SA Guide Dogs ready to welcome new litter

The South African Guide-Dogs Association for the Blind, which was founded by Gladys Evans over 60 years ago, is excitedly awaiting a new litter of puppies due on 1 February.

“We bring the mom in earlier to get her used to the environment so that she’s not stressed when it’s time to whelp. Erin, our mom-to-be, has given us one litter before and this is her second litter, so she’s very comfortable,” said Leigh De Beaufort, kennel manager at the puppy block at the association in Paulshof.

“We always make sure that the environment is calm so that the mother remains calm as well because whatever she’s feeling will affect the puppies.”

The association’s current litter is five weeks old and are in the Early Neuro-Stimulation Socialisation Programme, which begins at two weeks of age to help the puppies adjust to their siblings, people and textures.

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“This programme was developed by the Cambridge University in the UK so it’s had extensive research and a lot of the guide organisations in the UK and the States have begun using this programme. We started it in July last year.”

Alongside the socialisation programme, the puppy block also incorporates a massage programme to get the little pups used to contact with humans and being handled. “It’s their first interaction with humans so it has to be done very carefully.”

The pups are also taught problem-solving skills during this programme. “In the first 20 weeks of their life, that is the crucial exposure period. That is your window of opportunity so we maximise on that in order to teach them new things in a calm space.”

The puppies are always in a relaxed and controlled area to ensure that they are able to learn a variety of different skills and become accustomed to different textures, feelings and sounds in order to adjust well in a guide-dog owner’s home once they are trained.

“We always ensure that everything we expose them to is a positive experience and always make sure that they are both hygienically healthy and safe. So everything we do has to have a positive association, it’s the only way we train. There is never a negative association.”

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Several volunteers extend a helping hand in the programme, which is vital to the success of the puppy block. “We rely 100 per cent on our volunteers and, although we are not looking for puppy block volunteers, we desperately need volunteers as ‘dogs-in-training-homers’. So you take the dog home for the weekend, for a rest from training, and then the dog comes back on Monday morning, kind of like boarding school.”

Last year, the puppy block had a total of 100 puppies and it hopes to reach the same goal this year.

“We are aiming for the same number so, although we have seven whelping areas at the moment, we will be extending our facilities this year.”

Details: 011 705 3512; zainfo@guidedog.org.za