Guide Dogs were the first type of service animals in the community. Guide Dogs also known as Dog Guides, were the first type of service animals in the community.
While living in Switzerland, an American dog trainer, Dorothy Harrison Eustis, was experimenting with the inclination and ability of German Shepherds to be used as working dogs. Eventually, she visited a school that was training German Shepherds to lead blinded World War I veterans back in the late 1920's.
Fascinated by what she had seen, she wrote an article entitled, "The Seeing Eye", about the school, which appeared in the November 5, 1927 edition of The Saturday Evening Post. Shortly thereafter she was contacted by a blind Tennessee man, Morris Frank, who enlisted her to train a dog for his use.
With the valuable assistance of Morris Frank (blind) – founder of the Seeing Eye Inc. and Jack Humphries, this effort eventually evolved into "The Seeing Eye organization" in Switzerland and America.
The Seeing Eye Inc. founded in 1929, was the first formalized dog guide program of its type in the USA. These dogs are trained to assist those with visual impairments in navigating around obstacles (low and high) and crossing busy streets.
The most common breeds at the time were German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers. But over the years since the role of the canine in aiding individuals with disabilities has expanded the use of these Service Animals also expanded whether a person has a physical or mental disability (visual or invisible disability).
