Helping Dogs

Discover how helping dogs are trained to help their handlers lead independent, happy lives. Real-life stories explain how a guide dog leads a blind person safely across a car-filled street, a hearing dog alerts his hearing-impaired handler to her crying baby, and a service dog helps a person in a wheel-chair prepare for bedtime.

Children's Literature

If you have ever seen a seeing-eye dog and wondered how they are able to do what they do—this is the book with the answers. Perhaps you are interested in training one of these helping dogs and do not know where to begin. This will provide those answers, too. This title in the "Dog Tales: True Stories about Amazing Dogs" series begins with the story of Rigby and the family that raised him from a puppy to prepare him for formal guide dog training. Other chapters include various training techniques and programs such as Puppies Behind Bars and Canine Companions for Independence. Miller is very thorough in her treatment of this topic and provides resources for more information, as well as presenting the sense of respect and importance these animals share in our lives. These dogs display unconditional love with no thought of reward for themselves. In this book we also meet Roselle, a guide dog who assisted in the rescue from the World Trade Center disaster of September 11, 2001; and Flyer, who travels with his owner across country assisting on planes, and on the job, proving how invaluable they are in daily life. An excellent resource for any library, this is sure to get plenty of use, and as it is so well done, it is a pleasure to read. The quantity of photographs is appropriate, though many will wish there were more.