The Seeing Eye, the oldest guide dog school in the world, celebrates its 104th anniversary today. This school was the first dedicated to pairing the visually impaired with dogs to help them navigate the world. The incredible work this school did and continues to do is a necessity to those with visual impairments.
At its inception, the concept of a Seeing Eye dog was novel. Now, TikTok guide dogs and their handlers give us a window into their unique and incredible lives in a way we haven’t been able to access before.
History of The Seeing Eye
The Seeing Eye came about from the perfect storm of circumstance, philanthropy, and advancements in communication.
The idea of a “guide dog” was conceived in post-WWI Germany as a response to the number of newly visually impaired individuals who had lost some or all of their eyesight in the war. While schools across Germany began experiment with guide dogs, dog breeder and philanthropist Dorothy Harrison Eustis — an American transplant — ran a German Shepherd training facility in Switzerland. Fascinated by the Germans’ work, Eustis wrote an article in “The Saturday Evening Post” about the new developments. Morris Frank, a visually impaired man from Tennessee, caught wind of the advancements through the article and contacted Eustis. The rest is history.
Frank and Eustis founded The Seeing Eye in his hometown of Nashville. Eventually, they moved the location to a more suitable spot in New Jersey. Throughout his life, Frank had a total of six Seeing Eye dogs, all named Buddy.
Modern Lives of the Visually Impaired Seen Through TikTok Guide Dogs
After WWI, the concept of a guide dog was spread through international newspapers and other print sources. Now, we can watch these impressive Seeing Eye dogs work in the palm of our hand. We can even ask questions directly to their handlers. Not only have technological advancements made it easier to understand the obstacles visually impaired people face daily, but they also help guide dogs do their jobs.
Check out some of these impressive pups below.
Rue the Guide Dog
@guidedogrue guide dog finding the car #GuideDog #ServiceDog #Blind #VisuallyImpaired #Disability #L#LegallyBlind ♬ Remedy – Kid Bloom
Rue the guide dog helps her handler, who is legally blind, with a myriad of tasks. From finding a specific car in a parking lot (above) to navigating a sidewalk, Rue has important work to do. In one video, her handler shows how Rue takes a 90 degree turn in front of her to prevent her from walking down the stairs.
Marli the Guide Dog
@myeyes_marli Replying to @my.plushia Here’s why you can’t pet or distract service dogs! #visuallyimpaired #blind #dogsoftiktok #guidedog #servicedog #fyp #educational ♬ Here With Me – d4vd
In addition to showing us how her guide dog, Marli, helps her navigate the world, visually impaired Hailey teaches us about the importance of not petting guide dogs. As she explains in the TikTok above, even waving at a guide dog is dangerous. Any distraction from their very important jobs is frowned upon.
Ava the Guide Dog
@guidedogava Guide Dog Ava did an amazing job guiding me around IKEA #blind #blindtok #guidedog #IKEA ♬ Business Presentation – Background Music Lab
Ava’s handler gives us a glimpse into navigating the busy streets of London. In the video above, she shows us how the two of them work together to do something even seeing people can have problems with: maneuvering around an Ikea. Even when a rogue cart rolls into her path, Ava guides her handler with ease.
The next time you see a guide dog, remember to admire them from afar. They have a very important job to do!
