Four young pups got their first taste of life on the road this month when they joined Oxford Bus Company for a special training ride through the city. The outing marked the latest step in their journey to becoming fully qualified guide dogs.
The Labrador duo Peaches (six months) and Gwen (13 months) were joined by shepherd cross Leo (five months) and Ushka, a seven-month-old Labrador cross. Together, they were welcomed at the Cowley depot before boarding one of City Sightseeing Oxford’s open-top tour buses for a bespoke route through the city centre.
After leaving the depot, the bus – complete with four wagging passengers – travelled down Cowley Road with a stop at Manzil Way Garden, before continuing along the High Street, St Aldates and Abingdon Road for a second break at Hinksey Park. Along the way, the Puppy Bus drew curious glances from onlookers as it rolled through Oxford.
The session offered the puppies valuable socialisation, allowing them to experience the sights, sounds and movements of a bus in a calm, controlled environment without members of the public onboard. Their volunteer handlers also enjoyed guided commentary about the city from one of the company’s expert tour guides.
Mandy Jones, Puppy Development Advisor at Guide Dogs, explained:
“In their life as a guide dog, our dogs will be exposed to all kinds of new situations and ways of transport. Ensuring that our puppies can gain some of these experiences early on in life in a safe, controlled manner helps us to give them the best possible start.”
The visit followed a similar training session in January and forms part of Oxford Bus Company’s long-standing partnership with Guide Dogs. The bus operator provides free travel for volunteer puppy raisers and their trainees, helping the young dogs become confident public transport users before going on to assist people who are blind or partially sighted.
Luke Marion, Managing Director of Oxford Bus Company, said:
“Helping deliver that sense of independence is such a brilliant part of our ongoing relationship with Guide Dogs. Our team enjoys watching each puppy progress in its training and later return as regular passengers with their new owners.”
Guide Dogs is currently seeking more puppy raisers in Oxfordshire. Volunteers care for a puppy for 12 to 16 months, supporting its training, socialisation and development.
