The guiding hound
How do guide dogs know where they're going?
Dogs and humans have gone paw in hand for thousands of years. Historic and genetic evidence shows we鈥檝e shaped each other's existence over millennia. But dogs were only first trained as guides for blind people in the UK 90 years ago. What鈥檚 the biology behind this extraordinary partnership? Hannah heads to Guide Dogs UK鈥檚 training school in Royal Leamington Spa. She meets up with expert Graham Kensett to find out what it takes to make a guide dog from nose to tail, starting from before birth and following the life course through to retirement.
Hannah also meets the delightful Wendy and Wilmott, a German shepherd and a retriever cross. Despite both still growing into their ears, they show her their already extraordinary skill set, from tackling obstacle courses to safely crossing roads. Cool, calm, patient, unflappable: Guide dogs are the astronauts of the canine world. But, as trainer Jenna explains, it鈥檚 all in the partnership with the owner, who needs to do plenty of work in terms of training and learning routes to journey in harmony with their furry guide.
Richard Lane has owned guide dogs for over 25 years, and confirms this first hand. He reveals just how he gets to the toothpaste aisle, and tells Adam how at its peak a partnership can navigate London Waterloo station better than some sighted people, even at rush hour. Richard also explains how deeply felt the bond that forms between owner and dog is, and describes the hardest part of guide dog ownership: Letting go at the end.
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- Mon 20 Dec 2021 20:32GMT成人快手 World Service Americas and the Caribbean, UK DAB/Freeview, Europe and the Middle East & Online only
- Mon 20 Dec 2021 21:32GMT成人快手 World Service Australasia, News Internet, South Asia & East Asia only
- Tue 21 Dec 2021 02:32GMT成人快手 World Service
- Tue 21 Dec 2021 09:32GMT成人快手 World Service
- Tue 21 Dec 2021 13:32GMT成人快手 World Service except East and Southern Africa, East Asia, South Asia & West and Central Africa
- Tue 21 Dec 2021 18:32GMT成人快手 World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
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