When Guide Dogs are out with their blind handlers, they are trained to be highly focused on their task of guiding their handler and keeping him or her safe. In fact, Guide Dogs learn to be responsible for a space two times as wide and up to three times as tall as themselves to keep their blind handlers safe. One of the most important things to recognize is that Guide Dogs are not pets, however cute they may be.
A dog does not just magically become a Guide Dog overnight—it is specially bred, and certain dog breeds such as German Shepherds, Labradors and Golden Retrievers are suitable because of their intelligence, calm demeanour and good temperament.
Selected puppies which pass their Temperament Assessments are then exposed and socialised in various environments and settings for a year. These continuous exposures at a young age help them get used to the sights, sounds and crowds which they will encounter when they become a Guide Dog. These puppies then go back to Guide Dogs Singapore for guide dog skills training for nearly half a year. Although under Regulation 8 1 , 3 of the Rapid Transit Systems Regulations Cap A —no person shall bring any animal or livestock into or upon any part of the railway premises—this does not apply to a Guide Dog accompanying any blind person.
A Guide Dog is defined by them as a dog that is specially trained to aid a particular blind or visually impaired person. Guide dogs are allowed access to all food establishments and public spaces in Singapore, such as cafes, restaurants and supermarkets under Regulation 29 3 of the Environmental Public Health Food Hygiene.
Sadly, many food establishments in Singapore are not aware of this , and deny access to guide dogs and their blind handlers. To combat this problem, GDS issues Guide Dog friendly decals for businesses, giving staff and the public the assurance that Guide Dogs are welcome at the establishment. Islam commands us to do good to all creatures, including animals. Hence, we are very much encouraged to be kind to those who need to use guide dogs to get around.
Do not react in any way which may offend the owners of the guide dogs or hurt the dog itself. A Guide Dog to be begins its training as a young puppy, starting their journey at 8 to 10 weeks of age by being fostered out to sponsor families who volunteer to bring them up. They will give the puppies the best possible headstart on their journey to becoming Guide Dogs. During the first year, guide-dog-to-be puppies start learning all the sights, sounds and smells in the general environment.
Sponsor families would also socialize them to places like supermarkets, cafes, restaurants, shopping malls, MRT gantries and public transport. After one year, the puppies are returned to the Guide Dogs training centre for temperament assessments to determine if they are suitable to advance to the next level — guide dog training.
For the next few months, puppies who are eligible to become Guide Dogs are put through Guide Dog training, working one-on-one with a mobility instructor. The dogs are taught things like straight line travel, stationary and dynamic obstacle avoidance, kerb and crossing stoppings, etc.
The dogs also go through blindfold assessments with their instructors, a test to see if they are able to successfully guide their future visually impaired handler. At two years of age, dogs who graduate from the training successfully become full-fledged Guide Dogs and will go on to be profiled and matched with a visually impaired person in a life-changing partnership!
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Sign up. Already have an account? Guide Dogs Singapore Referral Form. An inclusive society where every blind and vision-impaired person is empowered for independent living. We are dedicated to help blind and vision-impaired people to achieve their fullest potential within society. To build a world-class organisation providing excellent service quality and lifelong support to the blind and vision-impaired community. Empowerment To enable the blind and vision-impaired community to realise their potential and aspirations.
Dedication To promote the interests of the blind and vision-impaired community through close and dedicated partnerships with our stakeholders.
Inclusiveness To promote inclusiveness amongst the society towards the blind and vision-impaired community. Accountability To always act with accountability and transparency in the course of our work. Get Involved with GDS.
Orinda is so much more than just a Guide Dog. Latest News. Official Online Shop Every purchase supports us. Shop Now. I can go out and go home on my own, no more restrictions! I have become more confident and happier because I can go out and go home, and take part in social activities on my own. No more restrictions! Loss of sight does not stop interest in sewing. So far, I have learnt how to sew buttons, and if they come loose I can fix them back on. I hope that one day I will be able to make a dress, or sew some of my old t-shirts into a bag or something.
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