I saw a post on Instagram of another home ed family doing this tour (I can’t remember which one to thank!) and we fancied going too. It was really easy to book via their website and there was good availability across many weeks. We decided to use the tour as an excuse for a mini-holiday down in Stratford Upon Avon to make the most of the journey down south.
This Centre is the UK’s only breeding centre for Guide Dogs run by The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association. The Centre has room to breed 1,500 puppies a year and, since opening in 2011, they’ve now bred almost 11,000 puppies. On the classic experience tour you get to explore the journey of a guide dog right from the very beginning before they’re even born. You learn about the charity’s breeding programme, how dogs are selected and trained and then how they are partnered with someone who needs them. This tour has definitely made us look at guide dogs we see out and about a lot more differently!
Before the tour – puppy updates
We received an email from the Centre once a week in the lead up to the tour date to warn us that they may not have any puppies in when we came to visit. Because we’d already booked hotel accommodation, we weren’t able to change the date so easily and so we decided to still go regardless.
We’re very glad we did as we had a great time! Of course, it would have been amazing to see some cute puppies, but we still got so much out of the visit. We’ll just have to go back again when they do have puppies!
Classic Experience Tour
It was just us four and another group of four adults in our tour group. We were shown around by two incredibly knowledgeable tour guides who answered all our many questions brilliantly.
It’s a large place with lots of different areas and the tour took in most of these except the breeding areas. We were given a talk at the start of the tour on how they breed the dogs and which breeds have which characteristics. We were shown lots of gorgeous pictures of their breeding stock and we had to guess what breed they each were.
We were then given the chance to experience what’s it like to walk with minimal or no vision using mobility aids. We shut our eyes or wore a blindfold and walked along a corridor with a ramp and stairs and tried to navigate our way with a stick. It was hard! We then went through a sensory tunnel which simulated what walking outside would be like.
The breeding dogs live with volunteers in their homes and that’s where they give birth too. Where there are complications or volunteers need more support, the dogs can come into the Centre and have their puppies there. During our visit, one of the dogs in the Centre gave birth to just one puppy which we got to see when it was just a few minutes old. It was quite a large puppy as it was the only one and in the words of Peggy, it “was beyond adorable”. We might not have seen any other puppies on the tour, but this was certainly a super special moment.
We then went on to learn about the different harnesses and how each dog will have a preference as to what they want to wear. The dogs are always put at the forefront of any decision regarding their welfare.
We loved the volunteer telling us all about her work with the puppies and how they start to socialise them straight away. Peggy decided she’d like to go and work there too!
At the very end of the tour, we got the chance to put on different plastic glasses which mimicked different sight conditions. This gave us a real insight into how some people see the world and made us realise even more how vital a guide dog can be.
Most interesting fact we learned on the day
A breeding bitch is only allowed to have a maximum of four litters. After that, she is retired. It was very clear from the tour and from the policies in place that the dogs are the number one priority for the Centre. They are put at the heart of every decision and the dogs are also treated as individuals wherever possible. The breeding stock have a very good life and are anything but exploited.
Our top tip for visiting
Definitely go when there are puppies! We were unable to change the date of our tour because we’d built a mini-holiday around that date. Although we had a great time, we feel we need to go back again when there are definitely puppies to see.
If you are interested in a tour but it’s too far to travel, keep an eye out on their website as our tour guide mentioned that they’re hoping to start up tours at the regional centres as well. Although they don’t breed at these centres, they’ll do everything else! The locations of these centres can be seen here.
What age range is it suitable for?
I’d say it’s suitable for any age! The tour guide will adapt the tour according to who is in the group.
How long were we there?
Our tour started at 2pm and we left just before 4pm so we were there for nearly two hours.
Are there any learning resources?
The charity’s website has separate learning resources suitable for primary age and secondary age. There are detailed lesson plans with supporting resources.
Before our visit, we watched the charity’s videos on Youtube for each stage of the guide dog process. This definitely helped us get the most out of the tour and it meant we could ask more detailed questions on the day as well.
How much does it cost?
Tickets for a tour of the Centre are bought through Eventbrite via the website and cost £15 for adults and £7.50 for 6-16 year olds; children 5 and under go free.
Is there a gift shop?
Yes, a small one where you can buy some mementos of your day.
Is there a cafe?
No, but we were offered tea, coffee, squash or water at the end of the tour and plenty of biscuits too!
Is it accessible?
You probably couldn’t find a place more accessible! The Centre is a very modern, purpose-built building with good access for blind or visually impaired people and those in wheelchairs.
How did we get there?
We drove down from Oldham to the Dog Centre which is just near Leamington Spa. We made a mini-holiday of it and went from the tour across to Stratford Upon Avon where we stayed for a few nights. Whilst we were there we visited Shakespeare’s birthplace, The Royal Shakespeare Theatre and the MAD Museum.
When did we go?
Wednesday 22 March 2023
Information about The Guide Dogs National Centre
Banbury Road,
Bishop’s Tachbrook,
Warwickshire, CV33 9QJ
NBCVisitors@guidedogs.org.uk
https://www.guidedogs.org.uk/about-us/guide-dogs-centres/visitor-experiences/
