COMMENTS ON DOG GUIDES
                                     -------- -- --- ------

                                       Published by the
                              NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
                                  Marc Maurer, President
                              National Federation of the Blind
                                       located at the
                                National Center for the Blind
                                    1800 Johnson Street
                                 Baltimore, Maryland   21230




       Dogs working as guides with blind men and women are correctly called
  dog guides.  When you see a dog guide at work, you are watching a team with
  each partner contributing to the team effort.  The blind person's role as a
  team member is to maintain control of the dog at all times and to direct the
  dog to take him or her wherever he or she wishes to go.  The blind person
  does this by using the commands: "forward," "left," or "right."  The dog's
  role in the partnership is to obey these commands, except when to do so
  would place the master or mistress in danger.  Because dog guide and master
  function as a team, the following should be kept in mind:
       In most states it is a violation of the law to forbid a dog guide user
  to enter a store, restaurant, park, or other place where the general public
  is admitted.  In addition, the law prohibits public carriers (such as busses,
  planes, and trains) from refusing to serve dog guide users.  Further, dog
  guide users have the same rights as other passengers to choose where they
  will sit on such carriers, and there exists no legally established regulation
  specifying a particular location where a dog guide user must sit while
  traveling.

       It is essential that nothing be done to interfere with the teamwork of
  the dog and master.  Therefore please remember:

  1. Never call the dog's name, talk to the dog, or make distracting noises
  while it is in harness and working.

  2. Never feed the dog since feeding it may make control of the dog difficult
  in restaurants.

  3. Never touch or play with the dog while it is working.

  4. Because the blind person and the dog have undergone extensive training,
  it can usually be assumed that the team can function safely and independently
  in most situations.  Therefore, never take hold of the person, the dog, or
  the dog's harness at any time.  This rule is especially important when the
  team is in the process of making a street crossing.  The blind person has
  been taught to listen to traffic patterns and to give the "forward" command
  when it is safe to cross.  Although the dog is color blind, it avoids cars as
  it would any other obstacle.

  5. Do not assume that the dog automatically knows where its master wants to
  go.  The blind person must know where he or she is going in order to give
  the dog the appropriate directional commands.  If the blind person is
  traveling in unfamiliar surroundings he or she may ask for directions just as
  a sighted person would.

  6. When giving directions to a dog guide user, speak only to the person.
  Do not call the dog or try to get it to follow you.  Be specific about where
  turns are to be made so that the blind person can direct the dog accordingly.

  7. If assistance is requested by the blind person, allow the blind person to
  take your arm or to give the dog a command to follow you.  The blind person
  should be the one to choose which method is best.

  8. Consistent discipline is the key to successful use of a dog guide.  The
  most commonly used form of correction is a sharp verbal admonition.  If this
  fails, then it may be necessary for the blind person to use a firm backward
  jerk on the leash.  Although this brings the dog's attention back to the job,
  it does not injure the dog in any way.

       If these suggestions are kept in mind, both dog guide user and the
  general public benefit.  You see more blind people on the streets today--not
  because there are more of us, but because we have learned to make our own way
  in the world.  A major factor in this process is the National Federation of
  the Blind, the nation's largest organization of blind people:  the blind
  speaking and acting and thinking for themselves-working as equal partners
  with their sighted neighbors.

  Note: This brochure was prepared by Jeff Pearcy and Suzanne Whalen, members
  of the Austin Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Texas.
  It was reviewed and approved by Robert Eschbach, President, National
  Association of Dog Guide Users.