在協助犬的幫助下，許多視力、聽力受損和患有其它疾病的人能夠相對獨立地生活。協助犬的一項重要工作就是照顧主人的日常生活起居。比如，導盲犬受訓後，可以引導同行的主人避開障礙物和其它危險；助聽犬受訓後，可以識別火警等重要警示音，提醒主人逃生。本文介紹在英國小狗通常要接受哪些訓練、達到什麼標準才能成為一隻合格的協助犬。
詞匯：assistance 協助，幫助
Dogs are in high demand as pets. In fact, 36% of households in the UK own one, according to the UK Pet Food survey 2024. Our canine pals can be cute, cuddly and loyal friends. But, for many owners, dogs are much more than this – they are a lifeline.
Assistance dogs provide essential support, increased independence and companionship for disabled people and people with medical conditions – they have even saved lives. There are many different types of assistance dogs out there, from hearing dogs to autism dogs to guide dogs. But what makes the perfect assistance dog?
Common assistance dog breeds are Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers and German shepherds. The most common guide dog in the UK is the golden retriever-Labrador cross, which, according to the Guide Dogs National Centre, has a ‘combination of desirable traits’. Guide dogs need to be able to lead a blind or visually impaired person outside and inside, while avoiding distractions and recognising and avoiding obstacles such as changes in elevation, like tree roots, curbs and stairs. With that in mind, training puppies is essential.
The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association trains puppies using positive reinforcement, rewarding good behaviour with food, praise and affection. When it comes to hearing dogs, a very important part of their training is sound awareness – alerting their deaf partner to sounds they would otherwise miss, for example a smoke alarm, an alarm clock or a crying baby. Katie Grundy, a puppy trainer at the charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, teaches puppies targeting, a technique where the dogs touch a target, like a hand, with their nose for a treat. This teaches hearing dogs how to notify their partner when a sound goes off.
At the end of training, not all pups qualify, but they are put up for adoption and, of course, make excellent lovable pets.
詞匯表
lifeline 生命線
assistance dog 協助犬
independence 獨立
companionship 陪伴，友誼
disabled 殘疾的
medical condition 疾病
save lives 救命
hearing dog 助聽犬
autism dog 協助自閉癥人士的服務犬
guide dog 導盲犬
lead 引導
blind 失明的
visually impaired 視力受損的
obstacle 障礙
puppy 小狗
positive reinforcement 正向強化（獎勵或積極回應良好行為的訓練方法）
sound awareness 聲音感知
alert 提示，提醒
deaf 失聰的，聽不見的
targeting （動物）通過碰觸特定目標物得到獎勵
treat 獎勵或訓練狗的食物，零食
測驗與練習
1. 閱讀課文並回答問題
1. What do assistance dogs help with?
2. What is the most common breed of guide dog in the UK?
3. How can guide dogs be trained?
4. What does ‘targeting’ teach hearing puppies?
5. True or False? All assistance puppies qualify to be assistance dogs.
2. 選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。
1. _______ support people who are blind or visually impaired.
Guide dogs Autism Assistance Hearing dogs
2. I dropped a glass jar in the shop, and it created quite an _______ for shoppers.
companionship independence autism obstacle
3. The _______ is in the middle. That’s what you should aim for.
target condition alert reinforcement
4. He’s only six weeks old. He’s still a _______.
treat puppy lifeline training
5. A fire alarm goes off to _______ you that there might be a fire.
lead guide save alert
答案
1. 閱讀課文並回答問題。
1. What do assistance dogs help with?
Assistance dogs provide essential support, increased independence and companionship for disabled people and people with medical conditions.
2. What is the most common breed of guide dog in the UK?
The most common guide dog in the UK is the golden retriever-Labrador cross.
3. How can guide dogs be trained?
The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association trains puppies using positive reinforcement, rewarding good behaviour with food, praise and affection.
4. What does targeting teach hearing puppies?
It teaches them how to notify their partner when a sound goes off.
5. True or False? All assistance puppies qualify to be assistance dogs.
False. At the end of training, not all pups qualify.
2. 選擇意思恰當的單詞或詞組來完成下列句子。
1. Guide dogs support people who are blind or visually impaired.
2. I dropped a glass jar in the shop, and it created quite an obstacle for shoppers.
3. The target is in the middle. That’s what you should aim for.
4. He’s only six weeks old. He’s still a puppy.
5. A fire alarm goes off to alert you that there might be a fire.
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