I meet Lucy in the crowded London Bridge tube station on Friday. As people were rushing to start the weekend, Lucy sat unfazed and completely indifferent to the crowds buzzing around her. Most dogs don't like to be in a crowd and will turn to their owner for guidance and protection. This time it is the other way around. Lucy has a job to do, and an important one, so she remains focussed and calm at all times. She is a guide dog to Christina, who is visually impaired and needs Lucy to help her in every day life.
Lucy is a 5-year-old labrador retriever. She is a beautiful girl, with a friendly face and kind and thoughtful eyes. She is an experienced guide dog and has been with Christina for 3 years now. She loves long walks and Schmackos dog treats. I tested the latter, and I can confirm that she indeed is a great fan of them. She wolfed down three Schmackos while staring at me intently, although she was looking at Christina out of the corner of her eye to make sure that her owner was OK.
Lucy shares her name, breed and job with probably the most famous guide dog in the UK. Lucy, a black Labrador, was the guide dog to the former Home Secretary David Blunkett and featured in the media quite a lot, whilst on duty with her owner.
Labradors are very intelligent and eager to please, which makes them ideal for training as a guide dog. Guide Dogs For The Blind Association is an organisation that trains puppies to become guide dogs. It takes around 18 months to train a puppy, and another several months training with the future owner to make sure that the dog and the owner can communicate effectively. They work for about 7 years before retiring and being replaced with a newly trained dog. This means that a lot of new dogs need to be trained up every year. You can help by sponsoring a puppy at GDBA.
Special thanks to Christina for chatting to me and letting me take photos of Lucy. I only spoke to Christina as I saw her waiting with Lucy seated by her legs. Never talk or offer food to a guide dog who is working. They have a job to do and should not be distracted, no matter how cute they look.
See Bria, a Labrador Retriever I met in Hyde Park Corner.
More about Labradors Retrievers: Midland Counties Labrador Retriever Club
