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Guide dogs, also called seeing eye dogs, are trained to help people who are blind or visually impaired to travel safely and independently.

What are guide dogs?

Guide dogs, also called seeing eye dogs, are working animals. They are specially trained to help people who are blind or have low vision to travel safely around their community and become more independent. Guide dogs are a special type of assistance dog.

How can guide dogs help those with low vision?

Guide dogs help people who are blind or have low vision to move safely and confidently through their daily environment and be more independent. They assist their owners (also known as handlers) to navigate through different places, ranging from crowded city centres to quiet parks.

Guide dogs are taught to:

• obey instructions from their owners on which direction to go
• find a suitable path
• locate elevators, doors and steps
• lead owners to key destinations, such as their place of work, school or university, bus stop or train station, shops and sports facilities
• guide owners on foot through traffic, including stopping at the edge of a road and finding pedestrian crossings
• avoid obstacles, such as other people, bicycles and low overhead objects, such as branches

The guide dog and its owner work as a team. The dog leads its owner along regular routes, but the person must know where to go, decide when it is safe to cross roads or what bus or train to take.

These highly-trained dogs are chosen for their good temperament. They are suitable for anyone from children of school age to seniors. Guide dogs can also be trained in Australia to assist people from non-English speaking backgrounds.

Guide dogs provide constant companionship and can help combat loneliness and depression.

What training do guide dogs get?

Specially-bred puppies (usually labradors and golden retrievers) are trained for about 18 months to become guide dogs.

They spend about a year with a volunteer puppy raiser, who socialises them and takes them to puppy preschool where they learn basic key commands such as 'sit', 'drop' and 'stay'. After this, they have around 5 months of intensive guide dog training and learn various skills, including how to manage distractions in busy, noisy places.

New owners are given free training in how to manage their guide dog.

Can owners take their guide dogs into all public places?

Owners of accredited guide dogs have the right to take their animals free of charge into all public places. This includes:

• shops
• restaurants
• cinemas and hotels
• onto public transport

The Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act 1992 makes it unlawful to discriminate against a person with a disability who is using a guide dog.

You should find out what accreditation you need for a guide dog in your state or territory. Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales require the owner to get a special permit or pass to take their guide dog onto public transport. Find out more about the legal understanding of assistance animals.

How should I behave if I meet a guide dog?

If you see a guide dog wearing a harness, don’t call or pat it. You might distract the dog from its task and could even put the animal and its handler in danger.

How can I get a guide dog?

If you are legally blind or have low vision and feel a guide dog would help you, you can apply for an animal via an organisation such as Guide Dogs Australia or Seeing Eye Dogs of Vision Australia.

You will be interviewed to see if you meet the criteria of the specific organisation and may need to have a medical examination. The organisation may also discuss whether a guide dog is your best option. You need to be able to feed and care for the dog properly.

Guide dogs are matched to individual owners and are usually given free of charge or at a very low cost. As a new owner, you will be given free training in how to manage the dog. This training is tailored to your needs and usually takes between 3 and 4 weeks.

Resources and support

You can find resources and support through the following organisations:

Guide Dogs Australia links to different state and territory member organisations. Call 1800 484 333. The website menu button will allow you to use accessibility features e.g. increase the size of the font for easy reading.

Seeing Eye Dogs, Vision Australia is the national provider of dog guides in Australia and provide ongoing support for clients. Call 1800 422 077.

The Queensland Government has information, a list of approved trainers and training institutions.