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| Kevin, our latest sponsored guide dog puppy |
Follow the link to find out more about our latest guide dog puppy's training:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/puppy.kevin
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| Open Door campaign |
Open Door campaign to improve access for guide dogs and their owners
On Wednesday 7 December, we will be in Parliament holding an event for MPs and Peers so that they can learn more about our Open Doors campaign. Please will you invite your MP along to join us?
Our research found that 81% of guide dog owners have experienced an access refusal in the past and 73% of those have experienced one in the last 12 months. That shouldn’t be happening in 2022.
We want to speak to MPs and Peers about how they can support us, by making Open Doors their New Year’s resolution for 2023.
When we held a similar event in Parliament in April, over 120 MPs and Peers attended, thanks to campaigners like you inviting their MP. We know that when MPs hear directly from their constituents, they are more likely to take action.
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| Bailey Pupdate 6 October 2021 |
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October 2021 Bailey Update no. 6
To see for yourselves how Bailey is coming along, click on the following link to watch the latest video: Bailey Pupdate 6 Video - YouTube
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Hello, it’s Nicola here, Bailey’s Trainer. I’m preparing Bailey in his final stages of training to be matched with his new owner.
Fortunately, there’s been no disruptions to Bailey’s environment and living conditions with his transition into advanced training. Bailey has adapted remarkably well, and I’m really pleased to say he is consistent and positive with his training! Preparing for partnership training means building on the skills he has already established with his previous trainer, Jo, and using that as a building block to progress.
I usually pick Bailey up from his Fosterer’s home, which is a fantastic place to start as he is already relaxed, so I don’t need to focus on settling him when getting to training school. We then will do a task to challenge his brain, such as chin touch, navigating around obstacles, then have a drink and play, and go on a harness walk!
Bailey has a good general understanding of basic skills. He walks well in harness and is good at stopping at the kerb. Bailey knows how to turn in different directions and can locate the button at a pelican crossing in his training harness. His destination finding is great too. I first practised with Bailey on finding a chair, to give him a place to focus on, and he picked it up quickly and confidently. This allowed us to then practise destinations on our harness walks, and he has a very good route memory.
To help build his confidence in new areas, I have taken Bailey inside a shopping centre without his harness on. This was to reduce any pressure to allow him to have a look and get used to the busy environment. Bailey had no trouble with having other people around him and he was able to locate doors and stairs — but he wasn’t quite sure what to make of the lifts!
I absolutely love Bailey’s sense of humour and lust for life – I’ve never met a dog who submerges into puddles quite like him! I can see Bailey being partnered with somebody who likes being out and about and has a purpose in their day-to-day routine. Since Bailey is quite an active dog, I think it’s important to have someone who can handle his attentiveness.
I will continue to work on Bailey’s exposure to different environments, including public transport, to gain his optimum focus and build on his confidence. Though he disengages from other dogs well, sometimes Bailey can get distracted if there is a louder dog nearby. I want to focus on teaching him that it is alright to look, but he must know when to focus back on his task with his handler. Bailey is very willing and motivated to take part in training, which makes him a pleasure to teach!
Thank you for sponsoring Bailey. Look out for an update on Bailey’s new life with his owner.
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| Bailey Update June 2021 |
 Bailey is growing up - read the latest 'pupdate' by clicking on this link.
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| Bailey Pupdate No. 4 February 2021 |
 Pupdate 4 - Bailey started training school
Hello, it’s Amy here and I am Bailey’s new trainer.
I am currently a trainee Guide Dogs Mobility Specialist, working alongside trainer Jackie. The thing l love most about my job is watching the development of the dogs. When pups first come in, they often need more attention and nurturing, and when you see them progress and come out of the other side it is really rewarding.
Bailey is a lovely dog
Bailey has settled in really well to training school. He’s adapted to the change and has enjoyed spending time with his fosterers in the evenings and weekends. Whatever challenge I’ve given Bailey he’s always very sure of himself, which is great in a brand-new environment. Nothing seems to faze him!
Lately we have concentrated on loose lead walking and introduced the brown harness to him. We have recently gone to garden centres to see how he coped with the harness on. I’m pleased to say he adapted well and walked up and down steps very calmly.
Bailey’s joy for learning new things
Bailey is a very handsome pup! He’s completely eager to learn. Whatever you ask of him he does, and he always looks like he enjoys his work. Bailey’s tail is always wagging – he’s a happy chap. I’ve just introduced Bailey to curb training, and I’m sure he’ll take it all in his stride.
Instead of an obstacle course, I’ve been getting Bailey used to avoiding natural things in the environment. For example, if we’re walking along a path and approaching a bin, we would encourage Bailey to help us avoid it. This is something he’ll naturally do when he is a qualified guide dog.
Introduction to training school
Bailey’s had a fabulous start to training school and loves free running in the paddock onsite. The only challenge I’ve faced with him is that he is a soft toy destroyer! He loves to rip into his soft toys and blankets. He has a cheeky personality and looks very pleased with himself when he has been given a soft toy, but he can’t be left alone with one, so I make sure to have him supervised when he has a soft toy as a reward.
Everyone here at the training school loves Bailey, he’s a very sweet and affectionate boy and a joy to be around. I can’t wait to see him continue to progress.
