By: Lori Bledsoe
The Alpine Sun
The Harbison Canyon Lions hosted a Free Pasta Cook Off, while they presented Guide Dog Service Animals with Canine Companions. During the event, everyone had the opportunity to meet a working guide dog and see a demonstration of their work. All attendees were able to understand how to behave around a working service dog, and the difference between service dogs, and pets.
By: Lori Bledsoe
The Alpine Sun
The Harbison Canyon Lions hosted a Free Pasta Cook Off, while they presented Guide Dog Service Animals with Canine Companions. During the event, everyone had the opportunity to meet a working guide dog and see a demonstration of their work. All attendees were able to understand how to behave around a working service dog, and the difference between service dogs, and pets.
The Lions have supported Canine Companions for Independence since the beginning. This group was founded in 1975 to create awareness and provide support for individuals in need, with highly trained assistance dogs for adults, children and veterans with disabilities.
The goal that Canine Companions is striving for is to reach Lions Clubs in every state to participate in this worth while program that provides exceptional dogs for exceptional people.
Canine Companions enhance lives beginning with providing highly trained dogs and ongoing support to ensure quality partnerships. Service Dogs assist adults with physical disabilities by performing daily tasks. They also help with cognitive and developmental disabilities as these trained dogs can alert the deaf and hard of hearing to important sounds.
Facility Dogs work with a professional in a visitation, education and health care or criminal justice setting. This organization is also a proponent in the Wounded Veterans Initiative. Canine Companions provides assistance dogs to veterans with physical disabilities resulting from military service.
This program presents an education on what everyone should know about Guide Dogs as well. For instance, Guide Dogs are not robots, they are smart well trained and loving animals that help those in need get places in response to learned commands.
Guide dogs work with their handlers to form a symbiotic relationship that is communicated through mutual training. The dog is highly trained, but the owner of the guide dog must also be trained to know that this dog is not a pet. While a bond is formed between human an dog, mutual respect must be present. The dog is a hard working entity that has a purpose to guide, assist and protect their human counterpart. They are trained to be in communication with their handler once their guide dog harness is in place. They are working when they are wearing their gear, and they are not available for random praise from individuals who just want to pet them or hug them.
While that concept may seem cold, these animals have a purpose and a duty. They wear their harness with dignity. Guide Dogs are not deprived slaves, or are they abused in any way. Guide Dogs have a job to do, and they are trained to function on a very high level. Guide dogs that are trained to lead the blind know to show their charge where stairs are, where the curb is, protect them in traffic. If they fail in their duty it could be very dangerous for both the dog and their handler.
Guide dogs are treated with love. They are social, loving animals that are well fed, well kept and receive routine check-ups and vaccinations. They are also not all work and no play, they also are allowed downtime, just as any other working individual. Once their harness comes off, at the end of the day, they run and play just like any other dog.
