“Follow the Dog”: Using the Go-Along Method in Research on Training and Working with Guide Dogs for People with Visual Impairment

Abstract

Training and working with a guide dog both take place largely on the move, in public spaces, on the way to the next destination. Trainers, puppy raisers, and visually impaired handlers travel many miles with the dog, learning about each other and interacting with various elements of the environment. The go-along method – used by sociologists, ethnographers, and geographers studying the interdependence of movement, space, perception, daily practices, and strategies – creates an opportunity to understand the dynamics of such interspecies cooperation. It has proved particularly useful in the ethnographic project focusing on different stages of training guide dogs and visually impaired handlers, as well as their verbal and non-verbal communication. Besides the substantive benefits of applying the go-along method, this article also discusses premises, practicalities, and limitations associated with go-alongs, including the dilemmas related to data recording and presentation.

Keywords

• guide dogs
• visual impairment
• disability studies
• animal studies
• go-along method