A new arrival from California will help the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind's Guide Dog Services maintain one of the best guide dog breeding programmes in the world.

Last month, Normandy, a ten month old yellow Labrador Retriever, flew from California to Auckland where he will soon serve as a stud dog in the RNZFB Guide Dog Services' Breeding Programme.

He will mate with Guide Dog Services' best Labrador Retriever brood bitches to produce the dogs that skilfully guide hundreds of blind and vision-impaired New Zealanders.

Genetics has an enormous influence on the quality of stock. It largely determines whether or not the $22,500 process of breeding, raising and training each dog results in a guide dog that graduates to work with blind and vision-impaired New Zealanders for around 10 years.

"To keep genetic diversity in our breeding colony, we need to use good dogs from proven outside lines," says Lauren Elgie, Guide Dog Services Breeding Services Manager.

Prior to arriving in Auckland Normandy underwent thorough orthopaedic, ophthalmic, cardiac and semen assessment. He passed all these tests with flying colours, confirming the huge potential his bloodline represents.

"Each generation we aim to improve our guide dog stock," says Lauren.

"Improvements in dog quality mean better health and an animal that is 'sound in all environments' with excellent working ability.

"It's important that dogs are not distracted by sounds, birds, or other dogs, and they're not suspicious of certain things – be it rubbish bags or strangers – anything that prevents them from working successfully."

Lauren says that guide dog schools are not "just great kennels" but are the ideal place to source a new stud.

"Getting stock from guide dog centres ensures that the lines that are brought in are well-recorded. We know they have produced good working dogs overseas."

In the case of Normandy's pedigree, medical and behavioural records can be traced back five generations.

All you ever wanted to know about breeding guide dogs…

• Along with its 12 stud dogs and 19 brood bitches, Guide Dog Services also uses frozen semen, sourced mainly from the UK.
• The RNZFB breeding colony includes guide dog lines from schools that have been purpose breeding guide dogs for over 40 years.
• The service career of a stud dog is about 10 years.
• The service career of a brood bitch is about eight years.
• Brood bitches only have one litter a year.
• Around 100 puppies are whelped by Guide Dog Services each year.
• In 1988 RNZFB Guide Dog Services introduced breeds other than the Labrador Retriever.

Guide dogs mean freedom, independence, confidence and companionship, but these important mobility aids come at a high cost.

It costs $22,500 to breed, raise, train and match a guide dog before it graduates as part of a working team.

Guide dogs are provided free of charge to the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind's (RNZFB) members. Guide Dog Services receives no government funding, all costs are covered by public donations, legacies and corporate sponsorship.

We need dogs - not the dogs themselves, but the funds to continue providing this valuable service to blind, vision-impaired and deafblind New Zealanders.

The 2005 Guide Dog Appeal will be held from Friday 8 - Sunday 10 April.

Please give generously when you see our collectors out and about on the streets or donate $3 by texting GDOG to 883.

ENDS

For more information or a photograph please contact:
Jane Gower, Communications Co-ordinator, RNZFB
Ph: 09 355 6884 or 021 357 412
OR
Sarah Byers, Communications Co-ordinator, RNZFB
Ph: 09 355 6906 or 021 752 875