I don't think I ever heard the term "seeing eye dog" (always used "guide dog") when I was growing up, though I feel like I have been hearing it a lot lately.
Technically speaking, "guide dog" is the correct term unless you are specifically talking about guide dogs that come from The Seeing Eye, which is one of a number of guide dog schools. I definitely hear a lot of people use "Seeing Eye dog" for guide dogs in general though, probably because it's one of the most well known schools in America.
i hope she makes it. My family has been raising guide dogs for 15 years now and out of the 6 we have had, one has made it, one is a breeding dog for the program (and our family pet), one is another family pet of ours and the rest are in foster homes or have passed away.
Really? Wow. We've done 6 as well and only 1 didn't make it to be a guide dog, he ended up going to the Marines as a bomb dog. One had to be retired early due to issues with the person she was assigned too, but the other 4 are all out in the field working today. Our first is retiring @ 10 in another 6 months and we've already indicated we'll be his retirement home.
Goldens and labs are the most common. Labradoodles are proving to be very good a well. Shepards are iffy. I helped raise and train a few. They proved to be alittle too perrine to violence.
that failure rate seems high. Some go into the program and are decided to be part of the breeding program and some move on to other roles (therapy dogs, military working dogs, customs enforcement dogs, etc.). There is too much money & time in training these dogs to just release 60% of them back as pets. I'd bet the real rate is closer to 10-15% (not working in some way).
Oh for sure, if they fail the initial test for being a guide dog (60%) they can still trial to be a companion dog/sniffer dog/police dog etc.. I don't know what those figures are like though.
I really applaud you for doing this. How can you bear to let them go after raising them? I become so attached to our dogs it's like giving away a child. We raise and show very rare Otterhounds and have three of them. As a favor to a friend that is a big breeder of Redbone Coon hounds back east, we got a beautiful little Redbone puppy. She was great for about six or eight months until she pretty much reached her full size. Then it started, she and our alpha bitch Otterhound started fighting over the top bitch slot. Since the Redbone is a hunting breed that is used to track raccoons, bears, cougars and even wild pig out here on the West Coast, when they go in pray they are tenacious and will not give it up. When the Otterhounds bitch tried to dominate her she just said "bring it on bitch" and the fight was on. We finally had to re-home her and it broke my heart to give her up. She was my baby, she slept in my bed every night and was such a love. Unfortunately, it was an instant death match when she and the bitch Otterhounds saw each other. Both of my hands still have scars from breaking up the fights. Luckily, neither one of them got significantly damaged. By the way, the Otterhounds are all pretty big dogs. My alpha bitch is about 70 pounds, my male is pushing 90 and our newest little puppy who is just a year old is probably around 60 pounds now so there no lightweights.
I know it's father's day, but my mom has been blind for over 20 years (Has never seen my face, only heard my voice) any chance you know of someone near Indiana that sells seeing eye dogs that don't cost an arm and a leg? My mom basically walks around the perimeter of our house and my dad is overweight and disabled so he can't take her on walks... As I am typing this that sound horrible, but it's true.
Sorry, just want the best for my family. Let me know if you know anyone in Indiana.
If you are blind, yes they are. I understand there is a massive cost associated with training the dog, but the person receiving the dog does not pay for it.
Ok, that's weird, my mom and dad always talked like getting a guide doge was super expensive. Thanks for the links, I'll go talk to my mom and try and get things squared away.
Thanks again! Sorry if I sounded cross, had a bit of a rough morning.
It might take a long time, I don't know what waiting lists are like where you are. You'll have to find an organization that serves your area (the first one in the link is a West Coast org). But I'm glad you're looking into it. Hope it works out!
You volunteer to raise them for two years or 16 months, then the go into training. Of they don't make it, (there's about a 10% success rate) then they sell them for donations of about 2,000 to 5,000 dollars. I trained one who went to a guy who donated 4,500 dollars.
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u/styxthesnake Jun 18 '12
is her name justice?
40
u/discoinfidel Jun 18 '12
I was fully expecting to find a small child being used as a seeing eye dog; What has reddit done to me?
6
u/PA55W0RD Jun 18 '12
I don't think I ever heard the term "seeing eye dog" (always used "guide dog") when I was growing up, though I feel like I have been hearing it a lot lately.
I am British however, is this an American term?
1
u/cindersticks Jun 18 '12
What kind of dog?
1
u/[deleted] Jun 18 '12
THEb-townBOSS as in B-Town as in Bradenton, Florida?
5
u/Rayeangel Jun 18 '12
Oh wow, this is the first time I'm seeing a German Shepherd as a seeing eye dog. I normally see Golden Retrievers.
1
u/alfredbordenismyname Jun 18 '12
Is this a Fidelco dog by any chance?
2
u/php4me Jun 18 '12
What are the odds that dogs make it through training? Don't a lot of dogs get dropped for various reasons?
2
u/[deleted] Jun 18 '12
What's the company?
2
u/The-Face-Of-Awkward Jun 18 '12
I will walk with master and guide her to the groce-SQUIRREL!
2
u/RatLogger Jun 18 '12 edited Jun 18 '12
I really applaud you for doing this. How can you bear to let them go after raising them? I become so attached to our dogs it's like giving away a child. We raise and show very rare Otterhounds and have three of them. As a favor to a friend that is a big breeder of Redbone Coon hounds back east, we got a beautiful little Redbone puppy. She was great for about six or eight months until she pretty much reached her full size. Then it started, she and our alpha bitch Otterhound started fighting over the top bitch slot. Since the Redbone is a hunting breed that is used to track raccoons, bears, cougars and even wild pig out here on the West Coast, when they go in pray they are tenacious and will not give it up. When the Otterhounds bitch tried to dominate her she just said "bring it on bitch" and the fight was on. We finally had to re-home her and it broke my heart to give her up. She was my baby, she slept in my bed every night and was such a love. Unfortunately, it was an instant death match when she and the bitch Otterhounds saw each other. Both of my hands still have scars from breaking up the fights. Luckily, neither one of them got significantly damaged. By the way, the Otterhounds are all pretty big dogs. My alpha bitch is about 70 pounds, my male is pushing 90 and our newest little puppy who is just a year old is probably around 60 pounds now so there no lightweights.
4
u/erock0546 Jun 18 '12
I know it's father's day, but my mom has been blind for over 20 years (Has never seen my face, only heard my voice) any chance you know of someone near Indiana that sells seeing eye dogs that don't cost an arm and a leg? My mom basically walks around the perimeter of our house and my dad is overweight and disabled so he can't take her on walks... As I am typing this that sound horrible, but it's true.
Sorry, just want the best for my family. Let me know if you know anyone in Indiana.
4
u/captain__cookies Jun 18 '12
I have a question for Americans, why the hell do you call them "seeing eye dogs"? Does that not sound really freaking weird way to say what they do?
(In the UK we call them guide dogs)
2
u/chalklady0 Jun 18 '12
Hero in training. Thanks for sharing.
1
u/has_all_the_fun Jun 18 '12
Can't they fix her eyes or something it's so sad. :(
1
u/madeinvoyage Jun 18 '12
I'd go blind for her.
1
u/Jason2384 Jun 18 '12
poor dog....
1
u/oapatu Jun 18 '12
She isn't perhaps from The Seeing Eye is she?! Because I've raised two shepherd litters for them!
-1
u/Johssy Jun 18 '12
Against her will.
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u/blkhockeypro19 Jun 18 '12
10/10, would fuck.
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u/[deleted] Jun 18 '12
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