Everyone has dreams and fantasies. Sometimes, by working hard, we can make them come true. For some people, however, no amount of hard work can make their fantasy become a reality _ especially if their aspiration is to gain sight.

"I think probably every blind person has a dream of regaining their sight, and unfortunately that's a dream that probably will not happen," said Pete Lang, assistant director of instruction and training at The Seeing Eye Inc. in Morristown, N.J., a company that matches blind people with guide dogs.

"But to a certain extent the dog helps that dream come true, in the fact that a blind person can go to college, can get a job, can go to social places and have fun," Lang said. "And in many respects, the seeing eye dog helps a blind person's dreams come true every day."

In order to achieve this, The Seeing Eye breeds and then trains the dogs to guide blind people. It also teaches instructors how to train dogs as guides for blind people and instructs blind people how to handle the dogs. The organization also publicizes the role of dog guides and how blind people can live independently.

Jean Sparks of Indianapolis, a graduate of The Seeing Eye who now owns her second dog, feels more confident and has gained a lot of freedom.

"I don't think of myself as having a sight impairment," she said. "I know I have one, but I've been blind all my life. I don't think of myself as being that way. I think of (my dog) as a sighted guide."

"Freedom, independence and companionship," is what having a guide dog has meant to Muncie resident Dena Polston, also a graduate of The Seeing Eye. "It made me a free and independent person and more humble . . . I'm just amazed even today."

The Seeing Eye Inc. was founded in 1929 by Dorothy Harrison Eustis "to help provide blind people with a means for greater independence and mobility," according to the organization's brochures.

The dogs most commonly used by The Seeing Eye are German shepherds, Labrador retrievers and golden retrievers because they are intelligent and have a wide variety of temperament. When the puppies are 8 weeks old, they are placed with local volunteer 4-H families for one year. The family is responsible for teaching the dog good manners and basic obedience. The family members also give the dog a lot of love so it feels secure with them.

The dog then returns to The Seeing Eye and undergoes a one-month adjustment period before the formal training begins.

Formal training between the dog and instructor lasts three months. In this process, the instructors act as if they cannot see.

"First we must teach the dog to pull a little bit ahead," Lang said. "We teach the dogs to stop at every curb and to stop for any oncoming cars."

The dogs are also taught to guide around obstacles safely. "Any misbehavior early during the training is corrected by a German command pfui, which tells the dog to stop what you're doing at that moment," Lang said.

When the students arrive for a one-month stay, their instructors take them for a walk, playing the part of the dog.

"The instructor actually holds the harness where the dog goes and walks ahead, explaining to the blind person how they should follow the movements of the dog," Lang said.

At the same time, instructors are able to evaluate the needs of each student. All variables are put into play, such as the pull, speed of walking and the activity of the dog. The decision of which dog will be the best for each person is made between the instructor and the director of training. The dog is then paired with the person.

"During the month of class, the blind person is learning how to command, praise and correct their dog and to develop an overall positive relationship," Lang said. "In addition, (they) are learning how to take care of and trust the dog."

Working with the guide dog is not for everyone. Statistics show about 2 percent of the approximately 600,000 blind people in the United States own guide dogs.

"A problem with working with a dog, for some people, would be that a dog needs to be taken care of," Lang said. "With a cane, when you're finished with (it), you just put it in the corner. A dog needs to be loved, fed and brushed. To (people) that love dogs, this is not a problem. But (to) those folks that really don't care for a dog, this is a big problem or responsibility."

Polston has owned a guide dog for nine years.

"I felt more self-conscious with a cane than I do (with) my dog because most people will come up and talk to you about your dog and want to know if they can pet (it)," she said.