Doris, the trainee Guide Dog for the Blind sponsored by Alasdair Morrison Lettings is progressing well at training school. Her Puppy Raiser, Julie, says she’s eager to learn and picks things up quickly.
Julie tells us -
As she’s grown, she’s able to jump into the car by herself now. She has no problem hopping into the car boot as soon as I give her the cue and she’s really relaxed during car journeys too. We noticed that Doris was a little wary of jumping into the training van when her Puppy Development Supervisor, Rachel, visited recently. Lots of dogs have been in and out of the van, so we think it might be the unfamiliar smell which is making her a little nervous. We’re working on this together as it’s important Doris is able to travel in the training van when she moves to training school.
Doris has come on wonderfully with her recall since her last Pupdate, especially around other dogs. She might run off to play with them for a while, but as soon as she hears the whistle, she comes right back. She’s a star! I’ve also been working on Doris’ loose lead walking. She’s such an enthusiastic pup, so she can sometimes be a little over-eager and pull if we’re going somewhere exciting, like the park. We have introduced a gentle leader which fits comfortably over a dog’s nose and neck, and is designed to help them learn to walk without pulling. This has been helping Doris to make progress.
I’ve been taking Doris out and about with me, to help her get used to a variety of different environments and experiences. She joins me in shops, the library, garden centres and pubs. She settles very well in these places, sitting down while I browse shelves or lying down under the table while I’m eating. I’m able to drop the lead and I can be confident that she’ll stay until I give her the release cue – ‘okay’. This is really helpful at checkouts where I need both hands and will be important for a future guide dog owner too.
I’ve also taken Doris to the seaside with my husband, and she loved the new terrain. We didn’t realise that an Armed Forces Day event was happening, and it was heaving! Doris was so calm and not at all fazed by how busy it was. She even sat and lay down during the flyovers! It was brilliant to see how confident she is when encountering new things, as this gives her a solid foundation to build on as she moves forward with her training.
What’s next?
Doris has been progressing fantastically with all her skills, so Rachel suggested that we start working on indicating steps and kerbs. Doris is learning to stop with two paws up on the bottom stair, or a kerb. This is a helpful skill guide dogs learn, ensuring their future owner won’t trip over unexpected steps. She’s picking this up incredibly quickly – I’m so impressed!
Thank you for reading all about Doris. We hope you enjoyed her Pupdate and we'll see you in June for more news about Doris and her training!
