UNISON Fife Branch are proud sponsors of Guide Dogs for the Blind.
Below you can find the latest “pupdates” for Douglas, Hazel and Sage.
Hello, it’s Caroline here, Douglas’ Puppy Raiser.
As I mentioned in Douglas’ last Pupdate, he’s not been his usual self. Douglas has been less playful, and less motivated. He’s quite sleepy and some days can be a little irritable, which suggests that he’s not feeling well. We’ve paused Douglas’ training for now; instead, my focus is on helping him to feel as happy and relaxed as possible, and reporting any unusual patterns in his behaviour to his vets and the team at Guide Dogs.
Ongoing investigations
I’ve been given lots of support from Lucy, Douglas’ Puppy Development Advisor, as well as the medical team at Guide Dogs and my local vets. We’ve been to the vets quite a lot recently as Douglas has been having scans and tests so that we can try to work out what’s making him feel out of sorts. Unfortunately, it’s still a bit of a mystery so it’s an ongoing process to get to the bottom of it.
We’ve been trialling Douglas on some pain medication recently, and it’s been interesting to see the difference it’s made for him. He’d become quite subdued but since starting the medication, he’s started to perk up more. It was when he started pinching tea towels again that I knew he was feeling better!
While it’s lovely to see Douglas with a little more energy, it’s still important that we find out what’s causing him discomfort, so that will remain our focus. Until then, Douglas will stay on rest, taking a break from his training.
One of the challenges I’m facing now is that Douglas is showing discomfort when he’s handled at the vets. Because of this, he’s starting to anticipate being touched by the vet and has developed some general body sensitivity. To ensure that this doesn’t escalate, I’m doing lots of work with Douglas around being handled by different people. At home, we’re going back to basics. For example, we’ve been using the bucket game during grooming as this gives Douglas the opportunity to indicate when he’s had enough; while he’s looking at the bucket of kibble, it’s a sign that he’s happy to keep going and I’ll keep grooming and feeding him. When he looks away, I’ll stop grooming him and he can have a break. He seems to trust me and Lucy as he’s known us a long time; it’s unfamiliar vets that he’s becoming a little wary of.
While Douglas is on rest, I’ve been trying to find different places we can visit together to keep him stimulated and break up his usual routine. We’ve been on lots of days out together. One of his favourites are visits to a local horse rescue centre where he loves to watch the horses and they like watching him too! Douglas definitely has his favourites, and if they peer out of their stables at him then he’ll reach up to nuzzle them. He’s such a gentle boy!
It’s an absolute pleasure raising Douglas, I’m so proud of him. As much as I’ve been worried about him recently, knowing that his sponsors are rooting for him has lifted us both up on the hard days. Thank you.
Keep an eye out for an update on Douglas in your next Pupdate in June.
Hello, it’s Mollie here, Hazel’s trainer.
I’ve been working at Guide Dogs since 2021. Thanks to my role, I get to witness the amazing transformation the dogs I train go through; seeing them progress, overcome challenges, and become life-changing partners is incredibly rewarding.
Hazel has such a cuddly nature, and her fosterers adore her. I was so pleased to hear she slept right through her first night! She still has her favourite soft toy, Pinkity Pink, from when she was with Puppy Raiser Noreen – it helps her feel at home. Hazel loves to play with her fosterers’ children, and she’s even learnt to stay calm around their pet guinea pig.
When a new dog arrives at training school, I always make sure to give them plenty of time to acclimatise, but Hazel settled in quickly. I’ve been giving her lots of enrichment activities, like puzzle games and frozen stuffed Kongs, to keep her entertained. The best part of Hazel’s day is having free runs! She likes to run with Geoffrey, a golden retriever cross Labrador, and Flora, a yellow Labrador, who are around the same age. Hazel has a cheeky side and it’s so funny to see them playing together!
