Crumble's puppy page

Crumble's news

Although we have a world-class breeding and training programme, not every pup is suited to becoming a guide dog or buddy dog. Occasionally, puppies need to be taken out of training for their best interests and the happiness of any potential future owner.

After Crumble’s October Pupdate, her trainer, Charlotte, noticed that she was drinking more than usual, which can be a sign that a dog is feeling unwell. Charlotte booked her in with the vet to investigate, and we're very sad to share that Crumble was diagnosed with kidney disease, which means that her kidneys are not working as effectively as they should.

Crumble's health and wellbeing are our top priorities, so we have taken her out of the training programme to ensure she receives all her treatment without any additional pressure. It's difficult to share this news, but we'd like to reassure you that Crumble is still her happy self and is being well cared for by her loving fosterers while our veterinary team will work closely with her Dog Welfare Officer, Claire, to manage her condition. Because of this, we’ll be finishing Crumble’s sponsorship journey here.

We’d like to thank you for all your support of Crumble and Guide Dogs. Please be reassured that your donations have still been put to valuable use. Thanks to our generous supporters, we’re currently supporting over 3,500 guide dog and buddy dog partnerships and over 320 of these have been new guide dog partnerships this year! This wouldn’t be possible without kind people like you.

Thank you again; we rely on donations to continue our life-changing work, which means without you, we couldn't be Guide Dogs!

Pupdate 3 - training school: a new adventure

Hello, it’s Charlotte here, Crumble’s trainer!

I’ve been training incredible dogs for five years, and I love my job. Every day brings something new and I never stop learning. The greatest part is seeing my dogs progress through training, qualify as guide dogs, and change the lives of people with vision impairment. They’re amazing!

Welcoming Crumble

Crumble and I have started to build a nice bond. I fell in love with her sweet and affectionate personality from the moment she arrived. She loves cuddles and has settled into training school very well. I explored different areas in the building with her, having downtime in rooms where she could relax and play with lots of toys, picking her favourites.

Her volunteer fosterers’ family, with their three teenage children, help make Crumble feel right at home. She arrived with some familiar toys from her puppy raiser, which helped her feel comfortable in the new environment. She’s very calm, so she adjusted quickly.

Training school and new friends

Mornings begin with me picking Crumble up in the Guide Dogs van and heading to the office. Jumping into the van isn’t her forte - Crumble prefers to paw at the side of the van, expecting to be lifted in! We’re practising jumping in during training and playtime to encourage her, and I’m already seeing some progress. In the office, I work on simple cues she’s already comfortable with, like food manners. This teaches her not to pick up food off the floor, which will be helpful when she’s out and about in cafés and restaurants, stopping her from eating foods she shouldn’t.

Crumble has found a special friend in Moxy, a yellow Labrador/golden retriever who’s a little older than her. They’re practically inseparable, playing together with the same energy. They’re adorable!

Crumble loves being stroked and doesn’t mind wearing her TTouch harness. This built a great foundation because I recently introduced her to the brown training harness, which she’ll continue to wear throughout training. We teach all our dogs using positive reinforcement to help build positive associations with training.

Crumble is amazing on loose lead walks. Close to the training school, there are both quiet and busy places. This will help her get used to various environments. She’s very laid-back and happy to walk alongside me while occasionally looking up at me.

I’ll teach her to focus straight ahead as she adapts to everything, as it’s important for guide dogs to remain focused on what’s in front of them. She’s becoming more confident. She’s a star!

Future plans

The skills Crumble will learn at training school will ensure she stays confident in different environments as we go out and about. I’ll expose her to more everyday noises, like construction and traffic, to build her resilience. This will help to improve her environmental awareness around different elements, such as kerbs.

Thank you for sponsoring Crumble. I can’t wait to update you on her progress at training school in your next Pupdate in February.

Follow Crumble on Facebook

See real-time updates, photos and videos of Crumble by joining her exclusive Facebook group!

Crumble's Facebook group

Please note, by requesting to join your puppy’s Facebook group you consent to Guide Dogs storing your Facebook ID on our database. This information will be used only for the purpose of administering your access to this group and, if you choose to sponsor another puppy in future, any similar groups. If you choose to cancel your sponsorship, or if your sponsorship comes to an end, we will remove your Facebook ID details from our records.