All dogs go to heaven, especially dogs who work jobs in service positions for the enhancement of human lives. Although Solo, the 13-months-old Labrador, sees his immediate future involving full-time employment as a service hound trained by SA Guide-Dogs Association (Sagda).
Alida Pansegrouw runs a programme through the association that trains guide dogs, service dogs and autism-support dogs.
“We are the foundation phase where we do the socialisation and exposure with the puppies,” Pansegrouw said, revealing how long it takes to fully train a guide-dog to be able to serve its owner’s needs. “It takes about two years. The blue jacket means that they’re still learning; it says ‘learner guide dog, do not distract’.
“We’re trying to be out in public to try; trying to teach the dogs how to behave so that when they go out working, they know to focus when they’re out in public.”
Pansegrouw, along with Sagda puppy-raising supervisor Kelly Benatar, were accompanying Sagda puppy-raiser Angel Conradie at Bryanston Shopping Centre on February 13, where Solo was being assessed as part of his journey towards becoming a guide dog. Conradie took over the cultivation of Solo when his previous raisers emigrated out of South Africa.
“I try and take Solo out in public to shops and so on at least three times a week; the older he gets, the longer we spend when we’re out shopping,” said Conradie. “When he was a baby, it was in little, short increments. As they get accustomed to that, and their obedience cues improve, we spend longer in the shops and out in restaurants or coffee shops.”
Conradie said Solo isn’t one to remain behind when he sniffs that there’s a car trip somewhere about to happen.
“If he sees me putting on my takkies, he knows we’re going somewhere, and he’ll run for the front door,” said Conradie.
“Backseat or in the front footwell depending on where he’s travelling; open windows enough so that he can’t get out, but enough so that he can be cool.”
“He’s a Labrador; he just loves food,” Conradie concluded.
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