Pupdate 5: Big Steps, Big Confidence, and a Very Bright Future for Frank

Image of Frank from the front of the Guide Dogs leaflet

We’ve received another heart‑melting pupdate from our current sponsored trainee guide dog, Frank — and this one marks a huge milestone in his journey.

After doing brilliantly with his early trainer, Merry, Frank has now moved on to advanced training with his new Guide Dog Mobility Specialist - Debbie. She’s been matching dogs with people with visual impairments for over 30 years, and even now she says watching a dog make a smart decision all on their own still brings a proud tear to her eye. We think Frank is in very good hands!

Building Their Bond

When a dog has reached this stage, they’ve already mastered most of the skills they’ll need in their working life. Now it’s all about refining those skills, building confidence, and encouraging them to start making decisions independently in real‑world situations.

Frank has settled in beautifully. As a self‑confessed foodie, he quickly realised that treats were a fast track to friendship. (Very clever!) Alongside plenty of playtime, they revisited all the skills he already knew — a great way to boost his confidence while forming a strong bond with his new trainer.

Learning to Make Safe Choices

Right now, Frank is working hard on traffic training — one of the most important parts of guide dog education. In controlled environments, his trainer will walk straight towards a kerb as though she’s about to step into the road. Frank’s job is to stop, stay put, and keep them both safe.

And he’s smashing it - which is what we all hoped he would do.

With lots of praise, food rewards, and positive reinforcement, Frank is showing real maturity and making confident, thoughtful decisions. Even when he gets something slightly wrong, he bounces back quickly — a sign of a dog who’s ready for the next level.

Image of Frank from Post Card that comes with Pupdate Leaflet by Guide Dogs

Things We’re Still Polishing

Like any young dog, Frank has a couple of habits he’s still working on:

• His love of sniffing: He tries so hard to resist, but sometimes the temptation of an interesting scent is just too much. His trainer is helping him save the sniffing for his free‑run time.

• Distractions: Dogs, cats, squirrels — Frank notices them, but he’s getting so much better at staying focused. If his attention does wander, it’s now very easy to bring him back.

These are completely normal behaviours at this stage, and Frank is making brilliant progress.

Looking Ahead

Here’s the really exciting part: Frank has now been matched with a potential new owner. Over the next few weeks, he’ll begin training tailored specifically to their needs. It’s early days, but his trainer is already feeling optimistic about the partnership. We’ll be cheering him on every step of the way, and we can't wait to meed his new owner!!

Final Pupdate Coming Soon

If you'd like to find out more about how Frank is doing in his advanced training, watch the video here: https://youtu.be/PlFcxhHxZeM

Frank’s final pupdate will arrive in February — and we can’t wait to share the next chapter of his journey with you all!