Guide Dogs Australia | Non-profit organisation

Guide Dogs Australia

Phone: +61 1800 484 333

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• Non-profit organisation
• Charitable organisation
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22.01.2022 Last year may have been a little different but it didn’t stop us holding our annual Life Skills Camp in SA/NT we just had to change things up. Our annual Life Skills Camp supports students aged 10 to 18 years living with low vision, as they work towards their personal goals for greater independence, confidence and wellbeing, while learning the value of leadership and teamwork. Learn more, as Orientation and Mobility Instructor Prue takes us through last year’s event. ... [Video description: Video begins with Prue speaking to the camera, followed by shots of high school students participating in the Camp via Zoom. Video concludes with Prue speaking to the camera.]

22.01.2022 Ever wondered what goes into matching the right Guide Dog to a Client? In short - a lot! 1 The characteristics and needs of both a Client and a Guide Dog are carefully assessed. We take into account our Client’s preferred pace, lifestyle and physical attributes.... 2 The size and temperament of the dog are equally as important a big dog with lots of energy is better suited to an active Client with adequate strength. 3 We also take into consideration any requests our Client may have, like specific requirements in colour, gender, or size. After a trial walk, the Client and Guide Dog enter an intensive training program with a Guide Dog Mobility Instructor. Together, they will navigate a controlled environment and then progress to everyday activities, like walking in the street and at night. If the Client and Guide Dog are a good fit, they are ready to begin their journey! We will then continue to support them for the lifetime of their partnership, and beyond. [Image description: a yellow Guide Dog in a harness standing next to a person in front of a bench in a street]

20.01.2022 Over at the Guide Dogs Centre in NSW, Guide Dog Trainers Carla and John recently welcomed their next group of hopeful Guide Dogs for assessment! What happens when they first come in for assessment? They are greeted with loving arms by our amazing Kennel Attendants and Volunteers who help them settle in.... They get to enjoy a free run, play with a variety of toys, and will be groomed and health checked. They will also be paired with a buddy that matches their appropriate play style. How do we assess our dogs? Over the next three weeks, Carla and John will be looking for confident and willing dogs that respond well around distractions such as food and other dogs. They will work with each dog in a number of training exercises across different environments. This will include obedience, loose leash walking, food and dog distraction, and targeting exercises. If suitable, they will then join our Guide Dog training program or otherwise embark on a different career pathway. A massive thank you to our incredible Puppy Raisers and good luck to our latest assessment group: Cookie, Una, Udella, Unnah, Van, Villa, Veena, Wilma, Whitney, Wattle, Wilson, Rhianna, Harriet! [Image description: Carla and John smiling and kneeling on grass with five dogs (one black, four yellow Labradors) lying down in front of them. All dogs are looking up at Carla.]

15.01.2022 "All the hours of Orientation and Mobility training was quite challenging at times, but it was extremely worth it as it’s so nice to be able to do travel routes independently. I can’t wait for the many exciting adventures we’ll have in the years to come." - Lara Nakhle Music, Guide Dog Handler. Happy one year anniversary to Guide Dog team, Lara and Maxwell! Lara was born blind with Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis and we first met her at the age of three when our Orientation and ...Mobility Specialists started teaching her how to use a cane. Fast forward to today and Lara is 23 years old. She's a Bachelor of Arts Psychology graduate, a successful musician who made it to the top 48 artists on The Voice Australia, and now has Guide Dog Maxwell by her side. "One thing I really like about having a Guide Dog is that if people are standing in the way, or if there are objects I need to walk around, Maxwell knows how to safely navigate me and avoid bumping me into things." We're so happy that Maxwell is there for you and we wish you both the very best! [Image description: Lara smiling with one arm around her Guide Dog Maxwell, a black Labrador.]

12.01.2022 Introducing Charlize - our Whelp and Breed Stock Advisor at Guide Dogs NSW/ACT! Growing up, Charlize loved being around animals and her dream job was always destined to be something to do with animals. So what does Charlize do in her role?... "I always tell people I’m basically a dog midwife! But there’s a lot more to it than that. We look after all the breeding dogs and when the female breeding dogs are mated, we monitor them during pregnancy, labour and after birth. On the day the mums are due to give birth, we're on call to drive to the Home Whelper's home at the first sign of contractions. We then assist during the birthing process, making sure all the puppies are born safely. After the pups are born, we visit the pups and mum weekly to do health checks and give any routine preventatives such as worming and vaccines. We also support our Home Whelpers as they often have many questions, especially if it is their first time." In addition, Charlize also helps our veterinarian with some research to improve our breeding program and the success rate of our puppies. We love your work Charlize! Thank you for taking great care of our dogs. [Image description: Charlize smiling at the camera with a yellow Labrador next to her, kissing her face]

01.01.2022 A sneak peek inside the Queensland nursery where we recently welcomed 22 tiny new recruits! While their current hobbies may include snoozing, eating yoghurt and climbing on their siblings, these tiny pups have an important journey ahead of them. In a few short weeks, they will be heading off with their Puppy Raisers to begin exploring the world and preparing for their future as life-changing Guide Dogs.... But we still need more Puppy Raisers for these promising pups. If you’re based in Queensland and are considering becoming a Puppy Raiser, visit our website today: bit.ly/guidedogspuppyraising [Image description: Black Labrador puppy wearing a green collar, laying on a blue blanket with its eyes closed]