generated by a white cane).

Below you can read more about how we select and train our guide dogs for the blind.

We buy and select our guide dogs from breeders both in Sweden and abroad. All of our dogs, both male and female, are neutered after the age 6 months. This decreases the risk of several potential health and behaviour problems considerably. At the age of one year, eyes, hips, and elbows are checked for possible hereditary defects (e.g. cataract, PRA, hip and elbow dysplasia).

Our puppies are placed in puppy raising families at the age of 8 weeks. Their main task is socialising the puppy as well as teaching him basic obedience cues and basic “guide dog etiquette” during a period of approximately one year. They expose the puppy to and coach him through an array of situations he may later encounter during his career as a guide dog (e.g. shops, buses, trains, museums, fairs, the forest, the beach, children, other dogs, other animals, etc.). The puppy raiser teaches the dog (with support and guidance from Kyno-Logisch through monthly visits at home or puppy raiser meetings) basic obedience exercises (sit, down, wait for dinner, waiting in the car, and jumping in and out on cue, etc.)

After one to one and a half years, the young dog starts his “university” training to become a guide dog. During this part of the training, the dogs live with us in our own home. Our dogs never live in a kennel situation.
What does a guide dog need to learn? First of all, the obedience training is taken a step further. The dog then starts learning basic obstacle avoidance (width, height, obstacles blocking the entire sidewalk) and to stop at the curb. Indicating certain things is also part of the training. Here the dog learns to look for letterboxes, doors, bus stops, zebra crossings, stairways, etc. This part of the training is also a great confidence builder for the less confident dog. Once the dog knows what is expected of him, we start to raise the bar, encouraging the dog to work more precisely and independently and helping him gain self-confidence. All of our dogs are individuals, learning at their own pace. This means that our training programme is tailor-made to suit the needs of each individual dog.

Matching the right dog with the right client is the key to the success of the guide dog/owner combination. Personality, walking speed, and mobility needs are just a few of the important factors. This part of the work is carried out in collaboration with the SRF instructors.

The client learns to work with his or her guide dog during Ground Course 1, which consists of training at one of SRF’s training facilities as well as training in the client’s home environment. Alternatively, a course can be taken entirely in the client’s own home environment. Both theoretical and practical training are covered during this course. This basic training is followed by Ground Course 2 and 3, respectively after 6 months and 1.5 years. Once the dog has reached the age of 6 years, clients can opt to attend yearly follow-up courses. During the entire active career of the dog, the client can call on SRF if assistance is needed (training new routes, behavioural problems, etc.)