Puppy Rearing Best Practice The Puppy Walking Development Project David Grice Operations Project Manager

Introduction Overview of ‘Guide Dogs’ Puppy walking structure The aims of the ‘Puppy walking development project’ The Project approach Achievements to date Work ongoing Benefits to Guide dogs My hopes for participation by International Federation Members

Guide dogs puppy walking department history Effective socialisation and education remains the cornerstone of our approach to raising and training quality Guide dogs Basic strategies for puppy rearing were established in the 1950’s By 1958 an experimental puppy rearing scheme was established supported by 60 voluntary puppy walkers

The Puppy walking department today Puppy walking schemes developed nationally Rearing over 1100 pups per year 1300 Puppy walking volunteers and boarders Supported by 50 technical and administration staff

The Puppy walking department today Puppy development still utilizing the same basic principles established in the 1950’s There is a greater expectation by the organization for the Puppy walking department to raise better quality training dogs By correctly shaping the behaviour of puppies and adolescent dogs the department can: Reduce rejection rates Reduce formal training times Reduce costs Improve the quality of the finished product

The current educational situation Staff and volunteers currently receive formal education and training regarding puppy socialising and development However the isolated working practices of Supervisors and Walkers can result in inconsistent use of: Development and educational advice Problem solving and handling techniques Specific training methods e.g. clicker training, training disks etc.

The puppy walking development project Initiated in August 2005 with 2 main aims: To agree, develop and implement improved training for puppy walkers and puppy walking supervisors To reduce the amount of dogs rejected as a result of learned, inappropriate behaviours Poor social behaviours Inappropriate relief routines

Project intends to achieve aims by Developing user friendly ‘educational training packs’ for puppy walkers and supervisors Agreeing best practice for development and problem solving in line with business need These ‘education packs’ are focused on specific and separate tasks or behaviours and include: Best practice development advice Topic operational instructions Trouble shooting guide book for staff to use

The project approach Located and evaluated current information and documentation Understood the department’s puppy rearing process Updated the puppy walking completion standard (define customer need) Reviewed rejection data from a cohort of dogs to identify key training areas

Temperamental rejection representation Aggression23 Distraction39 Attentiveness19 Body sensitivity2 Confidence18 Stress resilience24 Suspicion54 Willingness16 Social behaviour19 Rejection via groups Socialising56 Basic handling116 Training42

The project approach Developed a department operational guideline list Compiled a working group of subject matter experts to develop best practice (160 years of PW experience) Developed a documentation assurance process. (Without Quality Assurance documentation can become outdated and irrelevant) Defined final dog behaviour and task standards required prior to qualification (business need)

Achievements to date Working group has developed best practice advice, instructions and trouble-shooting manuals for 1. Recall development 2. Obedience responses 3. Development of relief routines 4. Developing social behaviours 5. Identifying and dealing with aggressive behaviours User friendly and readable format with a strong department identity

Recall Education

Documentation Control Documentation is only useful to the business if it is quality assured Essential to ensure that information remains: Current and up to date Correct content User friendly Effective Able to evolve with changing business need Owned by the staff and departments which use it

Documentation Control In order to achieve this Process for document creation established via subject expert working group with peer representation A change process is in place which transparently communicates amendments ** All documentation is evaluated

Documentation contains: Individual identity mark A creation date Author and contact details

Evaluation of Documentation Documentation evaluation remains the key to its success Ensures documents are achieving the project aims Ensures education is effective and relevant Documentation used by puppy walkers and puppy walking supervisors Sample group of each was asked to feedback in 5 critical areas

Puppy walking supervisors Puppy walkers

Work Ongoing The working group is scheduled to meet 8 times during 2006 to produce similar documentation for key topics A department Intranet site is being designed to store the information and processes produced by the project This will provide access to documents for all staff in all departments Ensure all staff have access to updated information Improve the profile of the puppy walking department

DVD and video production Separate project is also underway to devise a series of short programmes of selected topics illustrating best practice Internal working group has been established involving representatives from all technical departments The aims being to: Improve volunteer education during or prior to rearing a pup Provide best practice information in an alternative format (cheap and user friendly)

Project Benefits Department processes and practices become in line with customer and business need All documents produced in line with Quality Assurance process. As a result they are of more value. Improved accessibility to information via single storage point Improved profile of the department. Professional and transparent

Project Benefits Improved education and training for volunteers and staff Improved consistency throughout the department Staff presented with professional development and up- skilling opportunities Better prepared and cost effective puppies !