Dog Training Intervention and Adolescent Wellbeing

The Intervention is an 8-week program where adolescents from neighbouring high schools attended a dog training centre for around 2 hours once per week to learn how to interact and engage with under socialised puppies that were being trained to become future Guide Dogs to support people living with visual impairment. The students worked with Guide Dog staff, supervised by their teachers, in puppy training sessions with the Guide Dog puppies (primarily labrador and golden retrievers) with the two-way aim of improving the young person’s confidence through working with the puppies as well as the puppy’s confidence in being handled by a number of people to prepare for their future work as Guide Dogs. The students use a variety of dog friendly equipment to encourage the puppies to explore using their sense of smell, sight, touch, and sound to navigate their environments and adapt to a range of handling techniques. These include navigating obstacles such as ball pits, stairs and wooden structures, practising basic commands such as “sit” and responding to other calls, and desensitisation to handling by a number of people for future vet and grooming visits. Details from sessions are recorded to assist with the future placement of puppies. Information on adherance or program attendance will not be available to the researchers.