Breeding and training

Guide Dogs is proud of its worldwide reputation as a breeder of working dogs. More than 50 years ago we set down the foundations of the breeding scheme that has now enabled Guide Dogs to become the largest breeder of working dogs in the world.

We consistently seek and use expert advice on veterinary health and genetics, and we place our focus squarely on our dogs’ working capacities, temperament and physical ability. This, combined with practical experience gained over many years, enables Guide Dogs to produce both pedigree and cross-bred dogs - dogs that enjoy a good quality of life and meet the needs of the specialised role for which they are destined.

The benefits of our extensive experience, a comprehensive knowledge of our dogs from birth to death and the very detailed records we keep all contribute to our success. The monitoring of any incidence of poor health or genetic disorder has helped us dramatically reduce hereditary abnormalities to a level which is below the breed average. Our in-depth knowledge of the ancestry of our pedigree dogs allows us to repeat past successes with their progeny. Cross breeding, whilst offering benefits in terms of hybrid vigour, can also introduce unknown elements into breeding lines. At Guide Dogs we have successfully managed this by ensuring that our breeding team operates under an ethical policy which pays particular attention to the individual dog’s quality of life as a working dog

This ethical policy specifically excludes the practice of inbreeding which can cause the concentration of undesirable genetic and conformation characteristics.