A group of guide dog puppies from Hull and East Yorkshire have been exploring under the sea at The Deep in Hull.
The guide dog puppies, Alan, Odin, Shannon, Cooper, Mitch, Maple, Noah, Sherry and Elkie are being trained to be life-changing guides, by sight loss charity Guide Dogs.
They were invited to the aquarium, on Wednesday 6 November, to help support their socialisation training, and enjoyed walking through the exhibits and navigating their tunnel, which sits underneath the 10-metre deep Endless Ocean habitat.
Each pup was accompanied by their volunteer Puppy Raiser, who looks after them until they are just over a year old, before they move to a Guide Dogs’ centre to start their formal training.
Volunteer Puppy Raisers for the charity provide puppies with vital foundations for their future role, teaching them basic commands and helping them get used to different environments.
Elise Finney, local Puppy Development Advisor, said:
“We’d like to say a big thank you to The Deep for allowing our guide dog puppies to visit."
“As our pups grow and develop, it’s really important that they are exposed to different sights and sounds, so they grow up to become confident guide dogs."
“To help support this, we try to organise days out for them, similar to school trips, where they can experience new places and learn how to behave well in these settings."
“The Deep has provided a fantastic, sensory environment for our puppies to explore, and our pups and volunteers have had a great day.”
Katy Duke, Chief Executive Officer at The Deep, said:
“We are pleased to continue our partnership with Guide Dogs and provide a venue for their team and volunteers to support their training.
“It’s been a delight to watch the puppies developing their skills as they navigate the aquarium, discovering a multitude of different sensory experiences along the way.
“As a charity ourselves, we are continually making improvements to ensure our aquarium is accessible to all, and it’s great to support fellow charity Guide Dogs to help us towards achieving this.”
Guide Dogs works with attractions across the country, to ensure they are accessible for people with sight loss and to avoid illegal access refusals.
The charity currently needs more volunteer Puppy Raisers in Hull and East Yorkshire.
Guide Dogs provides support and training for its Puppy Raisers and cover all the essential costs involved with caring for a puppy, such as food and vet bills.
To find out more about Puppy Raising for Guide Dogs, visit guidedogs.org.uk/volunteering