Guide Dog


	Progress One Freedom Hair has been sponsoring a Labrador pup for Guide Dogs. The following documents the puppies progress over the past few years. Progress one The guide dog puppy is now approximately twelve weeks old and whilst puppies, like children, progress at different stages, here we will try to give you an idea of what it is like learning and experiencing for a puppy at this stage. The guide dog puppy will have been with its walker for nearly six weeks now and it would be happy and settled in its new home. The puppy should now have been introduced to a lead and collar and taken on gentle walks in the local area This means the lead and collar will be very familiar accessory for the pup. The lead and collar should be made of leather and would have an identity disc attached. By this time, the pup would have met plenty of people and will be getting used to the sights and sounds of the big wide world. A bond should have formed now, between the walker and the pup, as well as with other animals that the puppy lives with. Other animals can help the pup grow strong and confident. At this stage of the puppies development, inoculations should be nearing an end and trips in the family car would have been introduced to help the pup learn to control car sickness. As well as car training, house training should be on-going at this stage and it is an expectation for the pup to be showing clear signs of progress. A few accidents may occur, but over all, the pup should be learning well. House training is achieved with patience as the puppy should need frequent trips to the garden and should be praised when performing correctly. A command meaning 'busy' is introduced that helps a pup learn early and quickly.

		Progress three Your sponsored puppy is now about ten months old and we are now gaining a very good idea of its true potential. The pup is expected to be completely happy with its self and in all conditions, it should remain confident and reliable. Socialised behaviour is expected, such as sitting and lying on command, resisting the temptation to jump at people or scrounge for food when in a café. All possible situations and conditions that the pup might encounter will have been covered and any problems recorded and solved. Depending on the progress made and mental maturity of your pup, a date can be discussed for its advanced training. However, Guide Dogs is very flexible about the setting of such a date as pups are all individual, some take a little longer to grow up!


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	Progress two The puppy is now approximately six months old and it is expected to be displaying a confident manner, a happy manner and a relaxed behavioural pattern. Socialisation with people and animals is well advanced at this stage of the puppies development and by now the pup is expected to be walking on the lead, at the left hand-side of the walker without excessive pulling. The puppy should have been taken into busy conditions, as well as calm and should have experienced trials often occurring in modern life. This should include almost anywhere to be found in an urban area like, shops, lifts, stairs, escalators, etc. The pups reaction to traffic should be assessed at this stage and appropriate action should be enforced. Potential problems should be given solutions and the pup is expected to progress well. Like young children, if the puppy walker displays a confident manner, the pup will progress quickly. At this stage, it is expected to see good recall skills with the pup and the walker in common situations such as, playing in the garden or elsewhere, in public spaces. An attachment should be felt with the walker. The pup will be responding to the 'busy' command when asked to perform in the garden.

		Success!