Lloyd Janice, Budge Claire, La Grow Steve, Stafford Kevin
Discipline of Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia.
College of Health, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
Front Vet Sci. 2021 Apr 22;8:543463. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2021.543463. eCollection 2021.
Guide dogs are mobility aids that facilitate independent travel of people who are blind or visually impaired. Additional benefits imparted to the guide dog handler include companionship, and increased: social-function, self-esteem and confidence. Some evidence shows that the end of the guide dog partnership can result in reduced mobility, and may have profound psychosocial effects on the handler due to feelings of bereavement and loss of self-esteem. However, this evidence is limited. This study examined the experiences and feelings of 36 people across New Zealand, who experienced the ending of at least one partnership with a guide dog (77 pairings), to explore issues arising at the end of the partnership and how this may impact on relationships with subsequent dogs. Results indicate that the majority of handlers experienced a reduction in their quality of life due to a decrease in independent mobility followed by the loss of a friend and companion, curtailment of social interactions, and loss of self-esteem/confidence. The end of the partnership affected people in different ways. Most handlers "accepted" the partnership had ended, but some felt guilty or angry with the guide dog school. Most applied for another dog immediately, as the need for mobility was high, while others preferred to wait and a smaller number did not reapply. Feelings at this time also affected the handlers' relationships with subsequent guide dogs, with over a quarter expressing a negative effect. Retiring a guide dog (for whatever reason) is not only difficult for the handler, but also for the handler's family, friends, co-workers, and doubtlessly, the dog. The majority of handlers expressed feelings of extreme grief when the partnership ended, whether it was successful or not. Feelings of extreme grief were more common for first than subsequent dogs. The depth of emotion was compared to losing a family member or other loved one, which has been reported in some person and pet relationships. A better understanding of issues surrounding the end of the partnership, including the human-animal bond, will help inform the guide dog industry of how best to support their clients during this time and when transitioning to another dog. Findings may be applied to other service/assistance dog users and the pet owning community.
导盲犬是一种行动辅助工具，可帮助盲人或视力受损者独立出行。导盲犬还能给使用者带来其他益处，包括陪伴，以及社交功能、自尊和自信的增强。有证据表明，导盲犬伙伴关系的结束可能导致行动能力下降，并且由于丧亲之痛和自尊丧失，可能会对使用者产生深远的心理社会影响。然而，这方面的证据有限。本研究调查了新西兰36人的经历和感受，他们至少经历过一次与导盲犬伙伴关系的结束（共77对伙伴关系），以探讨伙伴关系结束时出现的问题，以及这可能如何影响与后续导盲犬的关系。结果表明，由于独立行动能力下降，随后失去朋友和伙伴、社交互动减少以及自尊/自信丧失，大多数使用者的生活质量下降。伙伴关系的结束对人们的影响各不相同。大多数使用者“接受”伙伴关系已经结束，但有些人对导盲犬学校感到内疚或愤怒。由于对行动能力的需求很高，大多数人立即申请了另一只导盲犬，而其他人则更喜欢等待，少数人不再申请。此时的感受也影响了使用者与后续导盲犬的关系，超过四分之一的人表示受到了负面影响。让导盲犬退役（无论出于何种原因）不仅对使用者来说很困难，对使用者的家人、朋友、同事来说也是如此，毫无疑问，对导盲犬本身也是如此。无论伙伴关系是否成功结束，大多数使用者都表达了极度悲伤的情绪。与后续导盲犬相比，与第一只导盲犬建立伙伴关系结束时，极度悲伤的情绪更为常见。情感的深度堪比失去家庭成员或其他亲人，在一些人与宠物的关系中也有过这样的报道。更好地理解围绕伙伴关系结束的问题，包括人犬关系，将有助于为导盲犬行业提供信息，以便在这段时间以及过渡到另一只导盲犬时，能以最佳方式支持他们的客户。研究结果可能适用于其他服务犬/辅助犬使用者和宠物饲养群体。
