Dexter, the trainee Guide Dog for the Blind is making wonderful progress in his learning. He's such a happy dog and people always comment that he looks like he is smiling!
Dexter has entered his 'teenage years' and his Puppy Raiser, Sheelagh comments that he's definitely starting to pull on his lead a bit more. But she says she's not worried about that as it's normal for pups of his age and she's sure he'll grow out of it. In the meantime, she praises his calm behaviour and reinforces the verbal praise with treats as well.
Since the last pupdate, Dexter has been experiencing a range of different environments to build up a bank of positive experiences. This helps him cope better in the future and stay calm when he visits new places.
He spends time in cafes and is happy to go to busy shopping centres, all as part of his learning experiences. He didn't like spending time in lifts but it's important that he learns to accept these smaller, confined environments, so with extra praise and encouragement, Dexter is getting better and better at spending time in them.
Dexter still has a few months to go before he enters formal training, so Sheelagh will be working on his recall, as currently he can be easily distracted from the task in hand!
Join us again in February 2023 when we bring you Dexter's next Pupdate!
