2006 Training and Standards

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Training and Standards for Guide Work

1. Upon completion of team training, clients can be assured that a dog from your program (check all that apply):

  • will be house broken. 
    • (All schools indicated yes.)
  • will have been trained to behave well in public, eg. no barking or stealing food. 
    • (All schools indicated yes.)
  • will exhibit no aggression toward people or other animals. 
    • (All schools indicated yes.)
  • will respond to basic obedience commands. 
    • (All schools indicated yes.)
  • will disobey the handler's commands when it would be unsafe to comply (intelligent disobedience). 
    • (All schools indicated yes.)
  • will be trained to work safely in traffic. 
    • (Fidelco, Freedom, GDA, GDB, GDDI, GDF, GEB, KSDS, Leader, Pilot, SEGD, Seeing Eye)
  • will be trained to safely negotiate traffic checks. 
    • (All schools indicated yes.)
  • will be trained to work in a variety of street crossing settings. 
    • (All schools indicated yes.)
  • will be trained to reliably stop at changes in elevation, i.e. steps, curbs and drop-offs. 
    • (All schools indicated yes.)
  • will be trained to  reliably avoid or indicate obstacles. 
    • (All schools indicated yes.)
  • will be trained to reliably avoid or indicate overhead obstacles. 
    • (All schools indicated yes.)
  • will be trained to reliably turn left, right or to move forward on the hand signal from the handler. 
    • (Fidelco, Freedom, GDA, GDB, GDDI, GDF, GEB, Leader, SEGD, Seeing Eye)
  • will be trained to reliably turn left, right or to move forward on the verbal command of the handler. 
    • (All schools indicated yes.)
  • will be trained to ride escalators. 
    • (Fidelco, Freedom, GDA, GDB, GDDI, GDF, GEB, KSDS, Leader, Pilot, SEGD, Seeing Eye)
  • will be trained to safely navigate revolving doors with its handler. 
    • (Fidelco, Freedom, GDA, GDB, GDDI, GDF, GEB, KSDS, Leader, Pilot, SEGD, Seeing Eye)
  • will be trained to follow members of the public when commanded to do so by the handler. 
    • (Fidelco, Freedom, GDB, GDDI, GDF, KSDS, Leader, SEGD, Seeing Eye)
  • will be trained to enter, exit and ride quietly in passenger cars or other vehicles. 
    • (All schools indicated yes.)
  • will be trained to enter, exit and ride quietly on buses. 
    • (All schools indicated yes.)
  • will be trained to enter, exit and ride quietly on subways, light rail systems or passenger trains and to safely navigate elevated platforms. 
    • (Fidelco, Freedom, GDA, GDB, GDDI, GDF, GEB, Leader, Seeing Eye)
  • will have been exposed to security checkpoints such as those found in airports. 
    • (Fidelco, GDA, GDB, GDDI, GDF, KSDS, SEGD, Seeing Eye)
  • will have been trained in urban environments. 
    • (All schools indicated yes.)
  • will have been trained in small towns or suburbia. 
    • (All schools indicated yes.)
  • will have been trained in rural environments. 
    • (All schools indicated yes.)
  • will have been trained to guide safely along roads with no sidewalks or footpaths. 
    • (All schools indicated yes.)
  • will have been trained to work in environments such as university campuses or shopping malls where there are multiple locations which must be accessed via nonlinear pathways. 
    • (Fidelco, Freedom, GDA, GDB, GDDI, GDF, GDTX, GEB, Leader, Pilot, SEGD, Seeing Eye)
  • will be trained to reliably retrieve dropped items for the handler. 
    • (Fidelco)
  • will be trained to locate some specific objects/landmarks on command. 
    • (Fidelco, Freedom, GDA, GDDI, GDF, GDTX, GEB, KSDS, Leader, SEGD, Seeing Eye)
  • will be trained to reliably come when called while off leash. 
    • (Fidelco, Freedom, GDA, GDB, GDDI, GDF, GDTX, GEB, KSDS)
  • will be trained to formally guide on leash. 
    • (Fidelco, GDF, Leader, SEGD)
  • other: 
    • (GDDI: travel on an airline, GDF: not specified)

