Frontiers in Veterinary Science (Dec 2016)
An investigation of the complexities of successful and unsuccessful guide dog matching and partnerships.
Abstract
Matching a person who is blind or visually impaired with a guide dog is a process of finding the most suitable guide dog available for that individual. Not all guide dog partnerships are successful, and the consequences of an unsuccessful partnership may result in reduced mobility and quality of life for the handler (owner), and are costly in time and resources for guide dog training establishments. This study examined 50 peoples’ partnerships with one or more dogs (118 pairings) to ascertain the outcome of the relationship. Forty three of the 118 dogs were returned to the guide dog training establishment before reaching retirement age, with the majority (n = 40) being categorised as having dog related issues. Most (n = 26) of these dogs’ issues were classified as being behavioural in character, including work related and non-work related behaviour, and 14 were due to physical causes (mainly poor health). Three dogs were returned due to matters relating to the handlers’ behaviour. More second dogs were returned than the handlers’ first or third dogs, and dogs that had been previously used as a guide could be rematched successfully. Defining matching success is not clear-cut. Not all dogs that were returned were considered by their handlers to have been mismatched, and not all dogs retained until retirement were thought to have been good matches, suggesting that some handlers were retaining what they considered to be a poorly matched dog. Almost all the handlers who regarded a dog as being mismatched conceded that some aspects of the match were good. For example, a dog deemed mismatched for poor working behaviour may have shown good home and/or other social behaviours. The same principle was true for successful matches, where few handlers claimed to have had a perfect dog. It is hoped that these results may help the guide dog industry identify important aspects of the matching process, and/or be used to identify areas where a matching problem exists.
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