Jingle Bells: How Do Bells Affect the Wellbeing, Safety, and Identity of Guide Dog Teams?

Abstract

Some visually impaired individuals will attach a small bell to their guide dog’s collar to locate them acoustically, yet existing literature on this topic is lacking. This paper analyzes how bells can affect the wellbeing, welfare, and safety of guide dog teams. The ways in which bells alter personal, social, and collective identities are also explored. Results are based on autoethnographic data from the researcher’s six years as a professional guide dog mobility instructor and 12 anonymous online survey responses from participants who have lived with a guide dog. This paper concludes that although bells can offer benefits, they are not a solution for all guide dog teams. Alternatives such as collar tags, GPS devices, walking with sighted volunteers, or training guide dogs to nudge their human partner’s hand when called are addressed.