Guide dog puppies steal the limelight at Royal & Derngate theatre in Northampton

They’ve been visiting the theatre throughout March on a series of socialisation trips, as part of their guide dog training.

Each pup has been accompanied by their volunteer Puppy Raiser, who looks after them until they are just over a year old, before they move to a Guide Dogs’ centre to start their formal training.

Volunteer Puppy Raisers for charity Guide Dogs provide puppies with vital foundations for their future role, teaching them basic commands and helping them get used to different environments.

This helps to prepare them for when they are matched with someone living with sight loss and become their guide.

Anna Standing, Operations Manager for Guide Dogs, said: “We’d like to say a big thank you to everyone at Royal & Derngate for giving our pups, and Puppy Raisers, the opportunity to explore a working theatre.

“It’s really important that our puppies get used to different social environments during their puppy raising year, and a theatre is a great space where they can be introduced to a variety of sights and sounds and learn to settle calmly.

“The pups have also had chance to visit the cinema within the theatre, which has provided another opportunity to practice their settling skills.

“We’re looking forward to our final session with the theatre in April, where the pups will attend the theatre’s production of Moby Dick.

“This will be the first time they’ve watched a show and will be a great learning experience for them.

“All of this work will hopefully help ensure they are well prepared for starting the next stage of their guide dog training.”

Lorna Dawson, Head of Customer Experience at Royal & Derngate, said: “We had noticed that many assistance dogs struggle to adapt to the indoor environment of our auditoriums, often because they haven’t been exposed to such settings before. Drawing on my own background in dog training, I’m very aware of the importance of early exposure to different environments in helping dogs become comfortable and adaptable.

“As a result, we offered our venue to provide essential training opportunities for guide dog puppies from a young age. By introducing them to the sights, sounds and atmosphere of theatre foyers, auditoriums and cinema screenings early on, we can assist in desensitising them and preparing them for future outings with their blind and visually impaired owners.”

The theatre’s Chief Executive Jo Gordon added: “Our goal is to make live entertainment and film screenings more accessible to individuals with visual impairments by ensuring that their guide dogs are well equipped to accompany them confidently.

“It has been incredibly rewarding for all our staff watching the puppies with their trainers working inside our venue.”

There are around 3500 guide dogs in the UK, who will of all had a volunteer Puppy Raiser preparing them for their working role.

Guide Dogs is currently looking for more volunteer Puppy Raisers across Northamptonshire.

The charity also needs volunteer Puppy Fosterers across the county, who look after pups for shorter periods.

For both roles, volunteers must be aged over 18 and have suitable housing.  

For more information about volunteering for Guide Dogs, please email [email protected] or call 0800 781 1444.