Every month Guide Dogs NSW/ACT sees their canine students graduate into a career of seeing for their vision-impaired owner. These purposeful pups begin their two-year training journey from the moment they are born, and Guide Dogs NSW/ACT are there to facilitate every step of the way.
Every aspect is intentional. The breeding program is extensive and collaborative, utilising genetics across the Guide Dogs network extending to the UK and USA. These dogs are genetically selected for a calm and relaxed temperament. A confident, balanced, yet compliant demeanour are the hallmarks of a stellar guide dog. An astute aptitude for concentration and problem solving is sought after and for good reason; their owner’s lives will depend on it.
Guide Dogs NSW/ACT rely on the community and members of the public to facilitate a vital component of the process to raise puppies. Puppy raisers play an integral role. From eight weeks old, puppies are placed in carefully chosen homes to begin the early stages of their training. Puppy raisers provide a loving home environment within which young prospective guide dogs thrive. This is a twelve-month commitment and means fulfilling specific requirements; making these pups a part of the family, keeping them safe and bringing them to scheduled training sessions.
Ensuring they maintain good manners is crucial. This part of the process socialises pups in a very prescriptive way and introduces them to sights, sounds and plenty of socialisation, which will form the foundation upon which an expansive education can unfold.
At just over one year of age, puppies are returned to the Guide Dogs Centre in Glossodia, NSW, to undergo a range of assessments to establish their suitability and prospective selection to commence the five-month training to become a guide dog. This training is designed to build confidence and consistency and is tailored to the individual personality of each dog to maximise their success.
During this time, dogs are continually observed and monitored in terms of their disposition, as this will determine what owner they will soon be paired with.
To become a guide dog is demanding and not all dogs are destined to meet the prerequisite standard. As dogs proceed through training, they are monitored closely and their success evaluated. Based on careful selections, dogs may be placed in other community roles too.
Another service Guide Dogs NSW/ACT provides is the Pets as Therapy program. This role provides comfort and companionship to those who might benefit, or more broadly, to those in facilities such as nursing homes or schools. Additionally, Guide Dogs NSW/ACT provides a Canine Court Companion program, aiming to alleviate stress and anxiety to those visiting court.
At just two years of age, dogs that graduate as guide dogs have acquired a remarkable vocabulary of commands, a rich sense of their environment and are exceptional at navigating and making decisions in the busiest of settings. Dogs are ready to be paired with appropriately vetted owners based on both dog and owner temperament in equal measure. Matching is designed specifically for a compatible dynamic.
Not only do guide dogs go on to provide safety, mobility and independence for their owners, they significantly enhance and enrich their lives through of companionship and trust. Many vision-impaired individuals become isolated, disengaged with their environment and the world. These dogs have the ability to not only connect to their owners, but also connect their owners with the world again. For many, their new guide dog will instil newfound social confidence in their otherwise isolated owner.
This month sees a new graduate group receive their harnesses, signifying their readiness and competency to commence their most honourable career. With each graduation, vets, nurses, kennel hands, trainers, volunteers, puppy raisers, fundraisers and sponsors alike are each celebrated. These exceptional dogs would not be here without their enormous contributions.
Source
1. https://www.guidedogs.com.au/guide-dogs/canine-court-companion-program
This article originally appeared in the June 2019 Australian Veterinary Journal. Photographs courtesy of author.