Could you raise a Guide Dog puppy in Oxfordshire?

Puppies recently took to public transport as the Guide Dogs charity team highlight the urgent need for local puppy raisers… Could you help?

Four Labrador puppies have been putting their paws firmly on the path to becoming future guide dogs – with a little help from Oxford Bus Company.

Freda, Peaches, Rodney and Tally recently visited the company’s Cowley depot with their volunteer puppy raisers for an important training session, learning to navigate the stairs and aisle of an airline coach service and settle confidently in a busy public transport environment.

There was an especially heart-warming surprise during the visit when it was discovered that Freda and Rodney are siblings, despite having never met before. Living just a couple of counties apart, the pair quickly struck up a friendship, happily playing together during their day out.

The session is part of an ongoing collaboration between Guide Dogs and Go Thames Valley, which operates Oxford Bus Company, Thames Travel, Carousel Buses, City Sightseeing Oxford and the airline. The partnership allows volunteer puppy raisers free travel on bus services, while helping trainee assistance dogs become comfortable using public transport.

For the puppies, these experiences are far more than a fun day out. Mandy Jones, puppy development adviser for Guide Dogs, says early exposure to different sights, sounds and smells is vital to help the dogs navigate unfamiliar situations calmly and confidently.

Peaches (who is 14 months old), and Tally, (13 months), are now preparing to move on to advanced training, while younger Freda and Rodney continue their journey.

Behind every future guide dog is a dedicated puppy raiser. “Without the loving homes and foundation they provide, we wouldn’t be able to train the hundreds of life-changing guide dogs we do each year,” says Mandy.

That’s why the Guide Dogs team are looking for more puppy raisers across Oxfordshire. Volunteers provide a loving home and help puppies develop the skills, confidence and good manners they need before progressing to specialist training. It’s a commitment, but one that can ultimately help someone with sight loss travel independently to work, shops, family and friends.

The transport training also highlights how welcoming local public services can be to assistance dogs. Registered assistance dogs, including guide dogs, are welcome on the Airline, while its coaches are wheelchair-accessible and drivers receive disability awareness training.

So next time you spot a yellow-jacketed puppy raiser and their four-legged trainee aboard a local bus, remember: you could be watching a future guide dog.

Could you raise a puppy? Find out more about volunteering at guidedogs.org.uk.

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