Jasper's puppy page

An update on Jasper

Black Labrador cross golden retriever Jasper sitting on grass with his tongue out.

Although we have a world-class breeding and training programme, not every pup is suited to becoming a guide dog or buddy dog. Occasionally, puppies need to be taken out of training for their best interests and those of a potential future owner.

Jasper recently visited the vet for a routine operation before he was due to start training school. Once home, his Puppy Raisers, Susie and Peter, noticed he seemed tired and out of sorts. They took him back to the vets who diagnosed him with a kidney problem, a side-effect of the anaesthesia. Although this is uncommon, it’s not unheard of and Jasper spent a few days recovering before going home again.

Jasper is now feeling much better, but he’s still drinking more than usual, and his test results suggest his kidneys aren’t working as well as they should. He may still face challenges with his kidneys in the future which someone with a visual impairment could struggle to pick up on. Because of this, and because Jasper’s health and wellbeing are our top priorities, we have made the decision to take him out of the training programme so that he can focus on recovering. Although Jasper is wonderful with children, his health challenges could put additional pressure on a family already affected by sight loss, so a buddy dog career wouldn’t be suitable for him either. We understand that this might be upsetting news, but we'd like to reassure you that Jasper is still his happy self and is being well cared for while we monitor his condition. Because of this, we’ll be finishing Jasper’s sponsorship journey here, so that our full focus can be on his future wellbeing.

We’d like to thank you for all your support of Jasper and Guide Dogs. Please be reassured that your donations have still been put to valuable use. Thanks to our generous supporters, we’ve trained over 37,500 guide dogs. That’s more than one new guide dog every day since our first partnerships were created in 1931. This wouldn’t be possible without kind people like you.

Thank you again; we rely on donations to continue our life-changing work, which means without you, we couldn't be Guide Dogs!

Pupdate 2 - New adventures

Hello, it’s Susie here, I’m raising Jasper with my husband Peter.

Jasper makes us laugh every day. He’s getting into his ‘teenage’ phase now, and he’s so cheeky! Jasper’s started to realise that he gets a bit of kibble for doing things well, so now he’ll stop and look at us when he thinks he deserves something. It’s a battle of wills but he’s learning that there are certain things he’s got to do without getting a treat!

Old favourites

Jasper’s purple octopus toy is still a firm favourite. He’ll pick it up and wander around with it, showing it off to anyone he can. It’s not a present though – he just wants you to look! Jasper has also built himself a quirky routine: he wakes up with us at about 6:30am each morning and takes all the toys out of his box, one by one. Then he does it again at 9:00pm before going to bed, as if he’s greeting them all in the morning, and then bidding them goodnight at the end of the day. It’s very cute!

Trains and planes

Peter did a skydiving jump for Guide Dogs and we took Jasper along with us. We were ready to take Jasper inside if he seemed nervous, but he took it all in his stride. It was a local airport with only small 12-seater planes, so it wasn’t too loud, but it was the first time Jasper had seen a machine take flight - he’d only seen birds until that moment. He was so relaxed! He’s such a confident pup, and nothing seems to faze him.

A little closer to the ground, we’ve also taken Jasper on a few train journeys. He loves them! We’ve been teaching Jasper to perform ‘under’, where one of us will sit down on the train, and then he’ll go beneath our legs and lie down. This helps to keep Jasper safe and out of the way while on busy public transport which is important as it might be something he uses regularly with his future owner. Jasper picks up new skills quickly and has gained a lot of confidence in the last few months. We’re so proud of him.

Socials and events

We also take Jasper to fundraising events with us which gives him the opportunity to meet people of all ages. He’s a very affable boy and always behaves appropriately. In fact, we’d say that he takes advantage of the attention he gets from the public; he loves being fussed, so after he’s got the okay from us, he’ll lie on his back and ask for belly rubs.

What’s next?

Jasper’s biggest challenge currently is his loose lead walking. He’s got a bit stronger recently, and because he’s so enthusiastic, he can struggle to slow down. We’ve introduced him to a gentle leader which fits comfortably over his nose and neck, and is designed to help dogs learn to walk without pulling. We introduced this slowly by holding it out for him to sniff and encouraged a positive association with treats. He’s now happy to wear it for short periods, and we’re building up the time gradually. He’s already making great progress with it!

Thank you so much for sponsoring Jasper. Find out how his training is going in your next Pupdate in June!

A man in the countryside wearing a sweatshirt with sponsored pup Jasper design.

Exclusive range!

Check out our brand-new Jasper merchandise! We’ve partnered with Teemill to produce sustainable and fun designs for our wonderful sponsors. T-shirts, hoodies, mugs and notebooks – there’s something for everyone.

Shop now

Follow Jasper on Facebook

See real-time updates, photos and videos of Jasper by joining his exclusive Facebook group!

Jasper's Facebook group

Please note, by requesting to join your puppy’s Facebook group you consent to Guide Dogs storing your Facebook ID on our database. This information will be used only for the purpose of administering your access to this group and, if you choose to sponsor another puppy in future, any similar groups. If you choose to cancel your sponsorship, or if your sponsorship comes to an end, we will remove your Facebook ID details from our records.