Find out what’s been happening in the world of our Seeing Eye Dog puppy superstars this month.
Bear – 11 months old
Bear is a gentle soul with deep chocolate features, who has captured hearts across Melbourne’s northern suburbs. Bear is moving along swimmingly in his training. He can get a bit too excited when around other dogs, but with time and practice he’ll remember that socialising has to wait until after work hours. He has a great enthusiasm for his training, and is charming and well-behaved. Bear has a huge amount of potential in guiding his future owner.
Leela – 11 months old
Leela is the darling of her family and has progressed so far in her training recently. She’s making leaps and bounds in coping with distractions, including travelling in cars, trains and around shopping centres. Most impressively, Leela has been joining her carer’s yoga classes – without being distracted by the strange movements of the humans around her.
Leela has been incredibly dedicated to her training and really smashing goals. She recognises that once her coat is on, puppy playtime becomes work time, and she behaves accordingly in all scenarios, ranging from football games to church attendance. Leela is also very good at recognising “no”, which she hardly ever has to be told because of her tenacious desire to learn, and her skill at remembering new commands. Leela is booked in for a trip to the SEDA kennels for more intense training in late April, all part of the journey in her career as a Seeing Eye Dog.
Clancy – 11 months old
“Clancy Pants” is a much-loved team member at the Vision Australia Dandenong office. Because of the generous donations of toys from a local op-shop, Clancy has a huge range of new and interesting toys at all times, which he likes to carry around the office. While he hasn’t quite mastered the concept of fetch, Clancy is very good at sitting calmly and patiently, whether it’s at a park, cinema or on public transport.
His gorgeous face earned him some paparazzi shots in a recent ABC article on Facebook (unsurprising), but it’s really his quiet companionship that has impressed his trainers and the general public. On a family holiday to Bright, he wowed the crowds with his exemplary behaviour and dedication to sitting still. When he’s in the zone, Clancy is a hard worker and doesn’t miss a beat. Clancy is also being considered for the breeding program at SEDA. He’s well on the way to becoming the Handsomest Seeing Eye Dog Ever*.
*not an official award. All dogs are the Handsomest Dogs.
Halo – 11 months old
Halo is a sweetheart in a big family of furry friends. Halo has been learning fast alongside her student carer, but also picked up life experience from the eight cats and two other dogs who make up her household. Her favourite activities are pouncing around the backyard with red heeler, Lucky, and snuggling with her very best friend, Molly the kitten. Halo is kept in line by Needa, an older dog who was also part of the SEDA program several years ago. Under her guidance, Halo is recognising that she is not, in fact, the boss – a valuable skill for a Seeing Eye Dog.
Halo has a “go anywhere, do anything” attitude that is standing her in good stead as she progresses in her training: she’s faced busy streets, truck traffic, and thunderstorms bravely. While she was quite a speedy dog, under the guidance of SEDA training she’s learnt to manage her pace to suit her carer, and has impressed her trainers so much under assessment that she’s being considered as a breeding dog. Her skills are developing smoothly, and her high health is a great sign for her career to come.
We are proud to support Seeing Eye Dogs Australia and you can, too! Visit petbarn.com.au/seda to find out about how you can help.