Any Blind People Doing Schutzhund? - Page 1

Does anyone know of anyone who is blind  training a dog in Schutzhund or, better still, managed to trial?  I recently met a blind man who is keen to train a dog in Schutzhund and would like some pointers for him

Margaret N-J

If there is any rules provision that would apply the SV would be the source .. the Germans have good laws for disabilities and probably will allow a sighted person to steer the handler and prompt visual cues from the judge and the helper only during competition.  

Yes, a blind man recently titled a dog.
He had a spotter who, with his hand on shoulder, helped to guide the blind man.
I wish I could remember the specifics.

Yes, I have seen one and I have judged one... The one I watched did a BH and had someone hold his left elbow and lead him. The one I judged, also a BH, had 2 people help, one at each end of the trial field on the centerline, someone lead her to the start position for heeling pattern. When she started to heel, the person at the end of the field started to ring a small bell, she heeled towards the sound, at 50 paces she did an about turn, then the first bell ringer stopped and one back at the start position started to ring. She finished the rest of the pattern on her own.  She came to the halt position, after the left turn a person stepped in as she was heeling toward the group and took her by the left elbow and lead her through the group. Bell ringers for in motion exercises also. It was very impressive and I was honored to be a small part of her earning her BH and I look forward to seeing her trial in IPO level trials. Very impressive and puts all the complaining by others into perspective.


   Frank

 

That's good to know. I often wonder how I'd do in a trial with my hearing impairment!  No doubt they'd either have the judge stick close to me, or allow someone else to repeat instructions to me if I didn't hear them.

There would be no problem. I have also judged a deaf woman and she had no issues at all. Just told me before hand and I signaled everything with hand motions...

Sun my hearing issue is brain communication issues and I had no trouble as the judge from a distance mainly uses nods and hand gestures. Watching some others with handicaps compete is what gave me courage to get out there as well.

How blind?  As in legally blind with some sight, or 100% blind?  Tom Ritchie was legally blind and not only was he capable of handling dogs, he was a heck of a good helper also.  Cary Peterson is legally blind but handles his dog in French Ring and does decoy work.  But both do have some sight, vague objects, light, etc.  For someone totally blind the bells are a great idea, or the helper to guide them.

Regarding hearing impairments there is a man in AZ named Michael who has titled his dog in French Ring, at the trial we arranged for him to carry the unit from an e-collar.  Any time the judge honked the horn a judges assistant would hit the vibrate button on the collar.  He carried it tucked in his pocket, but it could also be done strapped to an arm or ankle.

Another man in Oregon who is confined to a wheelchair trialed his dog in French Ring, someone else just pushed the chair around the ring following his directions.

The one I watched was "legally" blind but had some sight...The one I judged was completely blind, no sight at all