As far as we know, the first person to come up with the idea of dogs leading the blind was an unidentified German in the years after World War I, responding to the needs of blind veterans who’d lost their sight during the war.
A school to train German shepherds as guide dogs opened in Pottsdam, Germany, but due to lack of funding, it closed its doors not long after.
Before it failed, one of its visitors was a wealthy Philadelphian living in Switzerland named Dorothy Harrison Eustis.
Intrigued by the idea, she wrote a lengthy piece on the Pottsdam school for the Saturday Evening Post, in which she mentioned that she was considering the idea of training her own dogs for the blind.
A blind man named Morris Frank heard about Ms. Eustis’s article and immediately started a letter asking if she could train a pooch for him.
Tired of depending on others to get around, the Nashville, Tennessee, native wrote that he was eager to see if he could become more self-sufficient by means of a dog companion.
Eustis wrote back that he was to come to Switzerland and train with the dog; in return, Frank would return to America and teach other blind people and their dogs.
After training Morris with his new dog, Eustis gave him $10,000 to start his own guide dog training school in Nashville. He called it the Seeing Eye, from a Bible verse:
“The seeing eye, the hearing ear; The Lord hath made them both” (Proverbs 20:12).
In its first year the school graduated seventeen people and their dogs. The school is now located in New Jersey and still trains dogs and their blind companions.
Related Posts
-
How Are Seeing Eye Dogs Taught to Interpret Stoplights if Dogs Are Color-Blind?
Dogs are not color-blind like previously assumed, they can see colors, just not all colors. Color comes in red, blue, and green spectrums. Canines have a type of color-blindness called deuteranopia, meaning they…
-
Where does the word “school” come from and What does school mean in Greek?
The Greek schole which was the original source of school, once meant just the opposite from what the schoolboy of today thinks of that institution. It meant vacation, leisure, rest. The education of…
-
Are Cats Color Blind Like Dogs and Do They Only See Black and White?
Humans actually have better vision than cats, except in dim light. But we digress. Domestic cats have rather poor color vision and can only see two colors: blue and green, and are less…
-
How do animal trainers teach guide dogs to cross at the green light if they are color blind?
Since dogs are believed to be color blind, teaching a canine to cross at a green light sounds like a very difficult task. In fact, guide dogs don't look at the traffic light…
-
Which Are the Leading U.S. Farm States In Agricultural Production and Which State Produces the Most Corn?
California leads the country in agricultural production, followed in order by Texas, Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska, according to recent figures. North Dakota produces the most wheat, followed by Kansas. Iowa produces the most…
-
Which Countries Are the Leading Producers of Oil In the World?
The leading producers of oil in the world are Saudi Arabia, the United States, Russia, Iraq, Iran, and Venezuela. All of these countries are members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries,…
