Scottish guide dog puppies take special trip to Sea Life

Exploring the aquarium helps the guide dogs to become more resilient and confident <i>(Image: Alan Peebles)</i>
Exploring the aquarium helps the guide dogs to become more resilient and confident (Image: Alan Peebles)
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FOUR guide dog puppies have been given a unique training experience at a Scottish aquarium.

SEA LIFE Loch Lomond welcomed the pups – Honey, Wynnie, Massey, and Robin – as they undergo training to become guide dogs.

The so-called "school trip" with their volunteer puppy raisers is part of a collaboration between SEA LIFE and The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.

(Image: Alan Peebles) Puppy development advisor for Guide Dogs, Erin McArthur, said: "We’re really grateful to SEA LIFE in Loch Lomond for allowing our guide dog puppies to visit.

"It’s so important that the dogs are exposed to a wide variety of situations and environments – that way they grow into calm and confident guide dogs and learn how to behave in different settings.

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"SEA LIFE is the perfect location for this, having so many different areas they can explore, all of which offer something unique, and such diverse marine life.

(Image: Alan Peebles) "Our pups and volunteers had a brilliant day."

The attraction's varied environments helped the dogs, at a key development stage, become more resilient and confident.

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Their visit introduced them to various settings, including areas with different light levels, walkways, surfaces, and enclosed spaces.

This immersive experience is aimed at helping the puppies become well-rounded guide dogs in the future.

General manager at SEA LIFE Loch Lomond, Kathryn Adam, said: "It’s been a huge pleasure to welcome these gorgeous puppies and their dedicated puppy raisers to SEA LIFE Loch Lomond.

(Image: Alan Peebles) "It's been fascinating too, to see how the dogs learn so quickly and interact with the brilliant marine creatures we have here.

"We’re hugely proud to be able to support The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association in this way.

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"We can’t wait to see these pups grow into fully-fledged guide dogs who, thanks to their brilliant training, can truly change a person’s life forever."

Guide Dogs are appealing for more volunteer puppy raisers to help train the next generation of life-changing guide dogs.

Details about how to get involved can be found at guidedogs.org.uk/puppyraising.

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