From September 23 to 29, the association Guide Dogs for the Blind of Provence Côte d’Azur Corsica is launching, for the second consecutive year, Guide Dog Week to raise awareness among the general public and visually impaired individuals about the role of these companions and their daily contributions.
In France, nearly 65,000 people are blind and 2 million are visually impaired. Last year, the schools affiliated with the FFAC provided 200 guide dogs. This year, the target is 250.
Host families play a fundamental role in the journey of a future guide dog: 30 host families in the Côte d’Azur are currently active.
This year’s communication campaign highlights the fundamental role of host families. They hold a crucial role throughout the entire journey of a future guide dog.
This campaign also serves as an opportunity to remind that guide dogs have the right to enter all public places freely and without charge. This initiative is particularly supported by the General Council of Alpes-Maritimes, through its master plan on accessibility of departmental buildings to people with disabilities.
During this launch, a practical workshop will be offered. Participants will put themselves in the shoes of a visually impaired person by performing a course with a guide dog, blindfolded.
Delivering a guide dog to a visually impaired person is the result of extensive educational work carried out by a solidarity chain, with each link being essential: host families, trainers, volunteers, donors.
The training of a future guide dog takes about 18 months and is divided into two stages:
For approximately 12 months, the puppy is placed in a host family, who, accompanied by a trainer from our school, teaches it the basics of becoming a well-behaved companion dog: sit, lie down, stand, stay, don’t touch, become house-trained, walk on a leash, avoid jumping on beds and sofas, don’t bark, etc. The host family also socializes the puppy by exposing it to as many different environments as possible: public transportation, shopping malls, interactions with children, and meeting other animals, etc.
The dog then spends about 6 months at our school, located in Eze, to learn the specific education required for its future role as a guide dog: avoiding obstacles, guiding its owner, remembering the key commands of its future owner …
