When You Meet a Person with a Guide Dog...

• Guide dogs should not be petted or disturbed while working in harness. When guide dogs are not working, do not pet them without first asking for permission.



• If you wish to assist a person with a guide dog, first ask if you can be of any help. If your assistance is accepted, then offer your left elbow. Do not grab the guide dog, the leash, harness or the person's arm Doing so may place them in danger.



• Do not offer food or treats to a guide dog without asking for permission. Unscheduled feeding may harm the guide dog's ability to work

Did You Know...?

• Guide dogs mean safe travel, mobility, greater independence and better employment prospects to many people who are blind.



• Guide dogs provide companionship and great emotional support.



• Guide dogs learn basic obedience (come, sit, down and stay). They also learn to stop at curbs and stairs, avoid obstacles in their paths, and to negotiate street crossings, elevators, public transportation, and any situation a person with sight might encounter.

This information was excerpted from a bookmark produced by Guiding Eyes for the Blind, Yorktown Heights, NY. They are one of about fourteen Guide Dog schools in the United States that place dogs with qualified blind people, training them to work with and care for their dogs in intensive 3-4 week sessions.

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This page was last updated   by Lynn Zelvin

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