Man’s best friend has been by his side for hundreds of years. Together with their human partners, working dogs perform a wide range of tasks, from herding livestock to protecting property to providing unconditional love and independence to the visually impaired.
It is said that Morris Frank, who lost his sight at the age of 6, introduced service animals to the United States in 1927. Twenty-year-old Frank booked passage to Europe and crossed the ocean alone to meet the dog who gave him what he called “the divine gift of freedom.
Frank returned home with his new companion, Buddy, after five weeks of intensive training, and the two embarked on numerous trips to showcase how a well-trained dog can help a blind person navigate even unfamiliar surroundings safely and with confidence.
Their success led American woman Dorothy Eustis, who ran the Swiss programme, and her husband Frank to open the Seeing Eye in 1929, the first guide-dog training school in the United States. About 250 dogs a year now graduate from training at the Seeing Eye in Morristown, N.J. The majority of these dogs are either German shepherds, Labrador retrievers, or golden retrievers.
Guide dogs are specially trained to help the visually impaired navigate their environments safely. Getting around town, going on trips, and commuting all require the handler and dog to work together. This training relies on the handler knowing the way to their destination and the dog following the handler’s every command to ensure their safety.
Guide Dogs
Have legal protections that allow them to enter public spaces and ride public transportation alongside their human companions. The following links will take you to websites where you can learn more about how you can assist the wonderful organisations that train guide dogs.
Adding confidence, mobility, socialization, and a friendship that lasts a lifetime in the heart to a blind person’s life can be accomplished with even a modest donation on the anniversary of this remarkable bond between man and dog.
Hundred Years Of Seeing-Eye Dogs
Guide dogs have been widely used all over the world ever since World War II. Morris Frank, with the help of his dog Buddy, is credited as the first American to receive a sighted dog for the purpose of providing emotional support to war veterans.
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An American Dog Breeder
Living in Switzerland named Dorothy Harrison Eustis wrote an essay for “The Saturday Evening Post” in 1927 about a guide dog exhibit in Potsdam, Germany. Reading this article, I learned that German World War I veterans trained their dogs to act as their eyes and ears.
As soon as Frank finished the story, he mailed a letter to Eustis, begging her to train a dog for him. After hearing Frank’s plight, Eustis agreed to let him visit Switzerland.
Frank and Eustis spent some time training two dogs before deciding on the one they eventually named Buddy. In 1928, Frank and Buddy visited the Big Apple, where they were greeted by a swarm of reporters. And Buddy did an excellent job of leading Frank through the crowded sidewalks and streets. Frank was so relieved to get home safely that he penned a triumphant note to Eustis.
On January 29, 1929, Frank and Eustis launched The See-Eye. The See-Eye continues to be the longest-running guide dog school in the world. The See-Eye Guide Dog Foundation has an annual anniversary celebration called the Seeing-Eye Guide Dog Anniversary.
Guide dogs are making a positive difference in the lives of many people, and governments around the world are taking notice, leading to better protections for those who rely on guide dogs and for the dogs themselves.
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Celebrations Of A Year Of Service With A Seeing-Eye Dog
- Make a contribution.
In honour of this special day, charitable contributions to the Seeing-Eye are encouraged. Donating to such a cause will help a lot of people. - Dog training
Train your dog by watching training videos and applying what you learn. Keep at it; you may not see any progress for a while. - Post it on Facebook, Twitter, and all the rest!
Talk about it online by posting photos and messages. Make use of the hash tags #seeingeyes #helptheblind #assistantdogs to spread awareness.
Morris Frank, an insurance salesman and college student at Vanderbilt University in the Roaring Twenties, was inspired to start a new chapter in his life by an article in The Saturday Evening Post.
Frank reached out to dog trainer Dorothy Harrison Eustis after being moved by her account of a programme in Germany to help blind World War I veterans.
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His letter continued, “Thousands of blind people like me abhor being dependent on others. If you aid me, I will assist them. If you train me, I will return with my dog and demonstrate to everyone here that a blind man can live independently.
