If you were in the middle of trying to help somebody up a flight of stairs or crossing the street, distractions from random people wouldn’t exactly help.
Interrupting your concentration during such a task could even prove dangerous – it’s exactly the same with working dogs.
But worryingly, the charity Guide Dogs has found that 55% of guide dog owners say members of the public distract their dogs at least once a day.
Incidents like these can be really frightening for the owners, who need their dogs to focus on keeping them safe.
On top of that, one in five Brits (21%) admitted to stopping and distracting a guide dog while it was working, and over two-thirds (68%) of guide dog users polled by the charity said they have changed their plans or restricted tips to certain places to avoid these very kinds of distractions.
Linsey Moore, who’s from Leeds, has been partnered with three-year-old yellow Lab-cross-Retriever guide dog Iris, since 2022.
Linsey, 51, has faced regular interference from random people when she and Iris are out together and thinks there’s an overall lack of understanding among the general public that the dog is doing important work and should not be disturbed.
‘When I am walking down the street, people will make funny noises at Iris or try and call her over,’ she explained. ‘Sometimes she’ll be patted on the head when I’m crossing the road, which makes me nervous as we both really need to concentrate then.
‘The worst experience was when I was trying to get down the stairwell at a busy concert, and people kept reaching out to stroke her as we tried to get past. On other occasions, I have even had people grab her lead or harness, when they are trying to be helpful and give me directions, which is really difficult to deal with.’
A significant amount of those polled believe that a guide dog’s work is as important as nurses (67%) and the fire brigade (65%), and even more important than lawyers (42%) and dentists (26%).
Despite the fact that 92% of Brits think it’s dangerous to distract a working dog, nearly three in 10 (27%) still somehow think it’s okay to inflict themselves on the guide dog if they’re having a break, and a quarter (24%) claim that guide dogs ‘deserve’ a pet and a fuss from the public because they work hard.
In response to this problem, Guide Dogs has produced a series of photos as part of the charity’s ‘Don’t Dive on the Dog’ initiative. The images compare the experience of guide dogs with those of uniformed professionals such as a paramedic and construction worker.
The pictures show these workers being distracted in the same way that guides dogs are daily in a bid to highlight how inappropriate it is to distract them.
Tim Stafford, director of canine affairs at Guide Dogs, said: ‘Guide dogs are working professionals who play an essential role in providing independence to people with sight loss.
‘We kindly ask the public to respect guide dogs’ jobs by refraining from petting, talking to, or distracting them while on duty, whether the guide dog is walking somewhere or quietly settled with their owner. Our guide dogs need to focus on guiding their handlers safely and confidently.
‘By treating them with the same courtesy as you would any other uniformed worker, you help enable guide dog owners to live their lives freely and without disruption.’
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