Another notable part of the training is the way a Seeing Eye dog handler keeps their dog under tables and chairs when they are not working.  This helps prevent members of the public tripping over the dog, which can lead to injury both of the person and the dog.  Our Clients quite often have members of the public comment “I didn’t know you had a dog with you because it was so quiet and not in anybody’s way”.

So, how are these dogs trained?

It all begins with our breeding program.  Puppies bred by Seeing Eye Dogs Australia are raised in a controlled environment and are gradually exposed to different stimuli right from the time of birth.  At 7 weeks of age, however, the Breeding Centre cannot provide enough stimulation and it is now time for the puppies to go and explore the big wide world.  Enter our wonderful Puppy Carers.

Puppies are placed with their Carers from approximately 7 weeks of age until 12-16 months of age when they come in for training.  The aim of the Puppy Caring Program is to provide Carers with the knowledge and skills to train the puppy and expose it to a wide range of stimuli in a safe and efficient manner.  If the protocols and techniques are followed, the puppy should be a well-rounded and trained, a sociable dog that can easily be moulded into a future Seeing Eye Dog.

Some of the commands puppies are taught are:  sit, stay, come, on your bed, eat on command, toilet on command, out, in, forward, back, left, right, up up, find the door, find the gate, find the step/stair, find the car and find the seat.  Some puppies are “stars” and will progress further than these basic commands and conquer much more complex situations.  Other puppies are more suited to just the basics in the first 12 months of life.

Puppies are assessed at 3,6,9 and 12 months of age for their suitability to remain in the program. If suitable to continue, they will progress until it is time to come in for intensive training.  If not suitable, they are withdrawn and placed in loving, caring homes.  Some of the main reasons for withdrawal of puppies from the program are:
• Distracted by birds, cats, water, dogs, people etc.
• Poor basic obedience
• Not leading out when walking
• No willingness to please the handler
• No initiative
• High sensitivities to sound and touch (can be genetic)
• Sight and scent distraction
• No “bond” with the handler – quite often the bond is with another animal in the household.
• High prey drives – chasing etc.
• Dog has no confidence.
• Poor level of exposure to different stimuli – usually exhibited as suspicion or fear.
• Poor physical structure – hips, eyes and elbows
• Health

When brought in for training, the dogs have one week to settle into the kennel environment.  During this week, they meet their Trainer and begin basic walks.  The Trainer assesses the skill level and temperamental/behavioural aspects of the dog.

From the second week of training onwards, the Trainers teach the dogs more complex commands, polish up their skills and ready them for working with a person who is blind or vision impaired.  This stage of training can take up to six months to achieve.

In the meantime, potential Clients are being assessed by an Instructor as to their needs for mobility, their personality traits and physique.  The Clients are then matched to a dog that meets these needs and has similar skills and personality.  The Client then comes into our national headquarters for training with their new Seeing Eye Dog.

The training period lasts for approximately four weeks.  Initially, lectures prepare the student for his/her introduction to the dog and after this first meeting they remain together for the rest of the training period.  The trainee learns how to win the dog’s respect and affection and each morning and afternoon a practice trip is taken with the dog and Instructor through the streets.  At first the routes are simple, moving on to longer and more complex routes.  The Instructor demonstrates the abilities of the dog and teaches the Client how to use these abilities.  This is achieved by teaching the Client a set of basic principles and their correct application.

The Client learns to travel on all forms of transport and in crowded places such as theatres, shopping centres and sporting events.  They learn how to groom, feed and care for the dog and must prove that they are able to work the dog completely independent of any other person.  When this is achieved, the Client graduates.

At the point of graduation, the Client is a confident person who has challenged and conquered life’s most severe handicaps.

It is always important to remember that a Seeing Eye Dog in harness is working and should not be interacted with at any time either verbally or physically.  The dog is responsible for a human life and distraction away from that task could be lethal!