The First Guide Dogs Litter Of 2023 Has Been Born
The first Guide Dog litter of 2023 was born, with guide dog Sylvia giving birth to eight healthy yellow Labrador puppies – five boys and three girls.
Born on the 5th of January 2023 in Leamington Spa, the adorable puppies weighed just 400 grams each. Now three weeks old, they begin to explore their surroundings and open their eyes for the very first time.
This is Sylvia’s first guide dog litter, with her owner Gillian Parsons taking part in the Breeding Dog Holder scheme to raise the next generation of guide dogs. Gillian and her family first became involved with Guide Dogs in 2005 when her then three young children were desperate to get a dog.
Guide dogs
“We were living in Warwick at the time and were very aware of Guide Dogs’ work as we often saw dogs in training in the area. A friend told me about the Breeding Dog Holder volunteer scheme and as dog novices we thought it would would be a lovely way to support the charity, as well as introducing a new family member to the group,” says Gillian.
The Breeding Dog Holder scheme sees volunteers look after one of the sight loss charity’s breeding dams. Guide dogs then take care of all feed and vet expenses while the volunteer provides their time, love and care to the dog. This care continues until the breeding mother retires, which is usually around six years of age. After this, the Breeder Dog Owner is given the option to keep the mum they cared for during this time.
Guide dogs
“It is a privilege to have the opportunity to play a part in supporting those with sight loss who are so desperate for an assistance dog,” explains Gillian.
However, following the pandemic, there is currently a national shortage of canine helpers for the visually impaired, so the charity is appealing for people in the UK who are willing to go to guide dog mothers to see whose puppies will then be trained as guide dogs.
Guide dogs
Su Price, Breeding Adviser for Guide Dogs, says: “By giving a Guide Dog mum a home, you can help us provide more life-changing Guide Dogs in the future. We health test all our breeding dogs and they live their whole lives year round with volunteers, to give the puppies the best start in a loving family environment.”
“Sylvia is the perfect mum and has taken to her new litter beautifully. Hopefully her lovely calm and caring temperament will be passed on to these puppies and one day they will be the perfect guide dogs and companions for people with sight loss all over the world. UK.”
Guide dogs
