The first "Seeing Eye Dog" that was trained at Morristown, NJ USA was a German Shepherd Dog (GSD or GSDs) named Buddy. For many years the only dogs trained to become aids for the Blind were GSDs. When our "boys" came home from WWI they told tales of how intelligent the GSD is, they told of the bravery, the jobs the dogs working for the German Army were doing, this is probably, in part, how the GSD was chosen to become a Guide for the Blind.

Solomon tells us way back in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible, in Proverbs, "Nothing is new under the sun." Many times when the story is told about Morriestown we believe it to be the first time ever a dog lead a blind person so that the person could get around safely. History shows that in 1819 an Austrian Priest suggested that a dog in a rigid harness could be trained to guide a blind person.....

But it was a GSD named Buddy who became famous in the USA as the first Guide Dog or Seeing Eye dog. For many many years it was only GSDs that were trained for the task.

Now you can see many types and breeds and mixed breeds not only leading the Blind, but also used for Detecting Seizures, helping the Deaf, making life easier for those with other human handicaps.....and for those of us, who are deemed "normal", whatever normal is, that train our dogs to help us out around the house and yard and in general.

Seeing Eye Dogs are MARVELOUSLY TRAINED! They are trained to Multitask each step of the way. They alert their Handlers of Terrain Changes, Traffic, Other People, Where Bathrooms and Doors and Elevators are, when you really sit down and read what these dogs can and are doing....

so more to come

more to come on this page

The contents of this page for Seeing Eyes is still under construction. Please check back later!

-- The Working German Shepherd Dogs Team
Tue, 30 Jul 2013 14:22:15 -0400