Overview

• Guide Dogs began deploying life-like toy squirrels on remote-controlled cars across its UK training programmes on July 24 to simulate real-world distractions.
• A OnePoll-commissioned survey of 1,000 dog owners revealed that 61% of pet dogs are easily distracted by stimuli such as other dogs, doorbells and squirrels.
• Only 9% of respondents said their dog had never ignored a command due to inattention, and two-thirds believed their own pet could not meet guide dog focus standards.
• Karen Brady, training and behaviour partner at Guide Dogs, stressed the importance of breaking behaviours into steps, using high-value rewards and practising patience to reinforce desired actions.
• Guide Dogs is sharing its survey findings and detailed reinforcement techniques with pet owners nationwide to enhance canine attentiveness and public safety.