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.
狗作為寵物的需求量很大。 事實上，根據 2024 年英國寵物食品調查，36% 的英國家庭擁有一只狗狗。我們的狗狗朋友可以是可愛、惹人喜愛且忠誠的朋友。 但是，對于許多主人來說，狗的意義遠不止于此——它們是生命線。
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?
協助犬為殘疾人和患有疾病的人提供必要的支持、增強的獨立性和陪伴——它們甚至拯救了生命。 那里有許多不同類型的輔助犬，從助聽犬到自閉癥犬再到導盲犬。 但什么才是完美的協助犬呢？
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.
常見的輔助犬品種有拉布拉多犬、金毛獵犬和德國牧羊犬。 英國最常見的導盲犬是金毛獵犬和拉布拉多雜交犬，根據國家導盲犬中心的說法，它具有“理想特征的組合”。 導盲犬需要能夠在室外和室內引導盲人或視障人士，同時避免分心，識別和避開障礙物，例如海拔變化，如樹根、路緣和樓梯。 考慮到這一點，訓練小狗是至關重要的。
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.
盲人導盲犬協會使用積極強化的方式訓練小狗，通過食物、贊美和關愛來獎勵良好的行為。 對于聽力狗來說，訓練的一個非常重要的部分是聲音意識——提醒聾啞伙伴注意他們可能會錯過的聲音，例如煙霧報警器、鬧鐘或哭鬧的嬰兒。 凱蒂·格倫迪（Katie Grundy）是慈善機構“聾人助聽犬”的小狗訓練師，她教小狗瞄準目標，這是一種狗用鼻子觸摸目標（例如手）的技巧。 這教會聽力狗如何在聲音響起時通知其伴侶。
At the end of training, not all pups qualify, but they are put up for adoption and, of course, make excellent lovable pets.
訓練結束時，并非所有幼犬都符合資格，但它們會被收養，當然，它們會成為優秀的可愛寵物。
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
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