
By the start of the 19th century, academics had begun writing about. In 1788, a blind sieve-maker in Vienna successfully trained his Spitz as a seeing-eye dog. The earliest reported effort to train a seeing-eye dog occurred in 1780 at a Paris hospital. 1 Guide dog schools are accredited by the International Guide Dog Federation. Organized attempts to train seeing-eye dogs didn't happen until the end of the 18th century. In the United States, the name 'seeing eye dog' is only used in reference to a guide dog from The Seeing Eye in Morristown, New Jersey, which has trademarked the term. Puppy raisers do get the option to adopt first, if their pup didn’t make the cut. Guide dogs are assistance dogs trained to lead blind and visually impaired people around obstacles. The training of a seeing eye dog is also known as bomb proofing, as the dog needs to be calm when accompanying a person that is vision impaired. If pups pass their first training test, they will be matched with a professional trainer in New York, for six months, before being matched with a seeing impaired companion.įlynn said dogs who don’t pass the first test may “change careers” and work for the state police, work as therapy dogs or be adopted.
#SEEING EYE DOG TRAINER FULL#
The initial test consists of bringing the dog into a large room full of distractions, such as toys, loud noises and different terrain, to see if they can resist. Positive reinforcement is the only way we approach the puppies.”Īfter 12-16 months, puppy-raisers will send their dogs “In-For-Training” to test if the puppy is ready for the training center in New York. In cases where trainers are looking for a low-shed guide dog, some choose Labradoodles, which is a Labrador and Poodle mix. The facilities, completed in 1990, include a 20 dog kennel. But other breeds, such as Border Collies, Vizslas and Standard Poodles are also heavily favored. The Phoenix training facility is located near scenic South Mountain Park in Phoenix, Arizona.
#SEEING EYE DOG TRAINER HOW TO#
You start very small with commands like sit, stay, come and how to walk on a leash without pulling. SERVICE DOG TRAINING PHASE 1 This phase of beginner classes can take anywhere from 3 - 4 months, while the dog learns and matures. While ZipRecruiter is seeing salaries as high as 83,674 and as low as 15,689, the majority of salaries within the Seeing Eye Dog Trainer jobs category. You’ll find that most seeing eye dogs are Labradors, German Shepherds and Golden Retrievers. “You want the dogs to make connections with the people. “A big part of what we teach is connection,” Flynn said. The Seeing Eye, Inc., pioneers and innovators of dog guide services, provides specially bred and trained dogs to guide people who are blind. “We want all walks of life because people who are sight-impaired come from all walks of life,” said Flynn.Īfter a volunteer is accepted, they attend eight weeks of classes to teach the basic fundamentals using positive reinforcement.
