Mobility Dogs Visit Walter Peak

Mobility Dogs visit Walter Peak
Walter Peak is known to be a great place to visit, learn about farming practices, eat in the picturesque setting or just walk taking in the scenery. Grant and Judy Reid the Southern Lakes puppy development team for Mobility Dogs have also discovered Walter Peak to be a great place for puppy training. The station’s lack of cars, isolation, and mix of boat, water, animals, people, buildings and open space provide safe opportunities to teach appropriate behaviour in a range of scenarios. As a result Mobility Dogs take the trip about twice a month.

Onboard the TSS Earnslaw puppies learn to be at ease with the boats pitch and roll and experience travelling in a confined space while sharing it with different people. They sit under their trainer’s seats or table for the trip across Lake Wakatipu. Once at Walter Peak puppies can approach the tame sheep, cattle, llamas and deer, getting nose-to-nose with them. Grant was especially pleased about this “Great opportunity for socialisation with other animals” for his dogs.
Grant and Judy can take afternoon tea inside, training the dogs to behave appropriately amongst tables, chairs, breakables and other people. Teaching them to move slowly or sit down amongst people carrying food and hot drinks. The same training can take place outside having tea in the garden. Walter Peak gives the dogs another, different kind of opportunity too. Its safety by the water allows the dogs to quite simply, just be dogs. They can be let off the leash to run around, swim and play with each other. A good reward for their hard work.