Guide dogs are assistance dogs trained to lead blind or visually impaired people around obstacles. Although dogs can be trained to navigate various obstacles, they are red–green colour blind and incapable of interpreting street signs. The human does the directing, based on skills acquired through previous mobility training. The handler might be likened to an aircraft's navigator, who must know how to get from one place to another, and the dog is the pilot, who gets them there safely. In several countries guide dogs, along with most other service and hearing dogs, are exempt from regulations against the presence of animals in places such as restaurants and public transportation.
The Labrador Retriever, or simply Labrador, is a British breed of retriever gun dog. It was developed in the United Kingdom from fishing dogs imported from the colony of Newfoundland, and was named after the Labrador region of that colony. It is among the most commonly kept dogs in several countries, particularly in the European world.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States. In addition to maintaining its pedigree registry, this kennel club also promotes and sanctions events for purebred dogs, including the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, an annual event which predates the official forming of the AKC, the National Dog Show and the AKC National Championship. The AKC is a non-member partner with the Fédération Cynologique Internationale. The AKC recognizes 200 dog breeds, as of 2022.
In general, an assistance dog, known as a service dog in the United States, is a dog trained to aid or assist an individual with a disability. Many are trained by an assistance dog organization, or by their handler, often with the help of a professional trainer.
The Flat-coated Retriever is a gundog breed originating from England. It was developed as a retriever both on land and in the water.
A retriever is a type of gun dog that retrieves game for a hunter. Generally gun dogs are divided into three major classifications: retrievers, flushing spaniels, and pointing breeds. Retrievers were bred primarily to retrieve birds or other prey and return them to the hunter without damage; retrievers are distinguished in that nonslip retrieval is their primary function. As a result, retriever breeds are bred for soft mouths and a great willingness to please, learn, and obey. A soft mouth refers to the willingness of the dog to carry game in its mouth without biting into it. "Hard mouth" is a serious fault in a hunting dog and is very difficult to correct. A hard-mouthed dog renders game unpresentable or at worst inedible.
A Labradoodle is a crossbreed dog created by crossing a Labrador Retriever and a Standard or Miniature Poodle. The term dates back to at least 1955 but was unpopular at the time. Labradoodles are, wrongfully so, considered a good choice for people with canine dander allergies, even though most dogs produced from this mix will shed. However, since a small number of the mixed breeds have the same or similar low shed coat of their poodle parents or grandparents, some people consider this mix a good choice. One should note before getting any dog, poodle or poodle mix, that no dog is truly hypoallergenic, since not only dander can be the source of one’s allergies. Hair, saliva, and even bodily fluids can cause allergic reactions in humans.
A police dog is a dog that is trained to assist police and other law enforcement officers, search and rescue, or the military. Their duties may include searching for drugs and explosives, locating missing people, finding crime scene evidence, protecting officers and other people, and attacking suspects who flee from officers. The breeds most commonly used by law enforcement are the German Shepherd, Belgian Malinois, Bloodhound, Dutch Shepherd, and Labrador Retriever. In recent years, the Belgian Malinois has become the leading choice for police and military work due to their intense drive, focus, agility, and smaller size, though German Shepherds remain the breed most associated with law enforcement.
Service and supports for people with disabilities are those government or other institutional services and supports specifically provided to enable people who have disabilities to participate in society and community life. Some such services and supports are mandated or required by law, some are assisted by technologies that have made it easier to provide the service or support while others are commercially available not only to persons with disabilities, but to everyone who might make use of them.
An animal rescue group or animal rescue organization is a group dedicated to pet adoption. These groups take unwanted, abandoned, abused, or stray pets and attempt to find suitable homes for them. Many rescue groups are created by and run by volunteers, who take animals into their homes and care for them — including training, playing, handling medical issues, and solving behaviour problems — until a suitable permanent home can be found.
Leader Dogs for the Blind is a guide dog training organization located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. It was founded in 1939 by Lions Club members Charles Nutting, Don Schuur and S.A. Dodge, as the second guide dog organization founded in the United States and has paired over 14,500 dogs with the visually impaired worldwide, making it one of the largest organizations of its kind.
The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, known colloquially as Guide Dogs, is a British charitable organisation founded in 1934. The Association uses guide dogs to help blind and partially blind people. The organisation also participates in political activism for the rights of those with vision impairments.
The Seeing Eye, Inc. is a guide dog school located in Morristown, New Jersey, in the United States. Founded in 1929, the Seeing Eye is the oldest guide dog school in the U.S., and one of the largest.
Canine Companions for Independence is a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that trains and provides assistance dogs. As of 2018, it has placed over 6,000 assistance dogs with recipients at no charge.
Vivian Berkeley is a Canadian two-time World Blind Lawn Bowling Champion, 1996 Paralympic Games Silver Medalist and 2002 Commonwealth Games Bronze Medalist.
Guiding Eyes for the Blind is one of eleven schools in the United States that train guide dogs to aide people who are visually impaired. Guide dogs are one type of service dog covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act. All service dogs must be specifically trained to aid their handler with specific life tasks. Guide dogs are trained to help people who are blind or otherwise visually impaired navigate independently in complex environments. Training typically includes 14-18 months of obedience training and socialization by volunteer puppy raisers. Dogs are then returned to the main campus, screened, and paired with the person they will be aiding. The recipient and guide dog are then trained further to work together as a team.
Australian Customs Service breeds and trains Labradors to detect illegal drugs, firearms, explosives and hazardous chemical precursors associated with the manufacture or deployment of chemical weapons. Each year these dogs are responsible for hundreds of detections.
NEADS Inc. is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit program that provides trained service dogs to people who have physical disabilities or who are deaf or hearing impaired; veterans with PTSD; and children with autism or other developmental disabilities.
Pick of the Litter is a 2018 American documentary film by Dana Nachman and Don Hardy about a two-year odyssey following puppies training to be guide dogs for the blind. It had its world premiere at the Slamdance Film Festival in January. A web television series of the same name inspired by the film and following a new group of dogs was released on Disney+ on December 20, 2019.
