Book sheds light on guide dog puppies' lives
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AN INSIGHT into the first months of a guide dog's life has been given in a book sharing the experiences of a pod of puppy walkers.
Puppy Tales is now on sale, with money raised going to the charity Guide Dogs for the Blind.
The book focuses on puppies who come to spend their first year with volunteer walkers in the Moray area.
Together, they train the 'dogs in blue coats' as they take their first steps before they go on to specialist training and eventually to their permanent homes.
As well as photos, the book includes the stories of puppies’ lives and tells of the love, laughter and pathos of individual experiences.
Background information on the charity is given, from its history and aims to the breeds it uses, reflections of those working throughout the system, and its other achievements.
Puppy Walker Margaret Woodward said: "A small group of Puppy Walkers have put together this book outlining their experiences with their puppies, the fun and frustration, the toil and patience, exhilaration at lessons learned, hopes and fears and mutual support, the fascination at how different one pup is to another, the huge learning experiences – and the sadness of saying goodbye.
"The hope is that this book will help to raise funds for Guide Dogs for the Blind."
Copies are available at £10 plus £2 postage and you can email Margaret at woodwardmgt1@gmail.com to arrange a copy.
At the moment, there are five of the charity's puppies in the Moray area.
Now between seven and nine months of age, the pups will be increasingly walking our streets or seen in many public places wearing their bright blue coats.
Members of the public are reminded not to distract them as they are out and about.
