[NAGDU] Just Curious; is there a comprehensive list available out there somewhere?

Thu Jun 9 11:15:05 UTC 2016

I don't think a comprehensive list of all breeds used as guides is possible. 
There is historical evidence of very small dogs working as guides for blind 
folks living on the street in the way past.   There is no way to know what 
breed those dogs were.  Even in the modern era, there are lots of mixes used 
and without DNA testing there's no absolute way to know what's what.

Then there is your particular definition of guide dog.  There is Lizzie's 
case of the Cocker in Florida who worked for the sighted person with 
dementia.  Is that a true guide dog?  I'd say no, but that's just my 
opinion.  I remember reading a news article of a lady in Iowa who trained a 
smallish dog to be her guide.  Again no harness, she had a small amount of 
vision and chose to use the dog visually to assist her with signaling to 
environmental features.  Is that one a guide dog?  I don't know.

Personally I've worked a Coonhound, lab mix, lab and Boxer mix and now my 
Doberman.   I do like the Boxer and Doberman and probably would find any of 
the working breeds suited to what I want in a guide.   I'd absolutely work a 
Rottweiler if one came my way with the right qualities.  Jetta just turned 3 
yesterday, so my next dog is a long way down the road, but at this point I'm 
thinking of owner training with a shelter dog.  We'll see how that goes. 
Life has a way of happening!

To Dan, I love the look and the history of the Tibetan Mastiff.  If I had a 
magic wand and could afford one, could find one, could have the space and 
there would be no space issues in working such a big dog...that's a lot of 
if's, but you asked *smile*  I think that would be pretty cool!  However 
it's doubtful that I will ever even meet one, let alone have one in my life.

Julie
Courage to Dare: A Blind Woman's Quest to Train her Own Guide Dog is now 
available! Get the book here:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QXZSMOC
-----Original Message----- 
From: Dan Weiner via NAGDU
Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2016 11:41 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Cc: Dan Weiner
Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Just Curious;is there a comprehensive list available 
out there somewhere?

I didn't know there was such a thing as an American white shepherd, I've
herd of Canadian shepherds which I thought were white, how interesting. I'm
a great dog lover and I would find any breed of dog acceptable probably if
it could guide me properly and stay under control.
Now under the rubric of frivolity, which breed would you want if
theoretically any breed, I mean any any breed imaginable could be trained. I
want a Tatra mountain shepherd, a big shepherd dog from the Tatra mountains
in Poland--lol I  think I read about them when I was a kid or pictures I
think I saw made me always remember them, big white dogs who lived in the
mountainous regions and were herders and guard dogs--smile

But for now I will keep my Labrador, he's so adorable and he's a great
guide.

But I do wish I could take walks with many guide dogs djust for the
experience.  Of course our training protocol here in the US doesn't allow
you to do that, sadly, you just get one dog they thinnk is the most
appropriate and you walk with him or her. but I'd love to try out a lot of
dogs just for fun and because I like dogs if nothing else--smile

Best wishes,

Dan

-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Caitlyn Furness
via NAGDU
Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2016 5:54 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Cc: Caitlyn Furness
Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Just Curious;is there a comprehensive list available
out there somewhere?

Hi cheim,

I don't know of any official list..

I have personally successfully worked with: lab, boxer, samoyed, german
shepherd, and doberman.

My current dog, a female Doberman, is from Gallant Hearts.  GH uses
Dobermans, goldens, and shepherds.

I know one school(Freedom guide dogs), who uses american white shepherds,
smooth collies, and labs.

hth a little,
Caitlyn

> On Jun 8, 2016, at 2:57 PM, Chaim B. Segal via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
wrote:
>
> Hi Again:
>
> This post may be a tiny bit OT for the Seeing Eye list, but I am staying
within the parameter of guide dogs. I know that for the most part, the
breeds which Seeing Eye trains are German Shepherds, Labradors, (black and
yellow), Golden retrievers, back-crosses like Yahtzee, and in some cases,
Boxers. While attending an evaluation at Lion's World Services For The Blind
back in the summer of 1993, one of the counselors there was a Leader Dog
user whose dog was a Doberman. I understand that Pilot, and possibly some
other schools are training poodles. I won't swear to it, but I think I heard
somewhere that there has been a Rotweiller (unsure of spelling) out there in
use as a guide with somebody in the past.
>
> I am wondering if anybody out there has ever compiled a comprehensive list
of all breeds, and even mixed breeds of dogs, which have been successfully
trained and used as guides? I'm not talking about use  for other
disabled-related services. If there is not such a list out there, is there a
site where I can find out such information?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Chaim
>
> Chaim B. Segal
> Contact Marketing Representative
> Sinclair College
> Dayton, Ohio
>
> Please check out my web site for more information regarding Part One of my
first published work:
> http://www.dvorkin.com/chaimsegal
>
> Every man, woman, every boy and girl, Let your Love Light Shine, make
> a better world.
> Daryl Hall & John Oates
>
> Sent from my Hinms Braille Sense U2 Mini
>
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