fct sheet Stge 1: Puppy breeding & rising It tkes two yers nd costs more thn $35,000 to trnsform plyful puppy into responsible Guide Dog. Not ll pups re suitble for guiding people who re vision impired. Much of the hrd work is done before dog even enters Guide Dog School, s the following outlines. Puppy Breeding Guide Dogs NSW/ACT selects its breeding dogs for their sound helth nd temperment, to ensure puppies hve the best chnce of being suited to future life s Guide Dog. Around 200 Lbrdor nd Lbrdor/Golden Retriever-cross pups re needed ech yer for our Guide Dog progrm. These breeds re used becuse they re clm, loyl nd intelligent, nd hve proven trck record s Guide Dogs. For our specil pups, trining begins in the kennels t the Guide Dog Centre in Glossodi, Western Sydney. Here they re introduced to environmentl fetures nd specil equipment, including their led.
Puppy Rising When the pups re eight weeks old, our veterinrin gin checks tht the new recruits re confident, responsive nd helthy - the qulities needed by successful Guide Dog. The pups re then plced in the community with volunteer Puppy Risers, who hve been specilly selected by our Puppy Rising Officers Over the next 12 months, Puppy Risers will tech the pups bsic obedience nd socil skills, s well s provide lots of love nd opportunities to hve fun! During this time, it s essentil tht the pups experience ll the sights, sounds nd - most importntly for ny dog - smells of the outside world. Some of the mny things they lern re: socilistion with other dogs nd humns. toileting; obedience understnding the commnds: sit, sty nd drop; how to negotite surfce chnges such s steps, stirs nd wobble bords; While with their Puppy Risers, the pups re visited regulrly by one of our Puppy Rising Officers, who will monitor the dog s development nd tke them on trining wlks in the locl re. The pups will lso ttend Puppy Pre-School nd prticipte in orgnised socilistion ctivities. At six months of ge ech pup undergoes helth check t the Guide Dog Centre s Vet Clinic, which generlly includes: De-sexing (except for pups selected for breeding) Tking x-rys of their hips nd elbows An overll helth check At bout 14 months of ge, the pups return to the Centre to prepre for Guide Dog School. To find out more bout volunteering s Puppy Riser visit guidedogs.com.u or cll 02 4579 7555. 1800 804 805 guidedogs.com.u guidedogsnswct ABN 52 000 399 744
fct sheet Stge 2: Guide Dog trining A Guide Dog s job is to guide someone who is vision impired round obstcles nd from one loction to nother. As the person s sfety is prmount, the criteri for selecting pups into the Guide Dog trining progrm re extremely stringent. Selection Pups return from being rised by their volunteer Puppy Risers to the Guide Dog Centre when they re bout 14 months old. Over two weeks, our expert Guide Dog Mobility Instructors crefully ssess every dog on severl long wlks. Prospective Guide Dogs must be helthy, eger to work, disply good concentrtion nd be ble to control the tempttion to be distrcted by food nd other nimls. How do I become Guide Dog Mobility Instructor? Not everyone hs the temperment to become Guide Dog Mobility Instructor. Those selected will need to complete post-grdute study, work for t lest three yers with people who re vision impired, pss internl selection nd undertke specil trining tht meets the Interntionl Guide Dog Federtion stndrds. The role involves trining dogs; ssessing pplicnts on suitbility; trining hndlers to work sfely with their Guide Dog; nd supporting hndlers nd their dogs.
