Guide dogs are adored the world over for their gentle temperament and strong work ethic. But sometimes even they need a holiday, and the Dunedin Blind Foundation is urgently seeking boarders to care for their working guide dogs on a short-term basis.
Guide dog mobility instructor Wendy Haecker said she required five boarders to care for working dogs from as little as one night to a couple of weeks or months.
''I am looking for people who do not work full-time, are physically capable of handling a young dog and can maintain the rules and boundaries set for guide dogs, such as not letting them eat off the floor or climb on the furniture,'' she said.
Ms Haecker said boarders did not need to train the dogs, and other pets and children in the home were ''no problem''.
The main requirement - besides a fenced, secure section - is for the dog to be able to accompany its boarder everywhere.
There were 235 guide dogs in New Zealand. The average guide dog cost about $50,000 over its lifetime and only 60-65% of dogs in training went on to work full-time, Ms Haecker said.
The dogs that failed to qualify generally did so because of health or temperament issues.
''Guide dogs are a big investment - they're not just a typical pet - so they do have to be treated a bit differently,'' she said.
One such dog is Bessie, a black Labrador at present in training. She has a sweet nature but still pulls on the leash and jumps up occasionally, so she has a long way to go before she is ready for work. Bessie has been staying with Celia Hepburn's family for the past couple of nights, and the family had already fallen in love with her.
''At the beginning it was quite hard on the children not getting too attached, but we are used to it now and it's such a lovely thing to do,'' Mrs Hepburn said.
The Hepburn family, who live in St Kilda, have been boarding guide dogs for two years. Celia and her husband, Steve, wanted their three children to have the experience of living with an animal, but they could not commit to training a puppy.
Mrs Hepburn said boarding was a ''two-way street''.
''It was a bit intimidating at first when you take them out in their red coat because everybody looks at you. But they are such a joy to have in the family, such amazing dogs.''
Mrs Hepburn works part-time as a primary school teacher and when they have a dog for longer than a weekend, Ms Haecker collects the dog at 8.30am for training and returns it at 4.30pm.
''You're not training them yourself, you're just caring for them,'' Mrs Hepburn said.
''It's been great to open up our kids' eyes to the fact that there is a need out there.''
