guide dog puppies
Samantha Walker meets the couple who have been helping train guide dogs for almost 40 years
IT’S fair to say that Bath couple Derek and Norma Stent are doggedly determined, having dedicated nearly four decades to being puppy walkers for Guide Dogs for the Blind. This sees them caring for puppies from the age of seven weeks, teaching them how to walk without pulling - as well as helping their young charges master the all-important toilet training. And their furry friends even get taken to cafes and restaurants, as well as out in the car or on bus trips so they know just how to behave out in public. They’ll even visit doctors and shops so they get used to the surroundings they’ll need to learn to negotiate. After all, it just wouldn’t do to have a badly behaved pooch, especially when they have such a responsible job in being their eventual owner’s eyes. So the couple pulled out all the stops for their 50th pup, raising £5,000 to be able to name her, instead of coming ready named like the rest of their pups. “She is called Quinkaginta, and Quinka for short,” says Norma, of the five-month-old puppy. “That is Latin/roman for 50 and we thought with her being our 50th puppy and being in Bath it fitted. “She is doing very well and walks beautifully on the lead. Her recall is still a bit hit and miss but she has been on the buses, to restaurants and cafes and she is very, very good indeed, taking everything in her stride.” But it could have been quite different for the couple who were originally just thinking about having a dog for their family. “I really wanted a dog so our children could grow up knowing how to care for one, but my husband wasn’t keen on the responsibility of having one for 12 years, added 73-year-old Norma. “I read about puppy walking when I was pregnant and we decided to do it – it is only a one year commitment at a time so we thought if it didn’t work out then we could end it after that. We did it and we were hooked.” They certainly were – with a wall in their home covered in pictures of all the pups. First up was Paddy in 1980, with the little bundle of fun fitting right in with the family. There was also Connie, Arnie, Ezra and – well, you get the pooch picture. “We very often had an overlap when a new puppy arrived before the current one left,” said Derek, who is aged 84. “Sometimes this would be a few weeks, sometimes several months. We also took over a couple of dogs that were about to be withdrawn from training due to their problems, which happily we managed to sort out. “Not all of our dogs have qualified as guide dogs, but this was due to their health issues.” When the puppies are around a year old they go to the Guide Dog Centre for harness training, learning to work as a unit with the person they are assigned to. The dogs certainly look cute but shouldn’t be distracted when they are out working. And while the now-retired couple are a little sad when their four-legged charges move on, they often get regular ‘pup-dates.’ “We don’t lose them, it isn’t like they have died or are going to be put down and we know they are going to have a nice life,” explained Norma, although she does say there were tears from the whole family when their very first puppy left. “They will be helping someone else live the kind of life that you would want to live, and have freedom and mobility. “We have seen a few of our dogs working and, with the exception of one, we know where all our dogs have gone. We have had cards or phone calls thanking
us, saying the dogs are really helping people.” And while puppy love is all very well, there is a serious and poignant side to what the couple do. “You can have a certain amount of freedom with a white cane and be taught how to use it, but a white cane can’t think for itself – if you come across an obstacle in the road you will have to negotiate it but a guide dog is trained to react for you,” explained Norma. “If there is a car on a pavement, which is a common obstruction, a guide dog will go around it, taking the owner out into the road if it is clear and safe – if you have got a white stick you have got to find out what the obstruction is and then negotiate your way around it. “If there is a hanging branch along the route that would hit someone, the dog will take a person around it so they don’t hurt themselves.” The Stents have trained labradors mainly, but also German Shepherds and, commonly today, lab retriever mixes, plus the occasional labradoodle. German Shepherds were traditionally used as guide dogs until they were needed for work during the war, so labs took over with their sturdy frames which are just right for the job. The Stents have no plans to stop puppy walking, and say they will carry on as long as they are able. And after nearly four very doggy decades, it’s not surprising that their loves of dogs has rubbed off on the couple’s children. While their son Blair doesn’t currently have a pooch, daughter Victoria has caught the canine craze, and has her own business, Four Legged Fancies, selling all manner of dog treats. These include junk-free snacks such as bangers ’n’ mash pupcakes, personalised birthday cakes and even cheesey nibbles. Want to follow in the Stents footsteps? » The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association has a number of roles to fill in Bath, including collection box co-ordinators and fundraisers. To find out more call more call 03451430204 and ask for Tracey or email exeter@guidedogs.org. uk