Name: Flake
This is Flake. She was born on 29th April 2022 to mum, Mo, and Dad, Lex, both owned by Sharon Lambert. Flake is a gorgeous chocolate labrador who will hopefully become a good Canine Concern care dog.
I researched the breeders of chocolate labradors for months and eventually found one I felt comfortable with, even though she was 220 miles away. We chatted on the phone and I explained my plans of finally registering her as a Canine Concern care dog. She immediately said, ‘What would you do with her if she isn’t suitable as a care dog?’ My reply was, ‘keep her as my pet and a companion to Konnor and Savannah, my 3 year old yellow labrador and 13 year old golden retriever.’ This pleased her, as although we can look for a puppy with the right genes from her or his parents, and train them in appropriate behaviour, if their temperament is not compatible for this work, then so be it.
Every dog is an individual, like us humans, and they have their own likes and dislikes. Forcing a dog into doing a role they are not happy doing is detrimental to the dog’s wellbeing as well as being very cruel. Sharon explained that she had worked with other similar charities and learnt what to look out for in the first few weeks when the puppies start to show their individual personalities, so would be able to guide me a little into the choice of pups. However, she didn’t need to help much as when I went to see them, Flake chose me. She scrambled onto my lap when I was on the floor with the pups, and snuggled in. As she developed, Sharon agreed that she was probably ideal, as she was confident and friendly.
It is important that a dog enjoys whatever role we expect it to have, if not and they do things just to please us, they can get stressed and poorly. About 30% of Guide Dogs for the Blind puppies can be withdrawn during their first couple of years’ training. Behaviourally, a dog will be withdrawn from training if it is too nervous around people, objects or other animals, too suspicious or too easily distracted. Medical reasons for withdrawal include skin, eye and joint conditions which preclude a life as a working guide dog.
Unlike Canine Concern care dogs, guide dogs have a long, drawn out training and many tests, due to their work being more demanding, with the dog needing to use their own discretion, skill and knowledge. Our dogs are very intuitive as to the people who need a dog cuddle most, but they are on the end of the lead looking to us, the handlers, for their actions.
Guide dog puppies immediately gain their first experiences of the world around them and undergo a puppy profiling assessment, a series of special exercises which looks at the temperament of the pups and monitors things like awareness, perception and concentration as well as confidence and initiative. They need to follow a handler, retrieve a toy or run through a small tunnel. Sharon, Flake’s breeder, started this and I have been continuing.
After just a few months, guide dog puppies are then passed to puppy walkers for a year where they are socialised, ensuring they experience lots of sights and sounds as well as teaching them basic obedience and best behaviour. I have been doing this and will continue to do so. They then have specialised training for over 30 weeks to become a qualified guide dog. If during any of these stages the puppy is believed to be not be suitable for the work, and it is therefore bad for the pup’s wellbeing or a danger to the person needing the support, it would be withdrawn from the scheme and rehomed as a pet. However, if Flake turns out not to be suitable even after Sharon and I have done our best, she won’t be forced to visit strangers for Canine Concern, but will have a loving caring home with us.
Even at this young age Flake has had appropriate socialising and a little training. The breeder ensured that she was comfortable being cuddled and stroked by all kinds of people. Her young granddaughter enjoyed helping, as did other family and friends. She also had time with her mum and dad and another family dog, so became very used to adult labradors, which are quite large to a little pup. Since having her home, she has been for a walk with Konnor in her puppy buggy, which I have been loaned. She came to the letter box with me to post Canine Concern letters. On route we met a man strimming the grass on the side of the road and another on a sit on lawn mower, both making a lot of noise. We had lots of traffic pass us; lorries, buses, cars and even a motorbike. She met other dogs in close proximity and had a mother and child stroke her in the buggy. We heard the birds, flies and even a bumble bee, and she was not phased by anything. We have also been to a couple of events Konnor and Savannah usually go to. Dog training, where she had lots of cuddles, then she watched the other dogs doing their training. She learnt a lot, although she slept through most of it! She also came to a secure dog field in her crate, where Savannah and Konnor spend an hour most Sundays playing with other 3 year old labradors (plus 13 year old Savannah and 7 year old Honey). Again, she had lots of cuddles, then watched the adult dogs having fun. This time she didn’t sleep until we got back home.
When she sleeps she loves to either cuddle up to her soft teddies, rest her head in her food bowls or sleep on her back with her legs in the air. She does look angelic, but only she knows what naughtiness she is dreaming up!
We are ensuring she enjoys this puppy stage as well as learning basic good manners and socialising to as many new things as we can think about in the limited capacity until we can let her walk safely after her vaccinations. Research shows that we have this 12-week window to get the basic behaviour and the main socialising in.
Having a puppy is fun but very time consuming and tiring. Many children who pester their parents for a dog have no idea and often dogs are then left to their own devices to entertain themselves. This can lead to a destructive or badly behaved pet which eventually is sent for rehoming after destroying the house or hurting someone.
It is a great responsibility and honour to have a dog. I hope she becomes a great Canine Concern care dog when she is old enough. She has some big paws to fill after Cadbury, my first chocolate Labrador and Savannah, my lovely golden retriever have been such wonderful care dogs for the charity.
I am sure Flake will make me proud too, but she must enjoy being a crazy, mischievous fun loving puppy first. I will keep you updated regularly with her progress.
Val Fillery
Canine Concern CEO
