A GOLDEN Retriever from Nannup may have become the youngest dog in the world to qualify as a dog “guide” under an international Public Access Test (PAT).
Tandiya, better known as Tandy, undertook the strenuous three hour test in Perth on October 12, a day before her first birthday. According to her government appointed assessor, Tandy’s performance was quite brilliant, and comparable to any fully trained animal.
For Tandy’s owner/trainer, the verdict was a great relief, and followed many months of “Do-it- Yourself” training. Chris Morten, 71, has five percent of normal sight, and has been legally blind for nearly 25 years. He believes training with actual vision impairment allowed Tandy to adjust rapidly to her role as a guide.
“I was also terribly lucky the West Australian Government had a change in the law in 2013 to enable dogs to be trained outside the auspices of local charities, so Tandy may be the first dog to be trained under the new legislation. I’m eligible for a guide dog, but felt I couldn’t justify the $35,000 such a dog costs in donated money,” he said.
“So when Nannup vet nurse and breeder, Ann Williams, introduced me to a golden ball of fluff a year ago, I decided to see whether I could train her as a guide. I approached Visibility and Seeing Eye Dogs for advice, but was advised they would not be able to take part.”
Mr Morten was then put in touch with Kay Whitely of Wagamuffin Dog Training in Perth, and he took Tandy north on the Australind every month for a day of intense practice.
“Kay trained me, and then I spent hundreds of hours working with Tandy. It is said that to teach a dog anything, you need to know more than the dog, In our case, I sometimes wonder whether Tandy has been training me?”
The two are a common sight in Nannup, where Chris and his late wife Dorothy have lived since 1999. He bought Tandy to offset the emotional void of losing Dorothy unexpectedly a year earlier. The project, which has cost him $5,000 so far, has provided him with a new lease on life.
“Tandy’s guiding has made a huge difference to my mobility, but she has provided so very much more as a companion and social asset. She radiates an extraordinary aura which attracts people wherever she goes. Nannup seems to have adopted her as its own, and I’m grateful we did not have to do the PAT down here – She knows everyone and loves to meet and greet, which is frowned upon in guide dog circles!”
Mr Morten is thankful for many in the journey to date, noting Ann Williams being his biggest supporter. Local Bruce Atkinson used his skills as a leather worker to make Tandy’s harness, and he thanks many volunteers who have helped him driving to and from Busselton and Bunbury. Nannup Lions have also recently added their support, all of which Mr Morten has said is “wonderful and so very much appreciated.”
Tandy is now wearing her ‘P’ plates and Mr Morten has asked that as friendly as Tandy is, when she is in her harness, she is working, concentrating on guiding him, and is best not distracted from her task.
In November they’ll jump aboard a Virgin flight to Brisbane, and the PAT means Tandy will fly in the cabin. Another new experience for an extraordinary young lady.
