News February 2016

Oska, one of our pups born in March 2015, was a very placid puppy so I donated him to Scale Dogs, an organisation which trains guide dogs and that I have supported for many years. He is very lucky, he has 2 ‘puppy walker’ families, he lives with us during the week and lives with Pierre-Yves and Natacha at the weekend. He has adapted extremely well to this unusual situation and is as happy to go to them on a Friday evening as he is to return to us on a Monday morning. Both families are totally committed to his well-being, education and progress.

WHAT IS A PUPPY WALKER?

A puppy walker is someone who plays a vital role in the early socialisation and education of guide dogs. A puppy goes to its puppy walking family when it leaves its mother and remains with them until it is about 15 months old, at which point it goes to guide dog school to begin specialised training. Puppy walkers take the puppy everywhere to get it accustomed to all kinds of situations, people, other animals, but also different sounds and smells. It is important that the puppy is at ease in every type of environment and is relaxed and confident when using all types of transport. Being a puppy walker is voluntary, it takes time, commitment and love but the end result is of course well worth the effort!

A LITTLE INSIGHT INTO OSKA’S LIFE

Oska behaves -and misbehaves- like any other puppy. He plays with us and with other dogs. He goes to puppy classes and every fortnight goes to classes for guide dogs to-be. These classes are very interesting as we are taught positive reinforcement methods and why guide dogs should, or should not, do certain things. An example is the fact they are not allowed to play with balls. Indeed, what would happen should he see a ball and run after it when he is walking with his blind owner?

Unlike our other dogs, Oska gets to go everywhere with us; to the hairdresser’s, the doctor’s, the supermarket, cinema, theatre, restaurant, museum, and many other places. He even met St Nicolas with Natacha! He has been accustomed to all sorts of sounds and smells and is perfectly at ease on public transport.

Being a puppy walker isn’t always easy, although assistance dogs (including those training to be) should be welcomed everywhere, we sometimes have to gently remind people of the legislation when access is denied. Unpleasant remarks are sometimes made by shoppers in supermarkets who don’t understand why you’ve got a dog with you. We politely explain that his fluorescent jacket says that he is training to be a guide dog and that a blind or partially blind person shops like anyone else so the guide dog must be familiar with this kind of environment. It makes you realise how difficult it is for disabled people; how can a blind person continue their way when a car is parked on the pavement? You also realise how a guide dog can provide autonomy to its owner as it will be taught how to safely guide him through the complexities of pedestrian travel.

Nevertheless, encouraging moments greatly outweigh the negative ones when you are a puppy walker; people often stop and ask questions and there are a great deal of positive comments and support. This heightens our hope that he will one day help somebody.

Oska has been made very welcome in restaurants, shops, the cinema and theatres and I’d like to thank all these venues for welcoming him in such a friendly and supportive manner.

He amazed me recently when he attended the dress rehearsal of BLOC’s musical ”The Wizard of Oz” at the Centre Culturel d’Auderghem. He was very calm throughout the show, interested by the kites moving over his head, yet not at all disturbed by the different and loud sounds of the orchestra nor the singers in fancy and colourful costumes laughing, shouting, humming, singing and dancing in the aisle just a metre away from him. He continued to sleep soundly when the singing and screaming Wicked Witch sat down right next to me! It was a very positive experience for him – and for me as I saw the performance through his eyes and heard it through his ears.

Funny situations are not uncommon such as in the toilets of a department store. I suddenly heard a scream from the lady in the next toilet … Oska’s tail had swung under the two cubicles and the terrified lady thought there was some strange (wild?) animal running around!

The first time Natacha took him to her office, she attended a meeting with him. He was the highlight of the meeting as when off the lead he went to greet each person. Strangely enough many people popped into her office that day, the rumour having spread that her future guide dog was in the building!

“MAY I STROKE YOUR DOG?”

‘No, sorry, when he is wearing his vest he is ‘working’ so mustn’t be distracted; he has to be fully concentrated on what he is doing.’ This is a very frequent question and people are usually very understanding but one person once replied ‘I don’t care, I’m going to stroke him anyway!’ … and did.

‘ISN’T IT HARD FOR A PUPPY WALKING FAMILY TO PART WITH A GUIDE DOG?

Susan: The day will come when Oska will leave and of course I’ll be very sad to see him go. I will miss his enthusiasm and beautiful trusting face. I love him to bits but there’s a time for everything in life and it will be his time to go and help someone in need. I will be very proud of my boy if he succeeds and makes someone’s life easier and happier. I’ve taken him everywhere, shown him as much as I could, and trained him for someone else, not for my own benefit. I trust Scale Dogs and am confident they will keep me informed of his progress and well-being.

Pierre-Yves and Natacha: We have had several guide dogs and although we are sad when they leave, we are very proud when they pass their training period and become guide dogs. It’s a bit like when your child leaves home, he’s healthy and ready to face a new future. You’ve done your best to educate him and given him all the love you could. When you become a puppy walker you know from the start that you will have to part with the dog at some stage. When we hear about the dog or see it with its visually impaired master, we realise what we helped him achieve and the autonomy he gives his owner and it’s a wonderful feeling.

Scale Dogs are looking for puppy walking families, so if you feel you would like to help, please contact them at www.scaledogs.be

Read more about Oska on the website