A round of a-paws for BSS guide dog Brian on his first-year milestone!

A round of a-paws for BSS guide dog Brian on his first-year milestone! 

We’re so excited to announce that our wonderful Guide Dog, Brian, has reached his first-year milestone and has come on leaps and bounds since his last report card.

Named in memory of our Managing Director, Paul O’Reilly’s beloved Father-in-Law, Brian has learnt many valuable skills including obedience and behaviour to prepare him for life as a working guide dog. It’s wonderful to see how much he has grown over the last year, and we’re so proud of all the progress he continues to make.

Daniel Myatt of the Name a Puppy team commented: “On behalf of Brian and the Guide Dogs team, I’d like to sincerely thank Paul and his team for all of their support.

“When someone loses their sight, Guide Dogs is here to make sure they don’t lose their freedom as well. We rely on donations to continue our life-changing work. Every pound raised makes a difference to people in the UK living with sight loss. So we, and Brian, are incredibly grateful for their generosity!”

Guide dog training requires hard work and dedication from our furry friends, but we’re pleased to announce that Brian’s journey has been a triumph. His report card from the Puppy Training Supervisor clearly shows that he’s made significant progress and is well on his way to becoming a fully trained guide dog.

From the very beginning, Brian proved to be a fast learner and had only been training for a short time before progressing to the next level of his training. His four-month review demonstrated how keen Brian has been to learn and is always eager to please!

Since his last review, Brian has been mixing well with the other dogs, travelling well in the car and loves going on lots of ‘pawsome’ adventures, especially on long bus journeys.

Brian’s trainer describes him as a ‘dream to look after and coach’, adding that his obedience is already impressive, and he has no issues with learning. He has been dedicated to making good progress and we’re all really proud of him!

As a family-run business, we’re passionate about helping the charity, Guide Dogs UK, with their mission of assisting people who are visually impaired.

We hope Brian continues to excel and that one day he will help someone navigate situations or obstacles that they would otherwise be unable to.

Are you interested in supporting this fantastic charity? Find out how you can help by visiting www.guidedogs.org.uk

BSS guide dog Hilda is making ‘pawsome’ progress

BSS guide dog Hilda is making ‘pawsome’ progress

Introducing Hilda, the newest member of the BSS guide dog family, a beautiful 8-month-old Labrador Retriever.

Named in honour of Managing Director, Paul O’Reilly’s late grandmother, Hilda comes from a home with three dogs, which has played an important part in building her confidence around people and animals.

Guide dog training requires lots of hard work and dedication from our furry friends, but we’re pleased to announce that Hilda’s journey so far has been a triumph. Her report card from the Puppy Training Supervisor clearly shows that she’s made significant progress and is on track to guiding her new master.

After starting her training at just 7 weeks old, Hilda quickly learnt the correct walking pace, developed her personality and adapted well to her life as a guide dog. So far, Hilda has undergone basic training to build on key skills such as stopping at curbs, avoiding obstructions, navigating corners, travelling in a straight line and stopping for oncoming traffic.

Hilda’s trainer describes her as a ‘dream to look after and coach’, adding that her obedience is already impressive, and she has had no issues with learning. She has been dedicated to making good progress and we’re all really proud of her!

In another 6 months, Hilda will go to ‘big school’ where she will have more in-depth 1-2-1 coaching with professional guide dog specialists. From there, we expect Hilda to complete her training around her second birthday.

As a family-run business, we’re passionate about helping the charity, Guide Dogs UK, with their mission of assisting people who are visually impaired.

We hope Hilda continues to excel in her training and will one day help someone navigate situations or obstacles that they would otherwise be unable to.

Are you interested in supporting this fantastic charity? Find out how you can help by visiting www.guidedogs.org.uk

Check back in to see how Hilda is progressing on her journey. We’ll continue to share regular ‘pupdates’ and photos along the way!