Guide dog shows pupils its class

BIG LICKS: Nasa, a 10-month-old black labrador in training to be a guide dog, and sight-impaired Molly Armstrong, 11, having fun at Montessori at South End School in Carterton. PHOTOS/LYNDA FERINGA

Nasa, a black labrador puppy in training to be a guide dog, paid a visit to the Montessori senior class at South End School yesterday.

The visit was arranged by Carterton mother Beth Armstrong, who's 11-year-old daughter Molly has been a member of the Blind Foundation since she was one.

As part of the Red Puppy Bikkie Day, Molly had baked cookies to sell around her school to help raise money for the Blind Foundation.

Molly was born with a rare chromosome disorder which means she is blind in her right eye and visually impaired in her left.

Mrs Armstrong thought it would be good to invite Nasa and his carer, Paul Stannard, to the classroom for an educational talk on training guide dogs.

Mr Stannard, a Blind Foundation volunteer puppy walker, has been looking after the male pup since it was eight weeks old.

He said he would have Nasa until the end of the year when the dog would then go on to spend six months with the Blind Foundation getting "very specific training".

Mr Stannard, now retired, said "puppy walker was an understatement" for the care and effort he had to dedicate to the dog.

"We do the pre-training and all the basic things."

Mr Stannard would have the pup in his care for 18 months and his job was to "show Nasa the world".

They take trips into the country so Nasa is familiar with rural animals and he is socialised with people and other dogs.

Nasa is getting to know about public transport as he is taken on buses, trains, ferries and planes.

"We also train them how to understand when he's got his coat on he's working and when it's off he can behave differently."

Nasa is only fed "special scientific food", which gives him a premium coat and has been taught to stay off the furniture and out of the kitchen.

He is also trained to look for certain shops in certain locations and to locate steps.

Mr Stannard said it cost about $40,000 to train a guide dog and about half of the dogs in training "wouldn't make it", as the dogs that take on the responsibility of a blind person had to be "perfect".

He said it took about two years to have a guide dog fully trained and then the Blind Foundation would match the dog with a person, depending on the person's needs.

Mr Stannard now lives in Hataitai, Wellington, but has a working history in Carterton and a son who lives there.

He said he enjoyed having Nasa "as part of the family" and all the people he had met, through caring for the puppy and respite guide dogs in the past.