A Guide Dog can have a profound impact on the confidence of a person living with blindness and open up a whole new world of independence. Training a Guide Dog involves many steps and is undertaken by our highly qualified Guide Dog Instructors.

Choosing Guide Dog Puppies

Our young recruits are carefully selected by our Guide Dog Instructors. Guide Dog puppies must be confident, responsive and healthy - the qualities of a successful Guide Dog.

Labradors are ideal Guide Dogs because they have a placid temperament, are eager to please, are easy to care for, come in a variety of sizes and are intelligent and highly trainable. Puppies vary in colour from black to cream and stay with their mother for about eight weeks before beginning training as a Guide Dog.

Puppy Raising

The first stage of Guide Dog training is Puppy Raising, which provides basic social skills and obedience. Over approximately 18 months puppies visit places they will later encounter as Guide Dogs. They visit the sights, hear the sounds and - most important for any dog - learn the smells that often surround them.

Socialisation is one of the most important parts of training. Raisers take their puppy to shopping centres, railway stations, city centres and other busy, social environments.

Find out more about becoming a Puppy Raiser.

Guide Dog Training

Throughout the Puppy Raising phase, Guide Dog Instructors carefully assess each puppy. Prospective Guide Dogs must be eager to work, with good concentration and initiative, and must control the temptation to be distracted by other animals.

With such stringent standards, not all puppies are suitable for the responsibility of being a Guide Dog. Puppies that are unsuitable for the program go to loving homes, often as companion dogs.

Puppies that are selected to become Guide Dogs undergo an intensive five month program. They start their training on a leash before a harness is introduced after a couple of months. The Guide Dog trainer adopts the role of the ‘pack leader' - a position of trust and leadership. A young dog will naturally seek out the pack leader for guidance.

Guide Dogs are trained through positive reinforcement. They are praised every time they make the correct choice or produce the desired behaviour. They soon learn what the trainer wants and will happily demonstrate their newly learnt skills.

Guide Dog Trainers begin with simple commands and progress to more challenging tasks. These tasks include:

Walking in a straight line without sniffing
Walking on the left-hand side slightly ahead of the trainer
Stopping at all kerbs
Waiting for a command before crossing roads
Stopping at the top and bottom of stairs
Avoiding obstacles at head height
Avoiding spaces too narrow for a person and a dog to walk through side by side
Boarding and travelling on all forms of public transport
Taking the trainer to a lift
Laying quietly for some time, particularly at work or in restaurants
Refuse commands that may lead the trainer into danger, for example, if the trainer instructs the Guide Dog to walk them into a hole, the dog may refuse to walk forward when commanded.

Despite the hard work involved, Guide Dogs have a rewarding job indeed. These intelligent dogs lead an interesting life - and they certainly demonstrate that they enjoy the challenge.

Training with the Guide Dog Owner

Training with a Guide Dog takes place in and around a person's home, and in a variety of other locations. Training also occurs on the actual travel routes the Guide Dog Owner will use. It takes at least 4 weeks for the minimum standard of safe independent travel to be reached.

The new Guide Dog team learn the skills they need to travel safely through different types of environments. The Guide Dog owner also learns how to care for the dog and, importantly, how it thinks. Each training program is individually managed to cater for the needs of each Guide Dog Owner and Guide Dog.

Benefits of the Guide Dog Program

People who have trained with a Guide Dog report their confidence and independence are enhanced when travelling with their dog. They often feel more secure and enjoy the companionship an intelligent and devoted Guide Dog can give.

"Since getting Ronnie - my enourmous, waggy, boofy Guide Dog - I've never looked back. He's wonderful; a Guide Dog gives you a whole new level of mobility." - Guide Dog Owner, Erin McGlew

Ongoing Training and Support

Our Guide Dog staff continue to support and work with Guide Dog teams through out their working life, which is approximately eight to ten years. Guide Dog Instructors regularly visit Guide Dog Owners. They also perform the important task of retraining Guide Dog Owners if they require a new dog. This ensures that ongoing safety is maintained.

Find out more about Applying for a Guide Dog.

For more information on our Guide Dog Program read our Guide Dog FAQs or contact us.

If you would like to support the program by giving a donation or sponsoring a Guide Dog, visit How You Can Help.