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Over time, dogs have provided people with companionship, love, and protection. Perhaps one of the most powerful human-canine bonds is the one formed between blind individuals and their dog guides. Many blind individuals have recorded their experience of using a dog guide in novels, tapes, and movies. However, a review of literature revealed that minimal research has been conducted to understand this unique phenomenon.
Bergler (1988) mentions a 1975 dissertation conducted by Delafield at the University of Nottingham. I could not obtain that dissertation, but Bergler states that Delafield's study compared the self-esteem of blind people with dog guides to those with other means of mobility and found that individuals with dog guides had higher self-esteem than those without, and that the increase in self-esteem was most notable when the blind person first acquired a dog. Because that research is more than 20 years old, new evidence would be useful.
I found several studies indicating positive changes in individuals with physical disabilities who used service dogs. Allen and Blascovich (1996) conducted a randomized controlled trial using psychological surveys to test for individual changes associated with receiving a service dog. Although most measures indicated improved functioning, many members of the assistance dog movement are suspicious of the results of the study, especially the absence of reported failures in the areas of dog training and placement success (Eames & Eames, 1996).
Eddy, Hart, and Boltz (1988) tested social acknowledgment of children in wheelchairs with and without service dogs. Their results showed that people smiled significantly more often at participants in the study who were accompanied by dogs. Gaze and path avoidance were less frequent, and conversations were more apt to occur with those who were dog users. This study concludes that service dogs may help to relieve social rejection for those in wheelchairs.
Mader, Hart, and Bergin (1989), who conducted a similar study, found that children with service dogs attracted significantly more looks, were involved in more conversations, and received more smiles and touches. The authors concluded, "If a smile conveys acceptance, friendliness, or social availability, children with dogs receive very different messages from contacts with strangers than do unaccompanied children."
A review of more than 700 Internet sites yielded no additional research findings. Numerous personal stories...