Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to train a Guide Dog?

It takes nearly two years to train a Guide Dog. Training starts from very soon after the pups are born. At eight weeks, the pups are placed with volunteer foster families, called Puppy Raisers. Our Puppy Raisers have the pups until they are about 18 months old, during which time they do a lot of work to ensure pups are well socialised and well mannered. This is followed by four to six months of intensive training with a Guide Dog Instructor ensuring the dog learns all the skills it needs to become a Guide Dog. It then takes a month or so to train each vision impaired person and their Guide Dog so they can work effectively together as a team to ensure their safety and independence.

Where do Guide Dogs come from in Tasmania?

Guide Dogs Tasmania provides Guide Dog Mobility services for all Tasmanians who are blind or vision impaired. We source puppies from established Guide Dog Breeding colonies in Australia and New Zealand. Sometimes we will supplement our program from quality local breeders. It is important to ensure we have dogs of suitable temperament for Guide Dog work. All training is conducted here in Tasmania by our Guide Dog Mobility Instructors.

Are we allowed to pat Guide Dog puppies?

Put quite simply: No.
Whenever the pup has its little blue Puppy Coat on, with its distinctive 'L' plate on the back, we ask that people try to ignore the pup as much as possible and definitely try not to pat it. This can be very difficult, especially if the puppy is in your workplace on a regular basis, however, it is very important. When the pup is in its Puppy Coat, it has to learn that it is on duty and needs to concentrate and behave appropriately. If people are trying to pat the pup, talk to it or, worst of all, trying to feed it, these things can quickly break down the hard work that has gone in to training the puppy.

Rest assured, the pup gets lots of opportunities to just relax and romp and play without the Puppy Coat on, but most of the time this is at home. Whilst it is hard to do with a new puppy, the best thing you can do in the early stages is to try hard to ignore the pup and allow the handler to concentrate on trying to instill some manners in a tiny little puppy that is just learning the ropes.

What happens to dogs that are unsuitable as Guide Dogs?

We have an Adoption List for people who wish to adopt a retired Guide Dog or one of our dogs that is more suitable for a career as a pet. If you are interested in adopting a retired dog or offering a home for our career-change dogs, please fill out the online Adoption Form.

Are male or female dogs more suited as Guide Dogs?

We use both male and female dogs on our program to ensure a variety of physical traits and temperament types.

How does a Guide Dog avoid obstacles?

We don't want to give away all our secrets, but. it isn't too hard to teach dogs to avoid obstacles, as most don't really like running into things anyway; however, it takes a lot of hard work to teach dogs to ensure they avoid letting their handler run into things. Dogs are taught to avoid both stationary and moving obstacles. They are also taught to recognise and react appropriately to obstacles above their head, which might hit their handler.

How does a Guide Dog know when to cross the road?

This is one of the most common misperceptions about Guide Dogs. Many people believe that the Guide Dog can see the little green man and know it is time to cross. In fact, it is the Guide Dog's job to get the person safely to the kerb edge. The vision impaired handler has been taught to assess the flow of traffic, using observational skills and their senses (such as hearing). When the handler believes the road is clear or they have the right of way, they will give the command to cross the road. Guide Dog mobility is all about team work.

What is the average working life of a Guide Dog?

Guide Dogs usually begin work with their clients at about two years of age, with a well-earned retirement at approximately ten years of age.

How does a Guide Dog know where its handler wants to go?

A Guide Dog and its vision impaired handler work together as a team. The handler is responsible for providing directions to the dog at all times, whilst the dog concentrates on dealing with issues (such as obstacles, kerbs, traffic) that arise in the immediate environment. The handler must be well orientated to their route to ensure they know the number of streets to be crossed, when to turn left or right, and when they have reached their destination. Meanwhile the Guide Dog will lead them safely and assist locate specific objectives such as doorways and steps.

Each Guide Dog will usually remember the route to their handler's various destinations, once they have been there a few times, however, it is still the handler's responsibility to consistently be aware of where they are in relation to where they have come from and where they are heading too.

Some Guide Dog handlers have reported that their dog has remembered destinations that they have not travelled to for many months or even years.

Is a Guide Dog always working and does it always have to wear a harness?

Guide Dog puppies are conditioned from a very young age to understand that when they are wearing their special puppy coats or their Guide Dog harness, that they are 'on duty' and are expected to behave accordingly. When out of their puppy coat or harness, the dogs are encouraged to play and relax, just like any other dog. Although there are a few special rules to abide by to ensure our dogs are always well mannered when in public.

The working role of our Guide Dogs only takes up a minor percentage of their daily routine, therefore play, relaxation and the odd cuddle or two make up a large portion of their daily activities.

How much does it cost to train a Guide Dog?

Training Guide Dogs is an expensive business. Our puppies are specifically bred to meet the demands of Guide Dog work, in order to ensure they are physically and temperamentally suited to the task. They are then placed with Puppy Raising families to undergo socialisation and initial training in basic good manners. During this time, Guide Dogs Tasmania meets all costs associated with equipment, feeding and supervision for our puppies. In all, it costs in excess of $25,000 to train each of our Guide Dogs.

Where does the money come from to train Guide Dogs?

All of our services are provided free of charge to blind and vision impaired Tasmanians. Sometimes we are able to receive payment for some services from third parties, for example the Department of Veteran's Affairs. We receive minimal support from the state and federal governments, therefore the majority of our income is derived from donations and our own fundraising efforts. Major income sources include our raffle sales, model dog collections, chocolate sales, and public donations. We are also able to supplement our income through corporate sponsorships and sponsorship programs such as Puppy Love.