Bonnie's Puppy Page

Bonnie's qualified!

Hello, I’m Matthew, Bonnie’s new owner.

I began losing my sight when I was 14 when I was diagnosed with retinal detachment. This condition occurs when the retina at the back of the eye pulls away from the blood vessels that should supply it with oxygen; I describe it as a curtain coming down over your field of vision. Experiencing this while I was at school made everything more challenging while growing up. For a long time, I relied on my family and on a white cane to navigate the world; then, I heard about Guide Dogs through a local sight loss charity, which opened up a whole new chapter for me.

Bonnie is my second guide dog, and she’s fantastic. Before her, I was partnered with Robin, another amazing guide dog – he was a sponsored pup too, which is a nice coincidence! After Robin retired, I rehomed him, so he could live with me forever, as a pet dog. I went back to using a white cane while waiting for a new guide dog; I couldn’t get out as much as I could while I had Robin as a guide.

Finally, the good news arrived, and I was partnered with the lovely Bonnie! She quickly became my trusted companion and Robin’s friend as well. Since Bonnie joined me, my confidence has grown each day. I can get out and about independently again, without relying on people close to me; I’ve been able to explore new places and have rediscovered the freedom of going wherever I want. It's a feeling I can't quite express in words, and it's all thanks to your support and Bonnie’s fantastic training. Thank you for sponsoring Bonnie!

Matthew, Robin and Bonnie

Pupdate 6 - Advanced training

Hello, it’s Emily here, Bonnie’s trainer.

I’m a Guide Dog Mobility specialist and have been at Guide Dogs for six years. I love being able to help make a successful partnership and support people with sight loss to live their independent lives by finding that perfect match. Creating a partnership that’s fulfilling for both the guide dog owner and the dog is a great feeling. It’s a real win-win!

Giuliana has done a great job training Bonnie. My role now is to fine tune her skills. As part of my role, I’ll also work with the new guide dog owner and Bonnie together as a team, and look after their partnership going forward.

Bonnie and I have a great relationship. She forms strong bonds. It can take her a bit of time to get used to you, but once you have her trust, she’s such a loving and affectionate girl.

Perfecting skills

Bonnie has made great progress since her last Pupdate. Her confidence in her guiding skills has developed so much. She always likes to be doing something. She loves being out and about and guiding me on different routes. She’s happy and comfortable wherever you take her and adapts well to new environments. I’ve done some blindfold walks with Bonnie in quiet and busy areas. This is where I put on a blindfold and ask her to guide me around a familiar route. I always have a colleague close by to ensure we’re both safe. Doing this lets her make decisions on her own without any help from me. It also teaches me more about Bonnie’s guiding style and how the tension in the harness changes based on the situation. For example, whether we’re approaching a kerb or guiding around an obstacle.

Bonnie is confident on public transport and isn’t fazed by heavy traffic. She takes everything in her stride. She enjoys her training and loves to guide; she likes finding her way around a route. Bonnie was previously struggling a bit with speed, often rushing, but she’s made great progress with this. Her guiding speed is comfortable and consistent now.

The main challenge Bonnie still faces is settling. Her patience is excellent when she’s in harness, for example while waiting to cross a busy road. However, when it’s time for her to relax, she finds it hard to switch off completely. For this reason, I do lots of trips to cafés or restaurants with her. In her future role she’d be expected to settle for a longer amount of time in locations such as these. To help with this, I sometimes give her a chew or filled Kong toy to enjoy. This allows her to still focus on something whilst also encouraging her to relax.

Next steps

Over the next few months, I’ll continue to work on Bonnie’s settling, along with finding her perfect match. She will suit someone who is active and goes out every day. She guides on new routes skilfully, but someone with a fairly consistent routine would also work well for her. Bonnie would happily live with children or other dogs. She loves cuddles and affection, so I think she’d be great with someone who is looking for a caring companion as well as a great guide dog. I’m confident we will find her perfect partner soon!

Thank you for sponsoring Bonnie. Thanks to supporters like you she will make an incredible impact on the life of someone living with sight loss!

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