Guide Dog in Training, Milly

On Tuesday a work colleague, Gemma, and I drove through to Forfar to the Guide Dogs for the Blind Training Centre for a volunteering day. (We get 1 per year from my company).

It's a magnificent purpose built facility, 5 years they have been in it and at each of the 4 corners of the building the dogs are housed in bright airy pens, with heated floors.

There were about 25 dogs in the Glen Moy wing where I was helping out. Started by wet brushing the floor then hosing then squidging down. It's hard work! The dogs were ALL adorable and so well trained. They all wanted cuddles and would jump up on the bars to get stroked. They have all had their time with the puppy walkers and were now taken out by the trainers each day for more intensive training. The majority were lab/retreiver crossed and bred in England at the breeding centre in Lemington Spa. Puppy arrival day is a Wednesday so we missed out on that treat. I got to groom a golden dog, then I took Neil, Nigel, Isobel and Warrick out (yes, these are the names of the dogs)!

Then I did some intelligence testing in the pen with Milly (here she is) with 2 observers from next door Annie and Yoga looking on through bars wishing they were getting the treats she was finding!

A fabulous day, but exhausting. I didn't take any home but Gemma has put her name on the list of rehoming the rejects.