"Marcus was purpose-bred at the Guide Dogs Centre in Glossodia a small town at the foot of the Blue Mountains, 68km north-west of Sydney. In April 2020, at the start of our most recent global pandemic, when Marcus was eight weeks old, he went to live with puppy raisers Alex and Alison."
"He proved himself to be proficient at the basics; in under two weeks he could sit, drop, stay and come when called. He was well behaved; with the exception of one hole-digging incident, there was very little mischief. No kitchen intruding, no counter surfing, no pantry raiding."
"He's sensitive and food-motivated; if given the choice between a distressed person and a tasty treat, he might have a hard time picking. Oh, and don't mention guide dog school; it's a touchy subject."
Marcus is a four-year-old black labrador originally purpose-bred and trained by Guide Dogs NSW in Australia with the expectation he would become a guide dog for someone with low vision or blindness. Beginning training as an eight-week-old puppy in April 2020 with foster parents Alex and Alison, Marcus quickly mastered basic commands like sit, drop, stay, and come. He was well-behaved and cautious, preferring to sleep near his foster brother Baxter rather than alone. Despite his early promise and consistent weekly training via Zoom during the pandemic, Marcus ultimately did not graduate from the guide dog program. Instead, he found his true purpose as a therapy animal, a role better suited to his sensitive, food-motivated nature.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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