Litter D’s two-week puppy rotation is almost over. Deka is a lovely little girl who has lived a quiet, peaceful life in the suburbs and has now conquered the city centre.

The D litter puppies have reached an exciting age: they are 6 months old and it’s time for their puppy swap. This is when they change foster families for two whole weeks so that they can be exposed to stimuli they haven’t experienced before. At this age they are still very adaptable and take to new challenges quickly. They will also need the experience they gained in the puppy exchange as trained blind guides!

Their second week is coming to an end, and our puppies and their carers have had a busy and exhausting, but very rewarding time. The puppies are incorporating the many experiences they have gained here into their knowledge base, to draw on later in their training and in their lives as owners. In the first few days, everyone has settled in and the little six-month-olds have begun to consciously seek out the company of their “new” fosterers.

From then on everything went like clockwork! Deka had been living a quiet, peaceful suburban life, so now she was with a family where she could experience the hustle and bustle of the big city. She has spent a lot of time on public transport: buses, trams, electric vehicles, the subway and even the Budapest subway, which is the ultimate in traffic noise!

 

He easily conquered three bridges in the capital on foot, and every day he was running with other dogs in different paddocks or in the meadows of the city. He practised waiting patiently at his foster carer’s workplace – or rather, he slept through the working day!

One morning he was woken from his deepest slumber by a deafening fire alarm above his head… But Deka just lifted his head, confirmed that there was nothing to see and continued his nap with the same enthusiasm. Her nervous system is perfect!

As if they were just on holiday

The would-be guide dogs that have lived in quieter, suburban areas can now experience the hustle and bustle of the city, while those who have lived in a pack can try being an “only child”. Those who have mostly driven can now use public transport and vice versa. Those who may not have had the opportunity to visit a larger group of dogs on a regular basis can now do so with their foster family.

It’s a big adventure for everyone: the puppies and their new carers have to learn each other’s language and body language. For the first few hours, this means looking at each other, clueless, trying to outsmart each other. After the uncertainty of the first few days, the little ones are unaffected by the change of environment. They’re gorging themselves as if they’re on holiday!

After two weeks, of course, everyone will be back with their original families – but until then, they’re enjoying every moment of “camping”.