Guide Dogs

[Floralnomad]

Wonder if someone can answer a question that came to me this morning : do guide dogs / guide dogs in training or dogs being puppy walked ever go off lead for a good run round?

I'm pretty sure they do - I know they're only working when they have the harness on and they can be just as naughty as other dogs when it's off.

My dad is a puppy walker, lots of off lead frolics with our puppy. Just no ball throwing and fetching. Our puppy went daft when off lead. But looks as if she is about to be passed as a fully fledged guide dog (and I am very proud)!

I only asked because I saw a chap 'puppy walking' this morning on one of the local dog fields and the only other one I know is a failed guide dog that a local family adopted and although they let him off his lead he never runs around . I wondered if running was trained out IYSWIM

Why no balls ?

I see a blind man walking his dog quite often when I am walking mine. His dog is always off lead in a normal collar without the harness etc.

He uses a cane then and walks with someone else who guides him and looks out for the dog.

That's interesting beer as there is a man up the road apparently training a Labrador to be a gun dog and he uses a ball to train the retrieve . Although I said to my husband the other day that I think he has picked the wrong dog as it seems very thick and its quite funny watching all the arm waving and whistling .

No the man I know is probably doing it wrong as I said the dog seems as thick as two short planks , its also really unfriendly with other dogs so I can't see how it would work in a shoot setting as he'd be constantly having to tell it to not attack the other dogs .

They were allowed to run around off the lead when my parents were puppy walkers, but they can be just as naughty as other dogs so it might just be that the puppy's recall is bad and it's a two-person effort if attempted!

I walk Lolly with a blind man a couple of times a week

his dog is right by his side doing his job till he takes off his harness and then he goes bat shit crazy tearing around with my completely silly crazy lolly

the blind man uses his cane or is led by someone and the dog just behaves like any other dog...well actually a bit crazier than some dogs I see

Well I am pleased that guide dogs get a good run ! Shame about the balls though . Perhaps we need to start another thread on training gun dogs as there seems to be lots of interesting methods. I hope the man up the road starts shouting 'bang' that will make it even more fun .

Most guide dogs are paired with a volunteer who takes them every day for their fun walk. The ones I care for all have this though it may vary from region to region. One of the guide dogs is brought for his vet checks by his fun friend and they always arrive muddy and exhausted together!

There is a couple further down our street who are Guide Dog puppy walkers. We have got to know them since we got our Lab. DD and Ddog have often been invited into their garden so that the dogs can have a good run around together. You are right about balls - they are not allowed them. They are also not allowed any "human food" as treats. Their latest pup has just gone on to the next part of his training and they are going to be taking a break until after the summer.