在协助犬的帮助下，许多视力、听力受损和患有其它疾病的人能够相对独立地生活。协助犬的一项重要工作就是照顾主人的日常生活起居。比如，导盲犬受训后，可以引导同行的主人避开障碍物和其它危险；助听犬受训后，可以识别火警等重要警示音，提醒主人逃生。本文介绍在英国小狗通常要接受哪些训练、达到什么标准才能成为一只合格的协助犬。

词汇：assistance 协助，帮助

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.

词汇表

lifeline 生命线
assistance dog 协助犬
independence 独立
companionship 陪伴，友谊
disabled 残疾的
medical condition 疾病
save lives 救命
hearing dog 助听犬
autism dog 协助自闭症人士的服务犬
guide dog 导盲犬
lead 引导
blind 失明的
visually impaired 视力受损的
obstacle 障碍
puppy 小狗
positive reinforcement 正向强化（奖励或积极回应良好行为的训练方法）
sound awareness 声音感知
alert 提示，提醒
deaf 失聪的，听不见的
targeting （动物）通过碰触特定目标物得到奖励
treat 奖励或训练狗的食物，零食

测验与练习

1. 阅读课文并回答问题

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. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

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. 阅读课文并回答问题。

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. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

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.