Here is a great video that will give you an insight into some of the training that a Guide Dog undertakes from puppy to retirement. Let’s start with some facts. It takes around 20 months to train a guide dog from when they’re born to being paired with a handler. It also costs many many thousands of dollars and loads of hard work. 1 in 3 Guide Dogs are attacked by off lead dogs. In some cases the Guide Dog is even retired as a result of the trauma. Survey findings based in NSW/ACT were that 8-10 Guide Dog handlers across NSW and ACT said off-lead dogs had distracted their Guide Dogs whilst they were working in the past year, whilst 7-10 handlers said dogs on leads but not controlled by their owner were problematic. So how can you help? It’s simple! Take the lead! Here is how; 1. Please keep your pet dog on a leash and under control when out and about. 2. If you see a loose dog, please alert your local council. 3. If you see a working Guide Dog, please give it and it’s handler space. 4. Please don’t pat, feed or otherwise distract a working Guide Dog. A well-intentioned pat can undo months of training. 5. When approaching a Guide Dog team with your dog, plea clearly introduce yourself to the person and say you have a dog with you. These little things can literally saves thousands of dollars, months of training and peace of mind for all the people out there with working Guide Dogs. Do your bit and take the lead! - Paul
Posted on: Sat, 17 Jan 2015 11:27:18 +0000
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