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| Bailey Update October 2020 |
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Pupdate 3 - preparing for training school
Janice and George, Bailey’s Puppy Walkers, have been preparing Bailey for Guide Dogs Training School. Bailey has been progressing really well on his journey towards becoming a guide dog. Despite COVID-19 Bailey has continued to learn new skills and experiences. One of the skills Bailey has mastered is finding the chair – he’s fantastic at demonstrating chin rests! Whenever we’re on a training walk and we see a bench we always practise some chin rests. Bailey even does it on his own, with no prompting!
Bailey is a very sociable pup - when we’re on free runs he likes to go up to people to say hello! He’s quite an adventurer and even paid a visit to a fisherman one time. This isn’t a problem though, because he has good recall and will always come straight back when called. Bailey is fabulous with other dogs and loves to instigate games on his free runs. We’ve boarded a few dogs recently and Bailey settled in with them all nicely. In particular, he loves going up to our other puppy in training, Pancho, and will nudge him to be chased. Both Bailey and Pancho love bouncing through long grass - it’s very funny to watch!
Despite COVID-19, Bailey has had fun experiencing a variety of different things. He participated in clapping for the NHS by wagging his tail, attended a Guide Dogs Virtual Tea Party, and starred in a video to help find more volunteers for Guide Dogs. Bailey and Pancho have been getting used to doing virtual puppy classes through Zoom, the last one they did was about food manners. Although we haven’t been able to practise going on public transport, I’m sure he’ll pick it up very easily, as he loves sitting in the car! We’ve kept Bailey busy by setting up an obstacle course in our garden; it’s amazing watching him jump over hurdles and navigate through different obstacles by weaving around them.
I think Bailey would be suited for a young or active person, mainly due to the fact that he loves his free runs and has a lot of energy. Bailey will definitely make such a positive impact to someone’s life. The thing I’ll miss most about Bailey is that he always looks happy, as if he’s smiling – it really brightens a room when he’s in it. Here is a link to Bailey's latest video: https://youtu.be/SUCU9TQ36f0
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| Bailey Update August 2020 |
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Bailey has now mastered his ‘chin rest’ command which he’s happy to demonstrate everywhere, even on his pink teddy! This skill will be extremely useful when finding an empty chair on public transport for Bailey’s future guide dog owner.
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| Bailey Update June 2020 |
 Pupdate 2 - Learning about the world
Hello, it’s Janice and George here, Bailey’s Puppy Walkers. Welcome to his second Pupdate!
We have loved watching Bailey grow and develop over the last few months. He is such a lovable pup and adores being around people. It’s been great to get out and about with him and introduce him to lots of new places as well as teach him some new skills.
Bailey is an adorable golden retriever who offers great company. He shares his home with Pancho, a labradoodle who is eight weeks old. Bailey is enjoying showing Pancho the ropes although in a typical ‘older sibling’ fashion, likes to show who’s the boss and will occasionally pinch one of Pancho’s toys!
As you can imagine, we recently had to alter our training methods with Bailey due to the social distancing guidelines put in place to help stop the spread of coronavirus. However, before the restrictions were put in place, we were able to visit lots of new places together using different types of transport, including trains, cars and buses. One of the highlights was a trip to Westonbirt Arboretum. It was a great place to go for a free run and wonderful to see him demonstrating excellent recall skills!
Bailey gets a little distracted when he sees a ball being played with, especially if it’s another dog with a ball or if we walk past a play area. We will be working on keeping him focused on us rather than walking backwards!
When visiting shopping centres, we have introduced Bailey to both mannequins and escalators, both of which he was wary of the first time he came across them. He barked when he saw the mannequin in M&S, which we think was down to the fact that it had no facial features, but after some reassurance he settled down and we continued with our shopping.
Bailey is doing really well with his training and is the most well-behaved pup in puppy class! He has been introduced to a few new commands recently, including ‘chin rest’. This is where you put a napkin on your lap and encourage him to place his chin in your palm and rest his head on your lap. This is a great skill to learn for his future owner to be able to perform regular health checks on his mouth, eyes and ears.
Bailey has taken well to learning the new skills, but his attention span can be a bit short sometimes. Over the coming months, we will be working on improving his focus with the help of food treats and praises.
We can’t wait to see Bailey progress on his journey to become a guide dog. Look out for his next Pupdate!
https://youtu.be/4fOMHv1nnmE
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| Bailey Update 21st Feb 2020 |
Bailey Update 21st Feb 2020
A new update about Bailey, the guide dog puppy, arrived today, with a video showing his progress. Please follow the link below to see for yourselves how he is progressing in his training.
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| Bailey |
 November 2019. Bailey is the third puppy sponsored by Shifnal Chorale. He will start his training in the coming months.
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| Bailey update January 2020 |
 29th Jan 2020
Shifnal Chorale's sponsored guide dog Bailey seems to be growing (in size and confidence) day by day! Recently, he's been learning to identify steps, both up and down. This is an essential skill to master so that Bailey can lead his future owner safely.
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| Buddy Has Graduated |
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Buddy is the second guide dog we have sponsored. He passed his final assessment in October 2019 and has now moved in with his new owner Alex. Buddy has settled into his new home helping Alex with getting around and managing his life.
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