MAVERICK

Maverick loves his long walks

Maverick loves his long walks

Maverick loves living at his new home with his devoted Puppy Carer, where he has already fearlessly conquered two flights of stairs.

Maverick loves his teddy bear ‘Ted,’ and enjoys the great outdoors- he particularly loves going for walks in the nearby park.

The delightful dog is known in the family as a ‘Mummy’s boy,’ because of his incredibly close bond with his Carer- he will run to her before any other family member!

Maverick has a fan club at his local Nursery, where he is known as a real ‘sweetheart.’

Maverick and his favourite teddy bear

Maverick and his favourite teddy bear

The staff love seeing Maverick and always enquire about his progress, while letting other customers know not to pat him while he is wearing his blue SEDA coat (which sometimes proves difficult because of his irresistible little face!)

Maverick has also learnt how to ring a bell on a rope, so now when he would like to go outside, he simply rings the front door bell! It only took the clever little pup just over a week to learn this.

He will continue to demonstrate impressive skills such as this as he continues on his journey to becoming a Seeing Eye Dog.

SKYLA

Skyla proudly showing off her new blue coat

Skyla proudly showing off her new blue coat

Skyla is a gorgeous girl and her Puppy Carer is very impressed with how confident she is while out in public. She has been to many different places including the library, the bus and her local café. Visiting different places like these helps Skyla build her socialisation skills. It is very important that she is used to a wide range of places and situations because as a Seeing Eye Dog, she will encounter different environments on a regular basis.

Skyla is a social girl who loves meeting other puppies and has even made a best friend named Alfie, a 9 year old Bassett Hound who she goes walking with four mornings a week.

Skyla lives by the beach and on her first excursion there, was very curious about the water. She ran in at top speed, only to realise she didn’t like the water at all, and charged back onto the safety of the sand, just as quickly!

Skyla enjoying some down time with her new friends

Skyla enjoying some down time with her new friends

Her Puppy Carer has been volunteering for SEDA for many years and says that Skyla has taken to her obedience training with aplomb. She understands basic commands and can sit, stay and eat on command.   A SEDA breeding dog named Ursa sometimes comes to visit, and Skyla is always so excited to see the lovely Golden Retriever.

Skyla’s quiet confidence and determined nature are traits that will bode well for her training and this little girl is already well on her way to becoming a fully-fledged Seeing Eye Dog.

 

HOPE

Hope Showing off her new get up at the park

Hope Showing off her new get up at the park

Hope feels right at home with her Puppy Carer and has settled in nicely over the past few weeks. She is a good little girl (most of the time!) who is quickly learning basic obedience and commands. She knows what the word ‘no’ means and has mastered the art of eating on command.

Hope is a social girl and attends choir practice with her Carer, where she spends most of her time sleeping – much to the delight of the other choir members! She loves watching her Puppy Carer’s nine year old Grandson play Basketball every week. The young players understand not to pat her while she wears her blue SEDA coat.

Hope is a quiet, laidback puppy who is never fazed while out in public. She enjoys going to the park, where her Carer is quick to teach children about her important job as a SEDA puppy. Hope is very popular at the local café, and her patient behaviour impresses everyone who she meets.

Hope having fun at the park with fellow SEDA trainee Zara

Hope having fun at the park with fellow SEDA trainee Zara

Someone who is not so thrilled about having Hope as a new roommate is Manny, the13 year old cat- he doesn’t appreciate getting covered in Hope’s kisses every morning!

Hope is proving to be a quick little learner and is already used to crowds while out in public. This is a very important skill for her future role as a Seeing Eye Dog, as she will not be distracted while leading her blind client safely in public.