The South African Guide Dogs Association for the Blind calls on residents to join it as it celebrates International Assistant Dog Week from August 2 to 7. It will also have its first-ever virtual pup games on its Facebook page during that period.
The International Assistant Dog Week recognises the dedication that goes into raising and training these extraordinary canines, as well as the significant impact they have on their owners’ lives.
At eight weeks, puppies destined to be assistant dogs leave the SA Guide Dogs Association puppy block to live with puppy raisers, who invest their time, patience and love to help nurture and socialise the puppies until they are 16 months old and return to SA Guide Dogs for formal training.
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The next pup games hosted by the SA Guide Pups Association will highlight the type of training that dogs require to become successful assistant dogs.
The association wishes to focus on the fun that the dogs have while training, as well as the happiness that they bring to their raisers, trainers and owners at a time when we all need some joy in our lives.
When asked if assistant dogs are allowed to have fun, SA Guide Dogs event manager Jackie Quail responded with a bold yes.
“Assistant dogs need to be focused while working with their owners but when the harness or jacket is off, they are adorable goofballs like any other pet. They have the bonus of being able to spend all of their time with their owners, a luxury that most pets don’t have,” Quail said.
“Like the Olympics, only much cuter, the pup games is a demonstration of the hard work and training that these great dogs undergo to become assistant dogs. Log in daily to witness the champion dog athletes compete in nail-biting events, such as obedience, obstacles and swimming. You can also see how these entertaining pup games activities showcase the amazing skills that these dogs learn every day.”
The virtual pup games will be hosted by Tony Ndoro on the SA Guide Dogs’ Facebook page, @SAGuideDogs.
Contact the newsroom by emailing: Marietta Lombard (Editor) germistoncitynews@caxton.co.za, or (Journalists) Busi Vilakazi busiv@caxton.co.za
