Guide Dogs’ star stud dog Trigger has retired from the breeding program after fathering more than 300 puppies.
The nine-year-old golden retriever is dad to 39 litters, including one in 2021 with an incredible 16 puppies, a record-breaking number for Guide Dogs.
In total, 294 of Trigger’s puppies have been bred by Guide Dogs, and a further 29 pups have been born of his valuable ‘collaborations’ with other assistance dog charities and guide dog schools. This puts his grand total at 323.
Trigger’s final litter is made up of five daughters named Jenny, Rita, Hermione, Sandy, and Indy, and one son, Billy. These eight-week-old golden retrievers are about to start their guide dog journeys and will be living with volunteer Puppy Raisers for the next year of their lives.
The six pups are the very last of the ‘Triglets’, an affectionate name given to the offspring of Trigger by the volunteers and guide dog owners who have them.
Trigger’s legacy can be seen in the independence and confidence his progeny has brought to the lives of blind and partially sighted people all over Britain. Trigger is the father of guide dogs working just about everywhere, including the streets of London, Glasgow and Cardiff and even out in Guernsey and the Isle of Wight.
Two of Trigger’s litters were born abroad at guide dog organisations in France and the Netherlands, helping to create guide dog partnerships in both countries.
Janine Dixon, Head of Breeding Operations at Guide Dogs said: “Trigger’s wonderful, gentle nature and excellent health have made him the perfect asset to our breeding program. We can’t overstate the impact that Trigger has in helping us to provide so many guide dogs for people with sight loss.
“We hope that in a few years his son Billy may join the breeding program to continue Trigger’s legacy. In the meantime, nine of his daughters, as well as his half-French son Pierre, are helping us to bring forward a new generation of guide dogs with Trigger’s fantastic genes.”
Trigger will remain in Banbury with his Breeding Dog Volunteer Sarah Byrne, who has looked after him for past seven years and will now officially adopt him.
