Understanding your guide dog

A guide dog partnership is an exciting journey full of companionship, loyalty, and new possibilities. To make the most of this special relationship, it's crucial to take the time to understand your guide dog's unique behaviour, personality, and capabilities. By developing a deep understanding of your guide dog, you can build a strong bond, and work and communicate together more effectively to navigate the world around you.

Your guide dog's senses

In this partnership, your guide dog is the driver, and you’re the navigator. Your guide dog is trained to follow your specific cues and make decisions based on what they perceive in their environment. They do this through their senses and rely on sight, smell, hearing, and touch to understand their surroundings.

Dogs have incredible senses, and our guide dogs are trained to use them when working. They have a keen sense of smell and can pick up on changes in their environment. They can also hear sounds beyond our range and detect subtle changes in scents or smells. You can improve your communication with your guide dog by learning more about how they use their senses in everyday life.

Your guide dog's body language and personality

Dogs are unique individuals, each with their own personalities, likes, and dislikes. Their preferences can also be influenced by their age and breed. By taking the time to understand your guide dog's personality and behaviour, you can work together more effectively and build a stronger partnership. Dogs are also great communicators, and they show us how they feel in many ways. Whether through their body posture, facial expressions, or the noises they make, they use different signals to let us know what they need.

Learning to read these signals and sounds will help you identify when your dog is happy and want to interact or play, and when they feel tired or anxious and need space or a break. By recognising these cues and responding appropriately, you can ensure your dog's wellbeing and build a positive working relationship.

Posture

Always pay attention to your guide dog's body posture. A calm and happy dog will appear relaxed, their movements will be smooth and natural as will their tail – although it may wag if they’re particularly excited or happy! In contrast, if your guide dog becomes worried or fearful, their posture and movements will reflect that. Their body may become tense or rigid and their tail may be stiff or tucked. In these situations, taking a break and allowing your guide dog to recover away from what's causing the stress or concern is essential. 

Vocalisations

Your guide dog may also communicate by making noises. Barking, whining, and growling are all ways in which your dog may try to communicate with you. It's essential to understand the meaning behind these sounds so that you can respond appropriately. Growling is a sign your dog is unhappy or uncomfortable and if your dog is growling, you should contact Guide Line for advice and support.

Situations and context

Being aware of your guide dog's behaviour when you’re out and about together is important. They may become more cautious, slower, or seem reluctant to move forward. This could indicate an obstacle, but equally, they might be overwhelmed and need a break or reassurance. As their partner, it's essential to build an understanding so you can recognise the signs, identify what triggers certain behaviour, and know when to provide support and guidance.

Taking a break

Lastly, learn to recognise when your guide dog is tired or overwhelmed. If they become lethargic or lose concentration, they probably need a break. By knowing what ‘usual’ behaviour for your dog is, you'll spot when something else might be amiss or when to take a break. This comes over time and with support and training from Guide Dogs’ specialists.

Why consistency is key

It's important to be clear, calm, and consistent in how you communicate and behave with your guide dog. This means always responding in a predictable and reliable way and in line with advice from your Guide Dogs' specialists. This will ensure your guide dog feels confident, and secure, and understands what to expect from you and what's expected of them. 

Getting to know each other and building a bond based on consistency and trust is important. Extreme reactions, like shouting or unpredictable behaviour, can harm this trust and damage your relationship with your guide dog. Positive interactions with your guide dog and keeping up with your training will result in many happy years together as a team. Keeping up with your training also helps your guide dog maintain their skills and confidence. If you need further guidance, don't hesitate to contact Guide Line.

Changes in behaviour

Your guide dog isn’t just your partner but your friend and companion. It's important to remember that they have feelings and needs just like you do. As a guide dog owner, it's up to you to spot any changes in your dog's behaviour. If your guide dog seems less motivated to work, or isn't as responsive as usual, it could be a sign that something is bothering them.

Your guide dog's behaviour can be affected by various factors like their physical health, their environment, the weather and even your emotions and behaviour. If you notice any changes, please contact Guide Line for support and advice.

Positive reinforcement

Positive reinforcement is key to building a successful partnership with your guide dog. It helps you and your guide dog communicate with each other. This means rewarding desired behaviour with things your dog likes, such as a piece of food from their daily food allowance, physical touch or verbal praise.

Positive reinforcement also helps your guide dog build their confidence and trust in you. This is especially important for guide dogs, as they rely on you as much as you do them to navigate and safely guide them through their surroundings.

Using positive reinforcement, you can establish clear communication and expectations with your guide dog and encourage them to feel comfortable and happy with you.

Treating your guide dog with empathy and kindness

Be patient and kind when working with your guide dog, as they need to learn and understand new situations. Both of you will naturally make mistakes, so always try to remain respectful, caring, and compassionate with each other. We all have off days and remember that your dog is always trying their best, so give them the time and support they need to succeed.