A Second Pair of Eyes for the Blind

Guide dogs are working dogs that replace the eyes of the visually impaired and lead the way for them, known as the "second pair of eyes for the blind". They lead the blind by giving them cues about obstacles and directions to help them reach their destinations, rather than taking them directly to their designated destinations. On the road, the blind person will use a command for the guide dog to walk straight, turn right, or turn left, and the guide dog is responsible for keeping the owner from colliding or falling, or leading the owner away from obstacles when the road changes suddenly. This requires the user to be stable and have good directional walking skills. Medium-sized dogs such as Labrador, Golden Retriever and German Shepherd, and Goldador (a mix of Labrador and Golden Retriever) are all suitable breeds for training as guide dogs, with Labrador being the most prevalent, mainly because they are short-haired and easy to care for. Although guide dogs can be trained to avoid obstacles on the road, their eyes can only see shades of gray, so they cannot recognize traffic lights, and some guide dogs cannot recognize signs on the road either.