Don’t pet the dogs, Disability Resource Center warns
Last summer, Brandi Dodds, a sophomore in social work, would repeatedly get off course as she was walking because her seeing eye dog would follow random people to get attention.
Brandi said her dog would get distracted because people would pet her without Dodds knowing. Pretty soon the dog started sticking its nose on people trying to get them to pet her, she said.
“I didn’t know that until I was walking with somebody,” Dodds said.
Chris Dodds, a visually-impaired freshman majoring in psychology, said that petting the dogs distracts them from their job. The dog could get excited, stop working and run the handler into things, he said.
“If people leave it alone, it teaches the dog that it’s working,” Chris said.
He said a lot of the concern is a safety issue for visually-impaired people. If the dog is not fully paying attention, it could lead the handler into trouble, Chris said.
Dogs mean safe travel, mobility and greater independence for many people who are blind, according to Guiding Eyes for the Blind.
Diane Hardman of the Disability Resource Center said that, often, people do not know how to behave around the dogs. She said they should always ask the handler before petting the dogs.
Petting, feeding or talking to the dogs not only distracts them, but it can get them in trouble, also. The handler may think the dog is misbehaving and discipline it for actions that are actually other people’s.
“[Petting the dog without asking] is worse than asking, because the dog gets punished and it’s not even their fault,” Chris said.
Even if students ask permission to interact with the dogs, petting can still present problems.
“‘Guide Dogs’ strictly says that they’re not supposed to [pet the dogs], because it’s a bonding thing. The dogs need to be totally bonded to you,” Chris said.
Chris and Brandi said they do not always follow that rule because they understand people are interested in the dogs.
Brandi said it can be bothersome when she is in a hurry. She does not always have time to take the harness off and let people play with the dog, she said.
“If I am just sitting waiting for something and I’m not doing anything, sometimes it’s OK,” she said.
When Chris and Brandi do have a chance to talk, they can tell you about the training their dogs went through.
The dogs learn basic obedience skills such as sit, come and stay. They also learn to stop at curbs and stairs, avoid obstacles and handle any other situations a person may encounter, according to Guiding Eyes for the Blind.
It costs approximately $30,000 to prepare each student/Guiding Eyes dog team, but the service is provided free of charge to the students, according to Guiding Eyes for the Blind. The program is funded by donations from individuals, corporations and foundations.
More information can be found at www.guidingeyes.org.