A typical day for Hazel involves morning and afternoon training sessions, with plenty of breaks where she can relax and get ready for what we’ll practise next. She’s doing well. I’ve introduced a new skill called platforms. This teaches her how to walk in a straight line as we move from one low platform to another, and will help her identify surface differences, such as kerbs, when training outdoors. I’ll gradually introduce obstacles such as cones and teach her to navigate around them safely.
Another skill I’m teaching her is the chin rest: Hazel will rest her chin on a towel on a chair, or on my lap, allowing me to check her eyes and ears. This skill is fundamental for routine vet checks, and will be used as a basis to teach her how to find empty seats for a future guide dog owner.
I’ve introduced Hazel to the brown training harness, and she’s been a star! She’s been confident putting her head in right from day one. Soon, I’ll progress to short training walks in harness, getting her used to stopping at kerbs and navigating different environments, from quieter residential areas to noisier towns.
Hazel loves to learn, but she can get a little distracted by other dogs. This is something I’m working on, and I’m confident she’ll catch on quickly. To desensitise her to their presence, I’ll arrange sessions where she will walk past another dog. Hazel has such a fun personality, it’s wonderful to see her character shine through during training. I can’t wait to see her confidence grow as we start applying her skills out and about!
Thank you so much for sponsoring Hazel. I look forward to updating you on her progress at training school in her next Pupdate in June.
Hello, it’s Victoria here, Sage’s trainer.
Since your last Pupdate, Sage’s confidence has improved, and she’s mastered the ‘head in’ cue; she eagerly puts her head through the harness. We are using a brown training harness which is a piece of equipment, typically made of leather, and designed to be comfortable for the dog. It features a handle to teach the dog how to guide and create the right guiding tension.
Each day, Sage and I practise the skills she’s learnt in real-life situations. I previously talked about the skill platforms which set the basis for Sage learning how to walk in a straight line and indicate changes in terrain by stopping at kerbs. On our training walks, Sage puts this skill into practice; she’ll guide me along a footpath, stopping when we get to the end of a road. When it’s safe to cross, she’ll indicate there’s a step down by pausing with her front two paws on the road and her back two still on the kerb. This helps me feel, through the harness, that there’s a step down. Sage will also do this on the other side of the road when there’s an up-kerb. She’s a fantastic girl, and I’m amazed at how much she’s learnt and how quickly.
Before moving on to advanced training, Sage will learn a total of 37 skills; some of these she’s already learnt, and I’ll teach her the remainder in the coming months.
She’s fantastic and is picking everything up quickly. One new skill we’re working on is called ‘intelligent disobedience’, which is when I teach Sage to refuse a cue because it’s unsafe.
An example might be when I ask Sage to cross a road, but a car is coming. A guide dog owner decides when it’s safe to cross, but Sage also needs to look out for unheard obstacles, such as electric cars. Sage will learn to refuse this cue by turning around to indicate that it’s not safe to continue forward. It’s called intelligent disobedience because Sage hasn’t done what I’ve asked, but she’s done it for a valid reason. It’s tough to teach, but Sage is picking it up well.
Every dog needs to have downtime as it helps to embed their learning and gives them a chance to relax. Sage loves to do this by having a ‘sniff break’. When we reach an appropriate grassy area during a harness walk, I’ll give her the cue ‘go sniff’. This lets her know that she can sniff the area, which is a relaxing and calming activity for dogs. The best way to describe it is like a breathing exercise for humans or popping on the kettle to make your favourite hot drink.
The highlight of any day for Sage is her free runs; she loves to run and play with her fellow dogs in training. They have so much fun chasing each other and playing tug with rope toys. It’s like playtime during the school day: lots of running, chatter and fun to be had!
Sage is such a great girl, I’m so proud of the progress she’s making. In the coming months I’ll continue consolidating all her skills and improving her confidence in every situation.
Thank you for sponsoring Sage. I’m really enjoying training her! Look out for your next Pupdate in June to find out how she’s progressing.
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