Lucky the guide dog

Lucky the Standard Poodle

Lucky is now with us. Introducing him to our pack went smoothly. The little guy took it all in stride. Lucky has only been with us for a few days, but he's already showing me very clearly that we made the right choice. Lucky will be my shadow for the next year and a half. He'll accompany me everywhere and soak up as many impressions as possible. At around 12 months old, the real training begins. Lucky has to learn how to avoid all obstacles. Not only that, but he always has to take his owner into account when maneuvering. He has to find the pedestrian crossing or a place to sit. Likewise, the push button at the traffic lights, the ticket counter or machine at the train station. The door on the train or bus and an empty seat. He has to indicate the steps and curbs when crossing the street. Or, for example, if there's a construction cable on the sidewalk, Lucky has to point it out so his owner doesn't trip over it. He'll take him safely to the shops and guide him safely through the store. If the owner drops the key, he must pick it up and bring it back.

I've been with my trainer's family for 14 days now. I like it quite a bit; the other dogs who live there are okay. I can almost always go somewhere with my trainer. On Saturday, we went to a supermarket, and it was really busy. I had to lie down by the checkout and leave all the children and people alone—I have no idea what the point of that was. It would have been fun to chase after the children a bit. Oh well, I just made sure to behave myself, and my trainer was very pleased with me. After that, I had to follow our owner around nicely while she was shopping, or stop whenever she looked at something, but that was no problem at all. Then I went to the woods with my trainer, where I was allowed to jump around to my heart's content. By the time we got home, I was a little tired.

A visually impaired man is forging a new path. Peter Dirriwächter has always been deeply committed to the cause, whether through self-organized events or his volunteer work at the former guide dog school. Now, the time has come for Peter to put his ideas and efforts to more targeted use. Therefore, he has launched a project that deserves recognition and support. As someone with a visual impairment himself, Peter understands all too well the challenges faced by people with disabilities. If you would like to support a worthy cause through a donation or by becoming a patron, Peter is the right person to contact. Your money will be used precisely for the intended purpose. Visit the website www.treuehelfer.ch. I wish Peter and everyone involved every success in their selfless work helping others; it truly deserves my utmost respect.

Peter had the idea to strap a mobile phone to his guide dog Lucky's lap so he could film himself going shopping. Peter did this one day, unaware of what he would encounter along the way. The video is exactly as it happened.

In this video, you will see situations where Lucky makes all the decisions on his own, and Peter has no idea why Lucky acted that way. Peter has complete trust in Lucky's abilities. What you see here is not standard practice for guide dogs. You won't hear any commands from Peter; Lucky takes the lead independently. In the first situation, when they walk out of the garden gate onto the street, Lucky signals to Peter that he wants to cross to the other side. However, he doesn't simply cross the street. Instead, he indicates this to Peter with a ninety-degree turn and stops to let the cars pass before crossing. When they arrive at the store, Lucky leads Peter to a specific spot and waits until a sales assistant approaches. Then, Lucky follows Peter around, ensuring Peter is involved in the shopping experience and always available if the assistant has a question. In a store, Lucky has to be especially careful, as it can get very crowded, and he must make sure that Peter doesn't bump into anything or collide with anyone. Afterwards, as you head back home, you'll witness a situation that clearly demonstrates Lucky's remarkable abilities. Maintenance work is being carried out on the sidewalk, and the workers have closed it off. You'll see Lucky make the decision entirely on his own to lead Peter into the street, past the barrier, and then back onto the sidewalk. Trained guide dogs would run to the barrier, stop, and indicate that something is there. Then the blind person would have to find their way around the construction site with their cane or with the help of the workers. But in this video, you see Lucky taking the lead and safely guiding Peter past the construction site. A dog trained to be so independent can therefore guide its owner even in unfamiliar places – that's truly remarkable.