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Indy
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Guide Dog 3
Guide dog in training, Indy
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guide dog 2
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Guide Dog John
Abbie's husband John with Indy
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Guide Dog Abbie
Abbie Hunkin out on the river with Indy
Abbie and her husband John Hunnibell returned from a two-year exchange with the Australian navy in Sydney in 2012 and thought about having a dog. However, John’s role in the Navy – he’s currently staff at the Britannia Royal Naval College - necessitates a move every two years, making this a commitment that was at best challenging.
But there was another option, which fitted their personal situation and also allowed them to help a charity close to their hearts
“My husband and I applied to be ‘puppy walkers’ for the Guide Dog Association shortly after we returned to the UK from living in Sydney in Feb 2012,” Abbie said. “I have very poor eyesight myself and my grandmother was blind so we had some understanding of the difficulties faced by blind people and were keen to contribute to the charity in a meaningful way. We were also keen to have our own dog, but with moving every two years with the future is quite unpredictable, these were not ideal circumstances for getting a dog. Instead, having a puppy for a year seemed like a good solution for us.”
But how do you actually go about becoming a puppy walker?
“We applied to be puppy walkers on the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association website. We were then interviewed and our house inspected by a puppy walker supervisor,” Abbie told me. “Once they were happy that the puppy would be well looked after and trained we went on the waiting list for a puppy. The whole process took about two months.”
And then a young dog called Indy arrived.
For many people having a puppy is a difficult and challenging time as they try to train them and help them become well behaved dogs – how different is it for a guide dog puppy?
Abbie said: “He is quite a commitment; he needs to be trained to ‘work’ in cities and on public transport. Living in Dartmouth this means heading to Plymouth or Exeter at least once a week, and less frequent trips to Totnes so that he gets used to the train. The Guide Dog Association prefers that puppy walkers don’t work so that the dogs receive comprehensive training and care. In other ways, however, he’s less of a burden than a non working dog as he can go into shops and restaurants and the Guide Dog Association have a network of ‘puppy sitters’ if we need to go away for a short time without him.
“Aside from town and city training, which we do at least three times a week, he needs to be comfortable and well behaved on buses and trains. He also needs to respond well to the usual commands, have good recall when out for a walk and be able to concentrate on leading rather than being distracted by people, food or other dogs. At a year old he’s pretty good now, though still prone to the occasional lapse. When he first arrived at 6.5 weeks old it was a different story. Over the last year he’s naturally matured and responded well to his training; also of course he’s less cute than when he was a small puppy so people tend to be happier ignoring him than they used to be! When Indy first arrived our supervisor would visit fortnightly, now she’ll visit once a month to check his training and discuss any health or behavioural issues. So we’re well supported.”
This leads to the inevitable question: What’s it going to be like handing Indy, a beautiful dog and now part of their family, over to finish his training, possibly never to see him again?
“He’s due to leave us in June so we are going to have to snap out of our denial and face the reality soon,’ she said. “We’ll certainly miss him, he’s got such a lovely personality and has become a huge part of our lives, but if he succeeds as a guide dog and improves someone’s life it will have been worth it.”
Having helped Guide Dog Association in such a positive and committed way, would they do it again?
“This is something my husband and I have discussed many times. The answer seems to change depending on whether Indy has just been particularly cute or mischievous! I certainly wouldn’t rule it out in the future though we may take a break when Indy leaves us.”
Abbie is hoping that when Indy finishes his year with them, they may still get a chance to see him once he is fully trained and paired with someone.
“When he leaves us he still has six months further training to complete, after this he will be matched to someone according to their individual needs and Indy’s abilities and personality,” she said. “At this point my contact details will be passed on to the person Indy is paired with, but it will be up to them if they want to get in touch. I very much hope they do, as it would be good to know that he is happy, settled and useful somewhere.”
If anyone is interested in becoming a puppy walker or volunteering for Guide Dogs for the Blind Association they should contact the local office on 0845 3727407.
First published May/June 2013 By The Dart