My guide dog family

Woof, guide dog Fletcher here! Hope you’re having a pawsome Bank Holiday weekend?! The good news is that I’m continuing to improve my guiding behaviour and my back feels better. I’m getting my mojo back paw step by paw step. Reckon we’re two thirds of the way there now.

Today let me introduce, and re-introduce, you to some impawtant folk. Both four legs and two legs. My guide dog family. Well, just some of them. Being a guide dog means I have a huge extended family of fellow guide dogs. And rumour has it I’ll be meeting up with some guide dogs, including my brother Umber, very soon. Paws crossed that works out.

I’ve now updated my blog post with alternative text on my photos. The apology for not having done so stands. And I’ve kept the following text from my original blog post here but left it in italics. I would have crossed it out but couldn’t work out how. [Original April text: Oh, an apology from me. Accessibility is impawtant to me. Unfortunately due to technical difficulties, and me needing some extra help, my photos don’t have the screen reader friendly alternative text descriptions. I’ll get it sorted in the next couple of weeks and I’ll update this post. I know, in the meantime, I’m in the dog house.]

Back to my guide dog family.

Here’s dad, Golden Retriever Archie. I reckon I get my stubborn streak from him. This photo, courtesy of his owner Ruth, was from last year when he was on holiday.

My mum is the lovely Jazz. She’s a black fur Labrador. And yes, if you look closely you can spot the odd black fur in my golden coat. You have to look hard though. We met my mum last year with her humans, Ginny and Andy. I had a woofderful time. My mum is great at playing tug. Read about my visit to my mum’s. And here’s a dedicated blog post on my visit to my mum’s. Here’s a photo of the two of us. I’m in my guide dog uniform at the front lying down with mum sitting behind me. Mum Jazz is a Willow and Camargo puppy born in 2010.

Next up are my litter mates. They are Stanley, Ursula, Usher, Umber, Ulan, Urwin, and Uska. I’m the second eldest. And I think all of them, except Usher, qualified as guide dogs. Don’t we all look sweet and innocent as young puppies in the photo below?

Both Stanley and I have been on TV. You can see Stanley in action being trained in London in the TV programme: Oxford Street Revealed, Series 2, Episode 6. I gather that, recently, his owner took the decision to stop being a guide dog owner after an incredible 22 years of guide dog ownership. Stanley was their 8th guide dog. I don’t know what he’s doing now.

I met my pawsome brother Umber and his human Lauren when we were all campaigning in the Houses of Parliament; photo below and I’m on the right. Feel free to check out my earlier campaigning Access All Areas blog post. (By the way, I was on TV in Emily Davison’s piece for Channel 4 News on this campaigning called No Go Britain: Guide dog owners denied access. I’m on near the beginning and my human, the pawtastic Fiona, was the first interviewee). I’m looking forward to seeing my brother and his human again. Zoomies time soon…

I don’t know much about my other brothers and sis. One day I might get to meet my litter mates again. Here’s hoping. I wonder if they’ll remember me.

Now from four legs to two legs. I’m a Guide Dogs’ Name a puppy. And I’m named after the incredible human Alan Fletcher, the now retired Chairman of Swindon Guide Dogs Fundraising Volunteers. He and the good folk in Swindon raised money to sponsor lifechangers like me in memory of Alan’s guide dog Joy. I’m one of several pups4joy. Of course, I had to track him down and say hello.

I wouldn’t be where I am today without the dedication, hard work and love of my puppy walker, Di. She made sure I had a great start in life. I owe her a lot. I was mentored by her dog Kerry too. It was great seeing my puppy walker again last year. I got lots and lots of fusses. I like fusses.

When I was going through my early and advanced training, life was made so much nicer by my boarders, Cressi and Andrew.  They helped me get proper down time after training and helped me re-energise at the weekends. They were fun and still are as I found to my joy. Yep, I saw my boarders again this year.

It’s been grand tracking down my guide dog family. In case you’re wondering I only got the contact details of my puppy walker. Everyone else I had to sniff out. Something to do with what you humans call Data Protection. I have a pawsome guide dog family. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about them. Let me know with your likes and comments…

Woof and paw, Guide dog Fletcher. 

P.S. Woof again! Been all sorts weather wise this Bank Holiday. Yesterday, cloudy then sunny. Today, my human says it’s raining cats and dogs. I’m protesting because I’d like to say hello to all those cats and dogs…

(c) pawsatthekerb™, April 2017, updated May 2017 with alternative text on photos, updated August 2017 with mum Jazz’s details.