The history of the guide dog

• The guide dog existed during antiquity : a fresco at Herculanum.
• Other depictions have been found dating from the thirteenth to the sixteenth centuries. A painting by Chardin (Louvre, Paris 1752)
• 1813 - France - A document relates the use of dogs by the blind since 1780.
• 1843 - Charles Dickens mentions the use of a guide dog.
• 1847 - Switzerland - Jakob Birrer, a blind man, publishes the method he used to train a Spitz for his own use.
• 1878 - The British Parliament recognizes the guide dog.
• 1879 - Vienna - Mr. Klein publishes a training method for dogs.
• 1916 - Germany - The German Red Cross, under Dr Stalling, decides to follow up on the idea of an Austrian doctor to use guide dogs for blind war veterans. The first dog is employed in October.
• 1923 - Potsdam - The German Shepherd Club opens its first school for guide dogs.
• 1925 - Mrs. Eustis, an American living in Switzerland, becomes interested in the work of the Potsdam School and publishes an article in the "Saturday Evening Post" in October 1927.
• 1928 - Switzerland - The same Mrs. Eustis opens a guide dog school.
• 1929 - U.S.A. - With the help of Morris Franck, a guide dog school is created, «The Seeing Eyes».
• en 1931, en Angleterre, Miss Crooke et Mrs Bond aidées par un éducateur formé par Mrs Eustis, créèrent la GDBA (The Guides Dogs for the Blind Association).
1951 - France - Mr Corteville, a police dog trainer, decides to train the first French guide dog, a German Shepherd named Dicky. Together with some friends he forms the Guide Dog for the Blind Club in Roubaix.
1972 - The Guide Dog School in Wasquehal is inaugurated.


• Other schools open in France. In 1967 they unite to form a National Federation (FNECGA).
• 1980 - under the auspices of Mr. Romero the Paris School is founded.
• 2002 - The FNECGA( The National Federation of Clubs & Schools for Guide Dogs for the Blind) becomes the FFAC (French Federation of the Associations of Guide Dogs for the Blind) . At present it includes 10 schools, the CESECAH (1996) and the ANMCGA (1979).