We took our puppy dogs to a nice snack

Our team once again provided a colorful spectacle at the Campona shopping centre, where we held our puppy meeting with the participation of 11 student dogs. This time we set ourselves the goal of devoting as much time as possible to some special tasks.

We did a few rounds at an animal feed store, tried the winding staircase of a shoe store, and that outer staircase which was completely open and tested our courage. In the end we took them to the movies as well.

Of course, we practice each task so that our dogs can safely lead their owners, and also help them in situations when patience and polite behavior are needed.

The pet food store is a big challenge for every dog with its tempting aromas and freely available treats. Guide dog students are no exception; they can only resist these many temptations if they are in good hands. We were able to confirm this immediately. We were pleased with the puppies as they walked on their leashes attentively and smartly and waited nicely while their trainers stopped to take a
look. After the successful completion of the task, they were also rewarded with the long-awaited treats. Thank you to our puppy trainers for practicing so much with them!

On the side of the shoe store’s stairs and steps, one can observe, which may cause some uncertainty, but each of our dogs stood their ground.

The outdoor staircase is a much more serious test, not surprisingly we visit it so often. The biggest difficulty is that there are grated steps, which the dogs can see through and it’s unpleasant to step on them. This time, too, a lot depends on the trainers. They were advised by our trainers to start off confidently and determinedly towards the steep and completely open staircase so that their pupils feel that it’s the most natural thing in the world. Apart from a few more difficult stair climbs, most of them managed this task well.

The closing program is not any ordinary movie night at Campona. Instead of watching a movie, the glittering black flooring in front of the cinema is interesting to us, creating an effect as if there was depth beneath it, so it may be strange to the dogs. This exercises them to walk confidently through unfamiliar terrain.

We closed the puppy meetup with a coffee break, which was appreciated by the dogs too after more than 2 hours of work. Of course, this was also a task for them, we watched how the puppies behave in such a situation, can they wait calmly, do they not beg, can they be hidden under the table, etc. Then we set off, some had a long journey ahead of them until they arrived home in Pécs or Miskolc. We thank everyone for their participation and enthusiasm!

„I am extremely pleased with the progress of the puppies. It is clear that our volunteer puppy trainers put in a lot of work to ensure that the dogs can confidently perform what we practice together. We cannot thank them enough for all this care! To our delight, puppy enthusiasts were also able to come and we tried to answer all their questions in detail” – said dr. Juhász Nóra, Puppy Training Coordinator.

“Good was the collaboration, the atmosphere was family-like, we make a great team together” – said Komondi Piroska, the professional leader of our foundation.