Following the talk by Marie-Claire Barker from the RNIB about sight loss in March 2025, a visit was arranged to the guide dog training centre at Leamington Spa.
A number of our members enjoyed an interesting afternoon, finding out about the work done there to train dogs to help people with sight loss.
The visit started with a very informative presentation about the history of the centre and the training process. It continued with a walk through a dark tunnel with blindfold on, testing the long white stick, finding out about the changes in harness over the years for the dogs, and a look into the puppy area.
We found out how the dogs are trained to suit their eventual “owners”, and how clever the dogs are, including being trained to disobey if necessary.
Most of the dogs are Labradors or Retrievers, or crosses, and other crosses like Labradoodles. German Shepherds used to be used, but they are rarely now, as they are stronger. The choice depends on the needs of the eventual owner.
About 75% of the puppies pass the training but some are not suited to the lifestyle.
Unsuccessful puppies will go to good homes as pets, and retired dogs (at about age 10) may stay with the same person, or may go elsewhere, depending on how well they get on with the replacement dog.
