Sage - Our Guide Dog Sponsor Puppy - Update.
Sage is working on advanced stage training now, we're delighted to share her Pupdate with you.
Hello, it’s Nicola here. I’m training Sage alongside trainer Victoria.
Victoria has done a fantastic job with Sage, who’s now begun advanced training with me. I’m a Guide Dog Mobility Specialist (GDMS), and I match dogs to someone with a visual impairment. I’ve been a GDMS for 32 years, and the best part of my job is witnessing the life-changing difference a guide dog makes. It’s incredibly rewarding.
Traffic training
Advanced training is the latter stage of the training programme. Sage now knows almost all of the skills she needs, and it’s my job to teach her the final few, consolidate everything she’s learnt, and encourage her to apply these skills to real-life settings. It’s important Sage is confident in different environments and unusual situations so that when she encounters these in the future, she can confidently guide her owner and keep them safe.
I started working with Sage a couple of weeks ago, so I’ve been focusing on building a bond with her through play and practising skills she’s already confident with. This also helps me to understand the kind of person Sage would be best suited to, and where I need to focus my attention. She’s such a lovable girl and really enjoys her training, which is great to see.
Sage also has a cheeky side, sometimes pushing the boundaries and pretending that she doesn’t know what I’m asking her, but all she really wants is that extra treat!
One skill I’ve started with Sage is traffic training, which teaches her what to do when she starts crossing a road and a car pulls out or turns into a driveway in front of her. In a safe environment, Victoria slowly drives a Guide Dogs car towards Sage and me while we’re crossing the road at a T-junction. I’m teaching Sage to notice the car, slow down, stop and look at me rather than continuing to guide. When the vehicle has passed, Sage is learning to continue guiding to the other kerb. It’s a difficult skill to teach, and we’ve only begun this recently, but she’s doing well so far.
Cats
The biggest obstacle I’m working alongside Victoria to overcome is cats. Sage is highly distracted when she sees a cat whilst training; she loses all focus and begins to pull. At training school, a local cat often visits and isn’t bothered by our dogs in training, so he’s perfect for helping us with this. If we see him sleeping or watching us, I reward Sage when she breaks her focus from him and looks at me, teaching her that I’m better to focus on than a cat. When she’s mastered this, I’ll teach her to continue to guide past the cat without getting distracted. With lots of practice and time, I’m hoping she can achieve this.
Looking ahead
It’s an exciting few months ahead for Victoria, Sage, and me. We’ll be finishing the final stages of training, working on Sage’s distractions, and beginning to look for potential partners. Hopefully, we’ll also start the matching process, which focuses on training specific to her potential new owner.
You can find out about sponsoring a Guide Dog puppy and other volunteering and fundraising opportunities at Guide Dogs - How you can help.