Guide Dog trining bsics Stright line trvel Forml turns lerning to wlk stright to kerb with the instructor introducing the commnd To the kerb. stopping on commnd nd tking further directionl instruction. Right shoulder work the dog lerns to llow for extr spce on their right, ensuring their hndler is sfe from oncoming obstcles. Artificil obstcle Trffic exercise Destintions Public trnsport lerning how to move round n obstcle AND to return to the stright line on which they were trvelling. this builds wreness of trffic nd how to be creful round vehicles, sttionry or moving. dog lerns to locte door when new destintion is introduced. the dogs re introduced to buses, trins nd cr trvel helping them to lern wht to do nd wht is expected. Trining Selected puppies undergo n intensive five-month progrm with Guide Dog Instructor to lern the complex skills required for their new job. They begin with simple commnds nd progress to more chllenging tsks to cquire new skills. The Instructor s job is to build ech dog s confidence nd consistency, while observing their personlity nd tiloring trining to suit their temperment. Trining occurs through positive reinforcement; lots of pts nd food rewrds. Some tsks, like stopping t kerbs nd stircses re tught through repetition. Other tsks, such s sfely crossing the rod, require intensive trining. It tkes well-trined dog to hndle n unexpected event, like cr reversing from drivewy. As trining progresses, the dogs lern to trvel through confusing nd crowded res, such s shopping centres nd busy city streets. In fct, experienced Guide Dogs cn guide their hndlers to rnge of destintions. As you cn imgine, this requires creful teching so the dog lerns ech commnd in complex sequence of events. Despite the hrd work involved, Guide Dogs hve rewrding job nd of course when the hrness comes off there s plenty of time to just be dog. At the completion of trining ech dog is tested on their bility to ignore distrctions such s food nd other nimls, nvigte obstcles, trvel on public trnsport, find lndmrks such s bus stops nd cross rods sfely. 1800 804 805 guidedogs.com.u guidedogsnswct ABN 52 000 399 744
fct sheet Stge 3: The Guide Dog tem It is importnt to relise tht Guide Dogs hve limittions nd cn only be effective when supported by their hndlers who re blind or vision impired. The Guide Dog is one hlf of prtnership - the Guide Dog hndler is the other hlf. It is the combintion of the skills of both the hndler nd the Guide Dog tht llows for sfe nd successful trvel. Mtching Dogs tht successfully complete the rigorous Guide Dog trining progrm re mtched with hndler. This is n importnt process, with our Guide Dog Mobility Instructors ensuring tht the dog is well-suited to the person s specific lifestyle nd trvel needs. For exmple very ctive person living nd working in the city would need dog tht cn hndle stress nd loves to work, while being eqully content to wit ptiently for mny hours while their hndler is in the office Tem Trining Once mtched, the new tem needs to build trust nd estblish bond, s well s lern how to trvel together. The pir undergoes intensive trining with n experienced instructor; strting with bsic obedience nd progressing through wlking in hrness, stopping t steps, stirs nd kerbs, wlking stright cross rods when directed, nd turning. As the working bond grows, the complexity of the environments increses. The hndler lerns the commnds for directing their dog while the dog lerns its hndler s trvel routes. Over time, the dog lerns how to guide its hndler to n incresing number of known destintions.
It s personl journey Not everyone wnts or needs Guide Dog. Applicnts don t hve to be totlly blind but their vision must be t level where they need ssistnce to get round nd they ve probbly lredy mstered how to use long cne. If they hve too much vision it my result in the dog getting confused bout when it does nd doesn t hve to guide. The person must be: well orientted to their chosen routes; ble to direct the dog where they wnt to go; ble to cross rods confidentl. Kte & her Guide Dog Otis The Hndler s Responsibilities Once trining hs been successfully completed, hndlers re wholly responsible for the cre nd well-being of their Guide Dog. This includes: providing for the dog s dily needs, such s food, grooming, toileting, exercise, ply time nd helth checks; nd for mintining the qulity of their work ensuring ccurte nd sfe mobility. Guide Dogs NSW/ACT s instructors provide follow-ups with the tem nd the hndler is ble to request ssistnce t ny stge of their dog s working life. Retirement Once Guide Dog begins to show signs of geing such s slowing down, rthritis or other medicl issues, it is time to consider retiring the dog, nd where it will spend its twilight yers. Some dogs will be kept it s fmily pet. Others will plce it with fmily or friends, or even the dog s originl Puppy Riser. Correcting Misconceptions A Guide Dog does not know when to cross rod, nor does it know when the trffic lights turn green. This decision is mde by the hndler, who will use their skills nd knowledge to ssess trffic fl. The hndler needs to determine if trffic is moving or stopped nd to instruct the dog to guide him or her cross the rod when sfe to do so. Another misconception bout Guide Dogs is tht the dog cn tke the hndler to ny plce nmed. The Guide Dog, like the hndler, hs to lern ny new routes over period of time nd, even then, cnnot be expected to know where the hndler wnts to go simply by the nming of building or lndmrk. 1800 804 805 guidedogs.com.u guidedogsnswct ABN 52 000 399 744