2. How long (number of hours of actual training) is formal guide work training for dogs in your program?

  • Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation: 60 hours
  • Freedom Guide Dogs for the Blind: 80 hours minimum
  • Guide Dogs of America (GDA): This depends on each individual dog to complete the qualifications set forth by GDA.
  • Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB): average 45 workouts per dog, each workout is 20 to 45 minutes in duration (15 to 34 hours total)
  • Guide Dogs of the Desert International (GDDI): minimum of 100 hours
  • Guide Dog Foundation (GDF): 4 to 6 months or 80 to 120 hours
  • Guide Dogs of Texas (GDTX): 120 hours minimum
  • Guiding Eyes for the Blind (GEB): 40 to 60 hours per dog
  • KSDS: 100 plus hours
  • Leader Dogs for the Blind: 20 to 25 hours
  • Pilot Dogs: 35 hours
  • Southeastern Guide Dogs (SEGD): 35 to 40 hours
  • The Seeing Eye: 60 hours minimum, more if necessary

3. Are the dogs tested by instructors under blindfold?

  • Yes, all dogs are tested by instructors under blindfold.  (All schools said yes to this option.)
  • Yes, many of our dogs are tested by instructors under blindfold.
  • Yes, a dog may be tested by an instructor under blindfold.
  • No, our instructors do not generally test the dogs by working them under blindfold.

4. Please mark all statements that describe the components of your program's matching process.

  • Information gathered from our application process is used to match a student with a dog.
    • (All schools said yes to this option.)
  • Instructors contact the incoming student by telephone prior to class to discuss issues relating to the match. 
    • (Fidelco, Freedom, GDA, GDB, GDDI, GDTX, GEB, KSDS, Leader, SEGD)
  • Instructors assess a student for a suitable match when that student arrives in class. 
    • (Fidelco, GDA, GDB, GEB, KSDS, Leader, Pilot, SEGD, Seeing Eye)
  • When a student begins class, our instructors continue to assess that student for a suitable match. 
    • (Fidelco, GDA, GDB, GDF, GEB, KSDS, Leader, Pilot, SEGD, Seeing Eye)
  • Students test walk a few dogs prior to the match to assist in the matching process. 
    • (SEGD)
  • The class instructors meet to discuss and formalize dog matches prior to issuing dogs to students. 
    • (Fidelco, GDA, GDB, GDF, GEB, KSDS, Leader, Pilot, SEGD, Seeing Eye)
  • The student and instructors periodically meet during training to discuss the viability of the match. 
    • (Fidelco, GDA, GDB, GDF, GEB, KSDS, Leader, SEGD, Seeing Eye)
  • An alternative match is available to a student if the need arises. 
    • (Fidelco, GDA, GDB, GEB, Leader, Pilot, SEGD, Seeing Eye)
  • An alternative match for a student is sometimes possible. 
    • (Freedom, GDA, GDDI, GDF, KSDS, Leader, Seeing Eye)
  • Our focus is on training the student with the dog selected for him/her and not really on arranging alternative matches. 
    • (Freedom, GDDI, GDTX)

5. In the past two years, what percentage of dogs were returned to the school within a year of being placed with a handler? (Please indicate percentage of dogs returned here.)   

  • Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation: 7%
  • Freedom Guide Dogs for the Blind: 1 dog, which was replaced in short order and is working fine with their new master
  • Guide Dogs of America (GDA): a very low percentage
  • Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB): 12% (see individual survey for full explanation)
  • Guide Dogs of the Desert International (GDDI): 6%
  • Guide Dog Foundation (GDF): 11%
  • Guide Dogs of Texas (GDTX): 0%
  • Guiding Eyes for the Blind (GEB): not available
  • KSDS: 17%
  • Leader Dogs for the Blind: 5%
  • Pilot Dogs: 6%
  • Southeastern Guide Dogs (SEGD): 1 dog was returned in 2 years
  • The Seeing Eye: 5%