The Match
A Seeing Eye instructor holds the body of an empty Seeing Eye harness and guides a student around the turn of a path.
The matching process that pairs a Seeing Eye dog with its new owner is described as part science, part art and part magic. Though Seeing Eye dogs are all trained to follow the same commands, a new partnership does not begin as easily as picking up the harness and saying, “Forward!”
A newly matched team is shown. The woman is smiling as she bends down beside her yellow Lab. The dog is licking her cheek.
During the four-month training process, each instructor keeps notes on their dogs’ work styles. When someone applies for a dog, the application process includes a Juno walk where the instructor plays the role of the Seeing Eye dog and guides the person with the harness. From this, the instructor can evaluate how much pull a person needs from the dog, how fast they like to walk, and dogs who naturally meet those needs are included in the selection process.
The location where the person lives and works their dog the most is compared against any notes about the dog’s performance in those environments during training. Personality is another important consideration. Just like people, dogs have different energy levels and personalities and it’s important to make sure they match their new owner in a way that’s beneficial to both.
