Is a guide dog right for me?

Having a guide dog is a big responsibility, and you can find more information in the ‘guide dog health and welfare’ section of the criteria below. To keep your guide dog healthy and happy, it’s important that you’re comfortable doing the following tasks:

• Carrying out regular grooming and health checks
• Maintaining your dog’s guiding skills through daily work in harness, ongoing training, and reinforcement of behaviours
• Picking up after your dog
• Attending routine vet appointments – you’ll need to arrange transport and have a plan should you need to take your dog to the vet in an emergency
• Giving your dog medicine when needed
• Exercising your dog daily and providing enrichment activities for them - whatever the weather
• Embracing your dog as part of your family, and providing plenty of love and affection, as well as routine care

You’ll need to be confident and have good knowledge of the routes and environments you’ll be using regularly and be able to walk them independently. This could also include using public transport. This is important so that you can support your guide dog by always knowing where you are and where you want to get to.

We’ll provide you with training and advice to help you remain calm and patient when working with your guide dog. By using our positive reinforcement approaches, you’ll bring out the best in your dog and get the most from your partnership.

Remember, guide dogs are bred for their working ability, so it’s important that you’re providing a young active dog with enough work in harness, as well as committing to exercising and promoting your dog’s wellbeing.

Of course, there may sometimes be challenges when working in a partnership. Your dog may need breaks or occasionally be unable to work due to health issues or in certain environments that aren’t suitable for your dog, such as concerts. When this happens, this may mean you need other options to help you get around safely. Our specialist staff can advise on alternative mobility options to help you maintain your independence and keep you active.

You'll need to communicate where you’re going with your dog on your routes and provide support if you encounter an unexpected or unusual situation that is challenging for your dog. We will provide training and guidance on how to do this during a five-week Creating New Partnerships programme.

Your vision impairment must significantly impact your ability to travel safely, efficiently, and confidently. It must restrict your general mobility and ability to carry out your daily activities.

We'll work with you to assess if a guide dog has the potential to help you make decisions that would improve this.

While the exact level of fitness and mobility required from you will depend on a range of factors, including your dog's specific needs, your home and local environment, it's important to consider your own physical abilities before applying for a guide dog.

Remember, you’ll need a certain level of independent mobility for a guide dog to be a positive addition to your lifestyle. To ensure that your lifestyle and mobility levels are suitable for an active dog, we'll need you to demonstrate the following:

• You have sufficient mobility to maintain your dog's guiding skill - your dog will need to be working five days a week, as a minimum, for at least 40 mins or around a mile every day using a variety of at least three different routes across the week
• You have a level of general health and fitness to be able to work and care for a young, intelligent, and active working guide dog

If you aren't comfortable walking at least 40 minutes a day and navigating unfamiliar areas, a guide dog may not be right for you.

If this is the case, there are other support options available. You, a family member, or a friend can contact and ask for advice from your Local Authority Sensory Team. They can assess and provide support which can include learning new skills and issuing equipment for blind and partially sighted people to maintain independence. Voluntary organisations for people with a vision impairment are also available and can provide advice, help, and support in your local community.

A guide dog partnership involves building a relationship. Although your guide dog will have training and skills that enhance your quality of life, your dog is an individual with their own needs and will require care and attention in return.

As part of the assessment process, you'll need to demonstrate to us that your guide dog will receive a great quality of life in your care. Please note that the following are the basics of animal welfare, and we expect guide dog owners to always promote and enhance their dog’s welfare:

1. Nutrition: ensure your dog always has access to fresh water and a nutritionally balanced diet suitable for their individual needs.
2. Environment: provide a safe, temperature regulated and secure indoor area in a smoke-free room with a comfortable bed suited to the individual dog. Outdoor areas must also be safe, clean, and enclosed.
3. Health: ensure your dog maintains healthy body weight, is provided with regular prescribed flea and worming medication, has their six-monthly vet checks and vaccinations (as required), and receives medical attention for any issues in between check-ups in a timely manner.
4. Behaviour: provide varied environmental enrichment to allow your dog to exhibit natural behaviour and appropriate exercise to keep them healthy and happy. Treat your dog with kindness in all aspects of their life and adhere to Guide Dogs’ standards on ethical training.
5. Positive experiences: agree to never leave your dog alone for more than four hours in 24 hours and supply your dog with appropriate toys and enrichment activities. Play with your dog to enhance their life outside of their working role.

If you have other pets in your home, you’ll need to demonstrate that they won’t compromise your guide dog's wellbeing, safety or working ability due to the number, type, or behaviour of the animals you have. You should be able to show that you can cater for all of your animals’ needs and provide appropriate resources for all animals in your home.

You’ll need to provide proof of your identity (for example, your passport, birth certificate, bank statement or council bill with your name and address on it or any official form of identification) plus evidence of non-correctable sight loss (certification or registration letter).

You don't have to be able to understand instructions in English to access our guide dog service. During your initial conversations with us, as we determine whether the service is right for you, you can be supported by a family member or another interpreter. However, during the guide dog assessment and through your training you will need to cover the cost of a professional interpreter, due to the technical nature of the training.

If you have dual sensory loss (e.g., impaired hearing and impaired vision) we will provide a sign language interpreter or equivalent for all interactions with you.

We prioritise safety and need to guarantee positive and secure working conditions for our staff, dogs, and other clients. Therefore, we can’t consider applications if you have any safeguarding issues that might present a safety risk.

You must agree with Guide Dogs' data protection statements which align with current data protection laws and regulations.

You’ll need to prove the following:

• You have been a UK resident for at least 12 months continuously.
• You have the right to remain in the UK for a further 18 months at the point of application.
• You have the right to remain in the UK for at least 12 months at the point of beginning training with a guide dog.

You'll need to agree with and sign our Guide Dog Partnership Agreement at the start of your training.

The welfare of our dogs is a very high priority, and you’ll need to show an equal level of commitment to your dog’s welfare. Therefore, we’re unable to accept your application for a dog if you or anyone else in your household has been, or is currently, subject to any animal ban or has had a guide dog or any other animal removed for welfare issues.

You'll need to demonstrate your potential and commitment to consistently work with your guide dog in line Guide Dogs’ Principles. Together we'll look at your potential to transfer your current orientation and mobility skills (including learning to adapt how you use any remaining vision) to form a successful partnership with your guide dog.

You'll need to complete all training plans (these include orientation and mobility training) in order to reach the minimum standard for guide dog ownership.

Once you’re ready to be matched with a young active dog, you'll need to stay independently mobile on your routes, keep up your health and fitness and complete any suggested pre-training prior to joining us for the next stage in your journey with Guide Dogs and inform us of changes to your circumstances.

Your eligibility to train with a guide dog will be reviewed regularly, and your application may be paused if your readiness for training changes.