They are working dogs that can function as the ‘seeing eyes’ for the visually impaired. A guide dog can lead a visually impaired person to his destination safely, avoiding obstacles and irregularities.  In addition, many users claim that their guide dogs are their valued family members and are their trusted companions. 

A guide dog is not a taxi driver who can take you to your destination when you tell him the address. Guide dog and his user are a Guide Dog Team, and they are “working” together as partners. Each partner has his own “duty”, in order to ensure safe travel to different destinations. A guide dog can find the way with instructions. The user should know the way and command the dog to go straight forward, turn right or turn left. The dog’s job is to lead his user away from obstacles, prevent him from falling and alert him to any unusual situations on the road. Thus a guide dog user must have good and stable orientation skills.

Our Guide Dog Mobility Instructors are qualified according to the standards of International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF), which proves that our trainings are consistent and up to the international standards. 

No, we do let the dog choose whether they would like to be a guide dog or not by observing their will.  If the dogs show no interest or motivation toward guide dog training, we would not press on with training that dog. We will find a suitable family to take them in, or let them change careers, such as being a therapeutic dog.  In any event we will always make sure that they will have a suitable caring home. 

Dogs are highly adaptable species. They are living happily with humans in variety of environments and climate zones around the world. Every place where humans and dogs (any type of assistance dogs) are living and working is unique and has special requirements for living and working (e.g. excessive heat or cold, rural area, high population density, isolated areas, etc.).

Currently, Hong Kong does not have enough resources and is not advanced enough to development the technology to help guide the visually impaired for their daily lives. Guide dogs also act as companions of the visually impaired people, and this is irreplaceable.

Female dogs have a natural instinct on when to come in heat and when to accept mating with male dogs. During insemination, the female dog will not be forced to mate physically with a male dog. Other gentle inseminations will be used. The health of the female dog is first priority. We will constantly monitor the health and condition of the female dog. All breeding females if they are meeting health/temperament requirements will not breed over four times and they will be retired after 4th litter or in the age of 6. 

In general, a dog’s instinct is an inborn impulse which is adaptable in response to specific external stimuli. Dogs are not the same as their ancestors, humans changed their instincts and made them suitable to live together.  

Any training can change and is changing dogs’ instincts. It is important to use correct training method and develop desired or suppress undesired instincts. Training can ensure that any dog (including pet dogs) will benefit and will have a better and enriched life by fitting better in human society. 

Guide dogs are not “used” they are an equal and reputable partner in the Guide Dog Team.  

HKGDA will provide follow-up and counselling services to ensure that the user is getting along well with his guide dog. A vet will also offer necessary treatment and health assessment regularly. Dogs will have a high living standard and be well treated. There will be social surveillance too. The association will offer assistance to make sure that the guide dog gets decent and caring treatment. 

The times that a guide dog is working is the user traffic time on the road, such as walking, traveling by car, ferry, etc. At other times, the dog will either be resting, playing, or eating. The time for a person on commute is approximately 2-4 hours daily, which means the guide dog is only working for 2-4 hours. Even while on commute, for example on the metro, the dog will also be resting. 

Puppies will be observed and assessed at a young age. We will observe its behaviour, for example, are they willing to walk when they wear the puppy jacket/guide dog harness, feel comfortable in busy areas, confidence to make decisions on their own and whether they have a lack of motivation during training to evaluate whether the puppy is suitable for guide dog training.  In other words, if we see a dog that is happy, confident, motivated and eager to lead, this means he/she enjoys her work as a guide dog.

Normally, guide dog would stay with puppy raiser, boarder and guide dog user these 3 families.  

There are 2 possibilities: 

1. During the puppyhood and training stage, HKGDA’s dogs will stay with the same family and after that, they will be transferred to the client, or: 
2. They will stay with a different family during the training stage. 

In both ways, HKGDA is happy to have caring and educated volunteers to support the puppy/dog in development and providing all necessary for the puppy to grow in well socialized, confident and happy dog high motivated to work and cooperate with people.  

We are glad that our dogs are living with humans in their homes during their all lives, so they do not need to have experience of being in the kennels during the training stage (most working dogs will have training when kenneled).

Retirement time is individual for each dog. Dogs are ageing differently, potential health issues can develop, their willingness to work can change, the environment can change and become too demanding. Considering all listed, HKGDA professionals will make an assessment and decide retire arrangement for the dog.

Our Dog Welfare and Health Supervisor will conduct regular checkups with the dogs. We also conduct health checks at vet clinics to all our dogs to ensure that they are fit to work. Should the dog become very ill and is not suitable to work, the dog will retire and become pet dog. 

Guide dogs are able to be with their users almost every minute of the day. Unlike pet dogs that have to stay home when owners go to work or go out, guide dogs can go to museums, restaurants, take the train and even airplane with the user. The average time for a guide dog at work is only when it is on commute with the user, which is around 2-4 hours a day. During the resting time (when not working) guide dogs are just regular well behaved “pet” dogs. Guide dogs are at rest or playing when it is not at work, which is almost 20 hours per day.

During the puppy raising and training HKGDA professionals will observe dog and find out what is making the dog most relaxed and “happy” – maybe playing with a toy, chewing a bone, cuddling, free running., etc. Trainers will use them to reward and relax a dog, and client will be trained to do the same. 

Dogs have to go to the toilet for about six times a day, depending on the amount of water they drink and their metabolic abilities. Because guide dogs must go in and out of public places with their users, in order to avoid large-scale waste caused by their free will, guide dogs will be taught “toilet training” to go and relieve routinely. 

Of course, if the dog needs to go to the toilet immediately, the user will assist the dog to go to the toilet as soon as possible. 

There is no difference with need for relieving between guide dogs and ordinary pet dogs. Dogs are physiologically able to hold for certain amount of time (eg. overnight). Even the ordinary pet dogs are not allowed to spend anytime they want to they are trained to be spend when suitable for owner (when owner is at home).

HKGDA has always upheld the principle of respecting life and values of the rights and welfare of dogs. HKGDA is applying positive reinforcement as a training method.   

We are eager to learn and improve our techniques! HKGDA is providing training and encouraging instructors and trainers to learn and follow the latest achievements in dog training techniques which suits dogs the best and which are meeting dog welfare standards the best.

1. Guide dogs shouldn’t eat food on the ground in order to avoid mistakenly eating anything that would harm them. It may cause food allergies or indigestion (from consuming new food) to the dogs. 

2. External food may distract them from training or working. It can distract guide dog and unintentionally pose risk to the guide dog and the user.

It will distract the dog and pose danger to the dog and user on the street. 

• In order to know if a dog is happy or not, it is necessary to know and understand its body language. 

• Very often, the facial expression when a the dog is calm, thinking or concentrating doing a certain task is misinterpreted as “unhappy”. 
• Very often dog’s “smiling face” expression is mistakenly considered as a “dog is happy”, but in the reality, it can be one of the signs that the dog is stressed.

Our Guide Dog Mobility Instructor would ensure the dogs guide the visuals impaired person in the safest way for both of them. Also our Dog Welfare and Health Supervisor would continuously monitor the welfare of the dogs. 

We will have a route check to make sure our users and puppy raisers treat the dogs fairly, also we monitor their health accordingly.  If we found evidence that the dogs are treated badly, we may suspend the rights of users and puppy raisers and take the dogs back. 

(a) Be a volunteer – be a foster family (long-term or short-term), participate in guide dog events, give a hand in office work and many others. Please visit our website for details.   

(b) Sponsor medical expenses, dog food, accessories and equipment for dogs. Finance guide dog puppies or make donations to name guide dog puppies. In summary, give financial assistance or manpower support to our events.