Every last Wednesday in April, we celebrate International Guide Dog Day, an awareness holiday founded by Guide Dogs of America. On this day, we honor the incredible partnerships between guide dogs and their visually impaired handlers, and the volunteers and organizations that help empower people with disabilities.

What Exactly Does A Guide Dog Do?

A guide dog is a type of service animal that is specially trained to assist those who are visually impaired. Service animals are allowed public access even in places where pet dogs are not normally permitted, like inside stores, restaurants, and other places of business.
Many people do not realize exactly how a guide dog helps their visually impaired human handler. For the most part, the guide dog helps their handler walk in a straight line while alerting them to obstacles like curbs, stairs, and ledges. The dog does not know which way to go. Instead they take directions from their handler while ensuring that they arrive at their destination safely.
Guide dogs for the blind must not only respond to commands, but also think critically. For example, if their handler wants to cross a busy street and does not realize there’s oncoming traffic, the dog must go against the unsafe command, a specialized skill referred to as intelligent disobedience.
A guide dog can give a blind or visually impaired person a sense of freedom, confidence, and independence. Many individuals with guide dogs are able to work, go to school, and run errands thanks to the help of their canine partner.

How To Celebrate International Guide Dog Day

• Learn your guide dog p’s and q’s. When you see a service dog out in public with their handler, they’re most likely working or in training, and even a moment’s distraction could mean a missed cue or signal that could put their handler in danger. While they’re working, a guide dog is essentially a living accessibility tool for their handler. Never touch, pet, feed, speak to, take photos of, or otherwise interact with a working guide dog. Teach children, friends, and family members to be respectful of guide dog teams and puppy raisers you may meet working in public.
• Consider becoming a puppy raiser. Guide dog organizations depend on volunteers to raise prospective guide dog puppies in their own homes during their first year of life. As a puppy raiser, you’ll socialize, train, and attend puppy classes with your puppy prospect with guidance from your local guide dog puppy club. If you can’t raise a puppy full-time but would still like to help, your local puppy club might be in need of volunteer puppy babysitters.
• Support a guide dog organization near you. Thanks to volunteers and generous donations from businesses and individuals, nonprofit guide dog organizations are able to offer service dogs at little or no cost to individuals with disabilities. You can support their work by sponsoring a puppy, making a one-time or recurring donation, fundraising, or becoming a volunteer puppy raiser, or taking on volunteer opportunities.

VISION

Every pet deserves to live a long, happy, healthy life.