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(2007-10-11 15:07:52) In Hungary over 15,000 people are blind or partially sighted.
Many of them use a white stick to help them negotiate the streets,
but a guide dog can provide far more assistance. The Vodafone
Hungary Foundation has supported the costs of running Hungary’s
only guide dog training school. Now blind people have the
opportunity to achieve independent travel with safety, through the
use of professionally trained guide dogs.
What Makes a Good Guide Dog?
The combination of selective breeding, conditioning, specialised
training and care makes a successful guide dog.
Physically guide dogs must be healthy, of good working size, and easily maintained. Temperamentally they must show a willingness to work, be confident, tolerant, not shy or frightened in any situation, non-aggressive, adaptable to change, have initiative and the ability to concentrate
| Guide dog on a leash with owner. |
History of Dog Training
| The first systematic attempt to train dogs to aid blind people came around 1780 at ‘Les Quinze-Vingts’ hospital for the blind in Paris. The more modern use of guide dogs began during the First World War, when it was recognised that guide dogs could assist the thousands of soldiers who had been blinded, often by poison gas. It was through the success of this work that the value of guide dogs was recognised. In 1934 The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association was founded. Since then, guide dog schools have opened all round the world. The International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF) was formed in 1989, following meetings over several years of guide dog schools around the world. |
Guide Dog Training in Hungary
The school is affiliated to the National Association of the Blind
and Partially Sighted, which provides some financial support, but
this does not cover the full costs of running the
school.
The need for guide dogs in Hungary is large – while there are more than 15,000 blind or partially sighted people, only 117 have a guide dog. A person has to wait on average two to three years to receive a dog. When they receive the dog they make a nominal payment of 10,000 Hungarian Forint (HUF) (approx £28) – which does not cover the cost of training a dog as this amounts to 500-800,000 HUF (£1,375-2,200). The owner has to cover the costs of keeping the dog which amount to 5-8,000 HUF (£14-22) per month, and some people cannot afford these costs as they receive no financial assistance from the state for their dog.
| The Vodafone Hungary Foundation, an independent charitable trust, was established in 2003 at the initiative of the Vodafone Group. The Group has set up foundations in every country where there is a Vodafone operating company. The objective is to make a difference to the lives of individuals through programmes that support the sick, the needy and the disadvantaged, especially children. In practice, they tend to work with NGOs to help the homeless, the physically and mentally disabled and the socially disadvantaged. The Foundation provided 5,500,000 HUF (£15,300) to support the school for a year to double its capacity. Vodafone employees helped clear up the training course, and repaired barriers and equipment. |
Dog Selection
Certain breeds are more suited for this work – Golden Retrievers
and Labrador are popular choices. They are not aggressive and like
most people including children. They are affectionate, intelligent
and eager to please – all important qualities of a working guide
dog. Breeders, who are partnered with the school, keep the bitches,
and once the pups are born look after them for the first eight
weeks, covering any veterinary charges. The school pays for the
registration of the dog.
After eight weeks the pups are housed with volunteer families who look after the puppies during their demanding first year. The volunteers introduce the young pups to normal sights, sounds and smells so they become accustomed to the noise, traffic and people. This means taking the dogs on buses and trains, into shops and along busy streets so they are not frightened by these noises whilst guiding. The puppy walker will also teach the puppy to walk ahead on the leash (not ‘to heel’) as it will once a guide dog, and to obey simple commands such as ‘sit’, ‘down’, ‘stay’ and ‘come’.
The family receive 10 kg of dog food per month, a leash and a dog collar, and the school covers any veterinary charges.
In their first year the dogs come to the school once a month for a health check and to ensure that they have the right temperament to become good guide dogs.
When it is one year old the dog begins its intensive six-month training. In the first month trainers observe the dog and decide whether it is ‘trainable’ to become a guide dog. If it is not suitable it is offered back to the original family, but if this is not possible the school tries to find a family who would like to have a dog.
During the six-month training the dog must become familiar with the training course. This contains many obstacles, and the dog must be able to cope with them. It must learn to avoid potential hazards such as barriers and overhanging branches which could injure the owner. There is a special ‘car’ that helps the dog sense vertical and horizontal dimensions. It must also learn the skill of how to guide a blind or partially sighted person.
The dogs learn:
- To walk in a straight line in the centre of the pavement unless there is an obstacle.
- To stop at kerbs and wait for the command to cross the road, or to turn left or right.
- To judge height and width so that owners do not bump their head or shoulder.
- How to deal with traffic.
Receiving a Dog
In the last two months of training, effort is put into choosing the
owner. Matching the correct dog with the correct owner takes
experience and it is important that the owner is right for the dog.
The person who wants a dog must complete a four-page document about
his or her needs. The owner’s length of stride, height and
lifestyle all play a part in the selection of the right dog.
While selecting a dog, owners have to come to the school frequently during these last two months. They spend some time with a few dogs to find the best one. Then, in the last two weeks, they are with the selected dog all day long, getting used to the dog, learning how to care for it, how it guides them, and how it will affect their lives. At the training school there is accommodation where the new owners can stay while they become used to working with their new dog.
Two weeks after they leave the school the owner and dog have to pass a test to show how they are coping on public transport. There is a committee who score the dog and its owner during the exam. A trainer will visit the owner’s flat or house to check on how the dog is being looked after and housed. Owners must get used to looking after their dogs, feeding and grooming them and making sure they stay fit and healthy. If any additional support is needed this can be provided during these checks.
After about eight years a dog retires. The owner can give the dog back to the school, or they can keep it until it dies.
Benefits of a Guide Dog
Not only does the dog improve the owner’s mobility, but it is also
a social companion. It opens up possibilities for employment and
joining in with the community.
There is still a large demand for guide dogs in Hungary.
However, with the help of the Vodafone Foundation, the capacity of
the training school has doubled. The lives of many blind people
have already been transformed.
Acknowledgements
Hands On would like to thank Emese Batki, from Vodafone Hungary,
for her help in putting together this case study.
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