Guide dogs staff lift the leash on life behind the scenes
OWEN YOUNGER takes a look at how guide dogs are trained – and tries it out for himself
“
Seeing all of this made me hugely appreciate the work that goes into training these dogs, as well as the difference that they make in people’s lives
ANYONE who knows me knows I am a dog lover with two pets of my own – a black labradoodle called Murphy and a golden cockapoo called Toffee – mainly because the majority of my social media posts are about them.
So as someone who has always been a dog person, I decided to visit Guide Dogs Newcastle to meet the staff behind the training of the dogs and have a go at it myself.
When I arrived at Guide Dogs Newcastle in Gosforth Park Avenue, I was brought through what is a very impressive building, with every room catering to a dog’s needs, with beds and toys available for them to enjoy on their downtime. I then headed into the main training room, where I was introduced to the three members of staff that would be taking me through their individual roles.
Lucy Sullivan is a guide dog trainer, taking dogs when they first come in for their training. She said: “We use positive reinforcement to teach the dogs the skills, experience and confidence that they need to change someone’s life. I’m supported in my role by volunteer fosterers that look after the dogs on the evenings and at weekends.”
Sarah Mills is a technical learning specialist, overseeing the training of a new cohort of guide dog mobility specialists. She explained her role, saying: “My job entails matching dogs with their future owners, working with both sides of the partnership to make sure that this is successful, as well as providing support to these existing teams.”
Georgie Smith is a training and behaviour advisor, and she added: “I am part of a specialist team that coaches and develops staff, volunteers and service users in the field of animal training and behaviour.”
I was given the opportunity to work with all three and their guide dogs in training, as they all showed me different techniques used to create a bond between themselves and the dog, and in turn teach them new skills. I then waited in anticipation for the first of these experiences.
Georgie introduced me to Ann, the Labrador retriever, and showed me one of the techniques that trainers use, known as ‘chin rest’.
This involves sitting on a chair with a hand towel over your legs, and encouraging the dog to rest its head on the towel, rewarding them with a biscuit or some physical touch when they do so.
This is important as it is very tactile for someone with the loss of sight, allowing them to give their dog praise and attention as well as performing small health checks on their face and ears. I then got to try this, and this was when I first realised just how well behaved the dogs are, as Ann put her face on my legs and allowed me to stroke her, before getting a little treat.
Next up was the second exercise, which Sarah took me through with her dog Kenny, another Labrador retriever, and it involved placing a mat on the floor and encouraging the dog to stay in that specific place for a period of time. This is useful as it can be built into getting the dog to stay in place so that an owner knows where they are at all times.
I was then able to try this, and Kenny was once again very well behaved, listening to my commands and staying put when I told him to.
This good behaviour gave me the opportunity to give him more biscuits as well as some head scratches, something which I was very happy to do.
The third exercise was platform to platform, which involves a dog moving from one side of the room to the other and standing on a platform at the beginning and end, something which Lucy Sullivan and two dogs, Labrador retriever Bonnie and German Shepherd cross Rosie, showed me.
I was then able to have a go at walking with the dogs myself, something which I really enjoyed doing, and I was once again so impressed by their behaviour. The final exercise that I tried was with the returning Kenny, as he did platform to platform but this time while having to navigate obstacles that were in his path.
Seeing all of this made me hugely appreciate the work that goes into training these dogs, as well as the difference that they make in people’s lives. As I headed back from Guide Dogs Newcastle, I thought about the dogs that I had interacted with that day, and my heart was warmed when I thought about the impact that they will go on to have helping people in the region.