In Morristown, New Jersey, there is what is probably the most remarkable
school in the world--a school where dogs are educated to liberate
physically the blind people of our country. This school is called The
Seeing Eye and was founded in 1928 by a woman whose life and wealth has
been devoted to this remarkable cause; her name is Mrs. Harrison Eustis.
Female German shepherd dogs are chosen for this work because they are not
easily distracted from the duties entrusted to them. It takes from three
to five months to complete a dog's education. The first few months are
spent with her instructor: she learns to pick up whatever he drops;
learns that if she walks off a curb without first stopping, he stumbles
and falls; that if she passes under a low obstruction, he hits his head.
It is very hard to find men with sufficient patience to learn how to
educate these dogs and it is equally as difficult to teach the blind how
to rely upon and use these dogs.