Guide dog puppies visit Oxford Bus Company for pre-training exercises

Paws replaced wheels at Oxford Bus Company this week as some future guide dogs were introduced to the sights and sounds of public transport as part of their training.

The Cowley depot welcomed puppies Suzie and Nevie plus their volunteer puppy raisers for a one-hour session dedicated to building the confidence and knowledge of the dogs when using bus services, ahead of their formal training at a local Guide Dogs centre when they’re older. 

Training included learning how to get on and off the bus safely, how to settle when a vehicle is in transit and enhancing their familiarity of multiple people being in an enclosed space at the same time. These experiences help prepare puppies to travel safely with a blind or partially sighted person who they will hopefully eventually be matched with in the near future.

Oxford Bus Company’s team of dog lovers were able to offer a helping paw on the day too by acting out different scenarios to assist with each dog’s learning. 

Helena Gibbons, Puppy Raising Operations Manager at Guide Dogs, said: “Guide dogs really do change lives. 

“It’s easy to take our ability to decide when we want to go out and where we want to go for granted. But the reality is without a guide dog, that luxury wouldn’t be possible for so many people who are registered blind or partially sighted. 

“Having the opportunity to introduce and practice behaviours on public transport in a controlled and safe environment is invaluable to the development of the dogs we work with. 

“It genuinely makes a difference to their ability as guide dogs and will positively contribute towards providing someone with their own independence in the future. A big thank you to the Oxford Bus Company team for being so supportive of our work.” 

The training day took place a month after Oxford Bus Company partnered with Guide Dogs to offer volunteer puppy raisers free travel on its services. 

The move enables volunteer guide dog puppy raisers to travel for free on its bus services with trainee-assistance-dogs to further familiarise the hounds with public transport.

Luke Marion, Managing Director of Oxford Bus Company, added: “Buses provide a lifeline for those who are registered either blind or partially sighted. 

“Being able to confidently travel to work, to essential stores and visit friends and family delivers that sense of independence. 

“It’s why working with Guide Dogs to ensure puppies being trained locally have the chance to develop life-changing skills at the earliest opportunity is so important to us. 

“Plus, our team enjoys watching each dog progress in its training before the circle is completed when they become regular users of our services with their new owners.” 

Guide Dogs is in need of more puppy raiser volunteers in Oxfordshire.  Puppy raisers typically care for a guide dog puppy for 12-16 months and will guide him or her through training, socialisation, the introduction of new environments and experiences while providing a loving home, before they then move on to the next stages of training to become a guide dog. For further information and to apply, visit www.guidedogs.org.uk.