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"Buddy" - Page 2

© Meg Greene Malvasi

Along with German Shepherds like Buddy, The Seeing Eye trains Labrador Retrievers. These two breeds are the most common seeing eye dogs. Golden Retrievers, Boxers, and sometimes mixed breed dogs have also successfully been trained as guides for the blind and the disabled. The guidelines, though, are the same for each breed: intelligence, a gentle, even temperament, good health, and a strong desire to please.

Even with these qualifications, becoming a guide dog isn't easy. For almost two years dogs must be trained to obey basic commands before they are enrolled in a rigorous program that teaches them how to be companion animals. Working in teams of four, specially trained Seeing Eye instructors work with up to ten dogs at a time, teaching them how to become "eyes" to the blind. The dogs learn how to anticipate and carry out commands. But they also learn a lesson that is sometimes more difficult--when to disregard a command if it puts their master's life in danger. These special companions must understand how to think and act on their own to protect their owner at all times!

At the end of their training, the dogs take a "final examination." If they pass, they meet with their new owner to undergo additional training. On average, a guide dog stays with its owner for between seven and ten years, after which a new dog is matched with the owner. But there is no need to be concerned about the fate of these dogs. At the Seeing Eye Institute, there is a waiting list of those eager to welcome a retired guide dog into their homes as pets.

Morris Frank and Buddy demonstrated that the blind could realize the dream of living independent lives. Their story remains an inspiration to men and women around the world. Under the loving and careful guidance of Dorothy Harrison Eustis, The Seeing Eye set the standards to which guide dogs are still trained today. Thanks to these these amazing animals and their trainers, Morris Frank's dream of showing how the blind can live absolutely on their own became a reality.

Want To Know More? Visit The Seeing Eye to find out more about the program. To learn more about other types of working dogs visit Dog-O-Mania.

Check Out At Your Library: There is a biography of Buddy: Buddy: The First Seeing Eye Dog, by Eve Moore (Grade 1+). You might also want to look at Elizabeth Simpson Smith, A Service Dog Goes To School (Grade 3+), Charles & Linda George's Guide Dogs (Grade 4+), or Alice B. McGinty's Guide Dogs: Seeing For People Who Can't (Grade 4+).

The copyright of the article "Buddy" - Page 2 in History For Children is owned by Meg Greene Malvasi. Permission to republish "Buddy" - Page 2 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.