Guide Dogs For the Blind - What Breeds Do They Train to Be Guide Dogs?

What Breeds are Used as Guide Dogs?trainable, and they were intelligent enough to work out
Many people wonder what breeds of dogs are mostproblems or situations beyond the scope of their
commonly used as guide dogs for the blind. Guide dogtraining. Most guide dog programs later switched to
organizations recognize the dog breeds mostLabrador Retrievers because the image of German
appropriate for use as guide dogs for the blind asShepherds deteriorated among clients. German
Golden Retrievers, Labradors, and German Shepherds.Shepherds need confident owners who can train and
These breeds are the ones most frequently chosen,handle them, for they can be hard-headed and
but that doesn't exclude other breeds such as Poodles,destructive if they lack proper mental and physical
Collies, Boxers, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers andstimulation and they tend to bite if they are not well
Airedale Terriers.trained.
Some guide dog programs choose cross-breeds like aLabrador Retrievers on the other hand have been
Golden Retriever/Labrador cross. The Golden/Labconsidered the most successful breed used as guide
cross is quite popular for use as guide dogs for thedogs for the blind. In fact, 70% of the dogs used as
blind since both breeds are known to be intelligent,guide dogs for the blind in the U.S. are Labrador
have a strong work ethic and early maturation.Retrievers. And this is true for most programs
Labradoodles are also common; they are Labradorthroughout the world.
Poodles specifically bred to provide dogs that shedThe well-respected Seeing Eye program in
less for the owners who have allergies to hair orMorristown, New Jersey places Labs at the top of
dander. Other breeds may be difficult to obtain astheir list of suitable breeds. The American Kennel Club's
guide dogs because most programs don't accept(AKC) top ten most popular dogs rankings show the
them for training.Labrador Retriever still reigns supreme. The dogs on
The most important qualifications for a great guide dogtheir list are extensively used in many guide dog
for the blind are intelligence, capability, willingness toprograms throughout the world. The three of the top
work long hours, high stress tolerance, and good health.four ranking from the highest are as follows: Labrador
Golden Retrievers, Labradors and German ShepherdsRetriever, German Shepherd, and Golden Retriever.
share all these traits, and are widely accepted andGuide dog organizations recognized these breeds
easily recognized by people as a guide dog.capacity and adaptability to become qualified guide
During World War I, German Shepherds were thedogs for the blind and to support the basic needs of
original guide dogs. They were primarily selected fortheir owners to enable them to experience the
their availability. But their training and temperamentindependence and freedom in the life they choose to
were perfectly suited for the job: they were bred tolive.
work, oftentimes for very long hours; they were