Alison Booth: Guide Dogs In Training

, a with Guide Dogs, based in Reed House, Annie Reed Road, Beverley, blogs on HU17.net about the important role she and her team play in placing the right, trained blind dog with the right new owner.

My dogs are now at the point where they are ready to be matched to a suitable visually impaired person. Matching the correct dog with the correct owner takes skill and experience. Every person and dog is unique, so it’s a complex and carefully managed process. The Instructors in our team get to know everyone who is waiting for a guide dog, and also all our trainee dogs.

Taking into account a person’s needs – their length of stride, walking speed, height, lifestyle, personality and whether they have other disabilities in addition to sight loss – I look for a dog that will be a good match.

After visiting the potential owner with one of my dogs to check it is suitable, I then tailor the final stage of training to meet the specific needs of the future owner – for example, if the person works in Hull city centre, I need to get the dog used to working in busy town conditions.

Each puppy lives with a volunteer puppy walker who – with advice and support from a Puppy Walking Supervisor – cares for a guide dog pup until it is 12–14 months of age. They teach it basic obedience – sit, down, stay, come – and walking on the leash. They also get the pup used to different environments including homes, busy town centres, quiet country lanes and , to experience all the sights, sounds and smells they may encounter as a fully qualified guide dog.

If it’s appropriate, over the next few weeks Yaris, Osborn, Courtney and Usher’s puppy walkers will visit the dogs to observe them working in harness and meet them again. This can be quite an emotional visit, but generally a rewarding one where the puppy walkers leave very proud of their pups. This is a great way of thanking the volunteers for work they do, and to show them how their dog has developed.

If you are interested in volunteering for Guide Dogs please call 0845 371 7771 or email: volunteer@guidedogs.org.uk



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