Recently, a blind man in Hangzhou was stopped by security personnel when taking a guide dog on the subway. The reason was that the guide dog was not muzzled and could easily hurt people.
I didn’t expect to see this, but it triggered discussions among netizens.
Netizen 1: What’s wrong with not being allowed on the subway? A dog is a dog. Can you guarantee that it is a dog that won’t bite?
Netizen 2: Just wear a muzzle, what does it matter?
Netizen 3: I’m afraid that if I bite you, you won’t say that.
Is it really such a big threat? Actually no, I think people still have too few ways to understand guide dogs, so it is not surprising to have such comments. Today I will explain to you why guide dogs cannot wear muzzles and whether guide dogs can bite.
Why don’t guide dogs wear muzzles?
As we all know, guide dogs are companions that help blind people travel and are also a pair of eyes for blind people. It can guide the blind when traveling and avoid many dangers. But don’t think a guide dog’s eyes can do these things. The reason why we choose a dog as a guide dog is because it has a strong sense of smell and obedience. It integrates smell, vision, obedience, gentleness, and quietness. It has systemic advantages and can carry out guide work for the blind.
When a guide dog is muzzled, and the subway station itself is a place with a very complex smell and environment, it is easy to affect the guide dog's perception, but it increases the risk of blind people.
Can't you put it on? Well, for example, if we walk with one eye closed, we'll be fine. But when someone walks with one eye closed, is it dangerous? Now let’s talk about the second question, will guide dogs bite and attack strangers?
Can guide dogs bite people?
This may be the question that you are most concerned about. Let me first list the selection criteria for guide dogs. After reading them carefully, I believe you must have the answer in your mind.
In the audition, that is to say, when preparing a guide dog, the blood line needs to be strictly checked. That is, not only that, but also any record of impetuousness from their parents, grandmother, or immediate family members. The dog will be eliminated immediately. Isn't it cruel?
Then, it will be sent to a social family and raised until it is one and a half years old. If there is any record of being irritable or impulsive during this period, it will be passed directly.
At the end, they were sent back to the base and began rigorous training. If there were any abnormal performance during the training, they would be eliminated immediately.
Guide dogs are the working dogs with the highest elimination rate, and the repeatedly emphasized irritability is the most stringent part of the elimination rules. So, biting? Impossible, even the impulsive character will not pass the test, and biting is non-existent.
There are currently only about 200 guide dogs. Do you know what this means? In other words, most of the rare wild animals you see in zoos are dozens of times larger. If you see a guide dog on the road, I suggest you buy a lottery ticket, because the chance of being hit by you is 1 in 17 million. If you are injured by a guide dog, you are probably the first one from the day you got the guide dog. Just kidding, that's not going to happen.
However, here I still suggest that you distinguish between working dogs and pet dogs, not to confuse the two, because the identities of the dog owners are different in essence. If you are lucky enough to encounter a guide dog on the street, please do not come up to pet it, take pictures, chase it, etc., and just let it work quietly.