Guide Dog Pupdate - Clara's Journey

Meet Clara – Our Sponsored Guide Dog Puppy

We’re so excited to introduce the newest addition to our sponsorship family — Clara, a future guide dog who’s just beginning her incredible journey.

Over the coming months, we’ll be following Clara as she grows, learns, and works her way through her guide dog training. Right now, she’s living with Ash and his family, who are volunteering as her puppy raisers with Guide Dogs. They’ll be helping Clara build the confidence, skills, and foundations she’ll need for her future role supporting someone with sight loss.

Here’s Ash’s latest update on how Clara has been settling into family life…

Settling into Family Life

My wife and I are new to puppy raising — Clara is our very first pup! We’d previously fostered dogs at training school, but when we heard that Clara needed a new home due to a change in circumstances with her previous raisers, we decided to take the plunge.

It all happened very quickly, but she’s settled in beautifully and has already brought so much joy and laughter to our family.

After a slightly unsettled first night, Clara now heads happily to her crate at bedtime and sleeps soundly through the night. She’s a friendly little girl who loves meeting new people and greeting visitors with a constantly wagging tail!

At home, she’s playful and energetic, but also calm and gentle when needed. She’s very affectionate too — if we sit on the floor, she’ll happily plonk herself straight into our laps. My two young children absolutely adore her and spend hours playing or cuddling up beside her.

A Cheeky Character

Clara also has a wonderfully mischievous side. She’s often caught sneaking onto the sofa when she thinks no one’s watching, before slowly sliding off again as if she was never there!

She loves her soft toys — especially a well-loved pink octopus — and enjoys proudly bringing them to show us. Basic cues such as ‘sit’, ‘down’ and ‘wait’ are coming along nicely, and her food manners have improved enormously. She now waits patiently across the kitchen until she’s told she can tuck in.

Out on walks, she’s confident in quieter areas and is gradually getting used to busier environments too. Our Puppy Development Advisor, Jan, is really pleased with her progress so far.

Clara’s bright, affectionate and just a little bit cheeky — in other words, a total delight. We’re looking forward to going on this journey together.

You can find out more about sponsoring a puppy like Clara here: Guide Dogs 

Good luck Clara, we look forward to your next pupdate.

Team Ace Canine.