All about Red Puppies!
You gave power to the puppies - red puppies that is, training to become guide dogs.
The inaugural Red Puppy Appeal on behalf of the Blind's Guide Dog Services raised a big paw stompin, furry, fluffy $1million! Based on the red coats that guide dog puppies in training wear, the Red Puppy Appeal is all about giving power to the puppies so, as guide dogs, they can empower blind, deafblind and vision-impaired New Zealanders.
It costs over $22,500 to breed, raise, train and match just one guide dog to a blind, deafblind or vision-impaired person. With no government funding for this essential service public support is truly valued. We can continue to support Guide Dog Services in giving power to the puppies by donating today.
Evolution of a red puppy
Conception
Brood bitches and stud dogs are carefully selected and mated either naturally or artificially. From an 18% success rate in the early 1980s, now over 60% of the purpose-bred puppies graduate as a working guide dog.
Socialisation and Training
At seven weeks puppies are placed with volunteer puppy walkers for around 12 months. Puppy walkers socialise the young dog and introduce it to situations, smells and noises it will encounter as a guide dog – supermarkets, shopping centres, sports events, work places, escalators, schools... everywhere the puppy walker goes the guide dog puppy goes to!
During their first 12 months the puppy learns to eat and toilet on command and not to be distracted by people, dogs, cats, food or balls.
At around 12 months old the puppy returns to Guide Dog Services to begin its formal training. This when the puppy walking stage pays off – the trainer can focus solely on teaching the skills needed to guide a blind, deafblind or vision-impaired person safely.
Working
Matching a guide dog to a handler is a highly technical and in-depth process which includes the speed a person and dog like to walk at, the size of the person and the dog, the person's workload, the type of transport they would use and how far they'd be walking every day.
Guide dogs are able to guide their way around an obstacle they’ve never seen before and get back on track, stop at kerbs or stairs, find certain objects – such as the post box and repeated routes.
A guide dog works for around 8-10 years. During this time a profound and unique partnership develops. A retired guide dog often stays with their handler as a pet and a replacement guide dog starts its career.