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Guide Dog mobility services.

Learn how the powerful partnership between a person with low vision or blindness and a Guide Dog can support greater independence and confidence. 

Learn more about Guide Dog training.

Do you need a Guide Dog? A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Out.

If you're blind or have low vision and are considering a Guide Dog, it's important to understand both the benefits and responsibilities involved. A Guide Dog can provide greater independence, confidence and mobility, but it is also a significant long-term commitment.

What is Guide Dog Mobility?

A Guide Dog is a highly trained assistance animal that helps people who are blind or have low vision navigate their surroundings safely and independently. Guide Dogs can help handlers avoid obstacles, stop at kerbs and steps, find familiar destinations, and travel more efficiently through busy environments.

A Guide Dog can help you:

  • Travel more smoothly through crowded or complex environments.
  • Avoid obstacles in your path.
  • Maintain a straighter line of travel.
  • Locate familiar landmarks, doors, shop counters and pedestrian crossing poles.
  • Build confidence and reduce stress when travelling independently.

It's also important to understand what a Guide Dog cannot do.

A Guide Dog cannot:

  • Decide when it is safe to cross a road.
  • Act as a GPS or guide you to unfamiliar destinations without training.
  • Replace the orientation and mobility skills needed for independent travel
A Trainer with a Guide Dog.

Questions to Ask Yourself Before Getting a Guide Dog.

The Guide Dog self-assessment checklist encourages prospective applicants to consider whether they are ready for the commitment. Key questions include:

  • Do I rely on a mobility aid such as a long cane for most independent travel?
  • Can I walk independently several times a week?
  • Can I walk for at least 45 minutes, or am I willing to build up to that level?
  • Am I confident finding my way and solving mobility challenges independently?
  • Am I comfortable having a dog with me every day?
  • Can I dedicate time to daily grooming, health checks, feeding and exercise?
  • Am I financially prepared for ongoing costs such as food, veterinary care and other expenses?
  • Can I commit to several weeks of intensive training?
  • Do I have someone who could care for the dog in an emergency?

How to Find Out if You Need a Guide Dog.

Step 1: Learn About Guide Dog Mobility

Start by reading the Guide Dog Information Pack and learning about the role of a Guide Dog, the responsibilities of handlers and the training process.

Download the information pack.
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Step 2: Attend an Information Session or Experience Day.

Guide Dogs NSW/ACT offers free Guide Dog Information Sessions and Guide Dog Experience Days throughout the year. These events provide an opportunity to:

  • Learn more about Guide Dog Mobility.
  • Speak with experienced staff.
  • Understand the realities of living and working with a Guide Dog.
  • Decide whether a Guide Dog is the right fit for your lifestyle.

Step 3: Complete the Self-Assessment.

Review the self-assessment checklist(opens in new tab) to evaluate your readiness and suitability for Guide Dog Mobility.

Step 4: Apply for an Assessment.

If you feel ready, contact Guide Dogs NSW/ACT to . Applications can be made by calling 1800 436 364.

Step 5: Complete a Guide Dog Mobility Assessment.

A qualified Guide Dog Mobility Instructor (GDMI) will conduct an assessment in two parts:

  1. A phone or telepractice assessment discussing your lifestyle, travel needs and ability to care for a Guide Dog.
  2. An in-person assessment at your home, including a review of your mobility skills and home environment.

Step 6: Funding Support.

If approved, Guide Dogs NSW/ACT can provide documentation and support to explore funding options. Funding may be available through:

  • National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
  • Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA)
  • My Aged Care
  • Donor-funded programs

Step 7: Training and Matching.

Once approved, you'll be added to a waiting list while a suitable Guide Dog match is identified. Training typically runs for three to four weeks and focuses on:

  • Working effectively with your Guide Dog.
  • Learning commands and handling skills.
  • Caring for your dog.
  • Building confidence across different environments.
A Handler walking with their Guide Dog.

Hear from Handlers about their life-changing Guide Dog partnerships.

Every Guide Dog partnership is unique, but they all share a common thread: greater confidence and independence navigating daily life, along with loving companionship.

Meet Tony and Solo

After being a cane user for many years, Tony decided it was time for a Guide Dog. That’s when Solo came into his life! On February 14 the stars aligned, and Tony and Solo began their journey together.
 
“It’s life-changing to go from not doing things independently to now having the world at your feet,” says Tony. 

With Solo at his side, Tony can move independently throughout his everyday life. Their favourite activity to do together is exploring. Whether it’s a beach walk, bush walk, or a trip to the supermarket, Tony can do it all with Solo by his side.

“He’s not just a Guide Dog; he’s a family member.” 

Tony sitting next to Solo
Close up of Solo.
Tony walking with Solo.

Frequently asked questions: applying for a Guide Dog.

  • A person with significant vision changes who requires a primary mobility aid, such as a long cane, to travel independently and safely may be a suitable applicant for a Guide Dog and Guide Dog Mobility training. Applicants must be physically fit enough to provide their Guide Dog with the required exercise and care. They also need to be willing and motivated to put in the effort needed to learn how to work as a team.

  • Guide Dogs are highly trained assistance animals. Their skills and temperament meet the International Guide Dog Federation’s standards for supporting the independent mobility of people who are blind or have low vision. A person who works with a Guide Dog is called a Guide Dog Handler. Together, the Handler and Guide Dog form a special partnership, each playing a vital role in achieving the best mobility outcomes.

  • Guide Dogs can:

    • Assist the Handler to avoid obstacles in their immediate path.
    • Stop at changes in surface level, such as kerbs or steps.
    • Locate destinations they have been taught to find.

    Guide Dogs cannot:

    • Assess traffic flow and decide when it is safe to cross the road.
    • Guide to any destination in a new location. (A Guide Dog is not a GPS; it must be trained to target new objectives such as landmarks or buildings.)

  • A Guide Dog may provide faster and more fluid mobility through complex environments, such as crowded areas, giving you greater confidence and less stress when navigating to destinations. A Guide Dog can locate various objects for you, such as doors, shop counters and poles for light-assisted crossings. They can also maintain a straight line of travel, for example, when crossing the road or supporting you to align with access ramps.

  • Once you have been successfully matched and formed a Guide Dog partnership, you’ll start training together. Training programs are tailored to each individual’s needs. They typically run for three to four weeks (or as long as you need). To achieve the best possible outcome during this training period, you’ll need to be available each weekday.

  • Training can take place either at your home or in a residential class program at a motel. If your home life is busy, it can be a good idea to bond with your dog in a location that enables you to focus on your new skill development and your partnership with your dog. You will still receive training in your home once this initial training is complete. Guide Dog Mobility training often allows for more than one Client to be present, which can provide opportunities for peer support and new connections.

    As training progresses, the Handler and Guide Dog Team moves on to travelling in more complex and dynamic environments.

    Training also includes:

    • public transport
    • shopping centres
    • traffic awareness
    • cafés
    • other environments you might frequent regularly.

  • You must be able to maintain the health and wellbeing of your dog; Guide Dogs need to stay happy and healthy to complete their important work!

    You’ll be responsible for daily health checks, grooming and ensuring that your Guide Dog has plenty of exercise, along with time to play and enjoy being a dog.

    You should also care for your dog’s basic needs, such as providing food and water and ensuring a safe, secure place for rest and exercise. Additionally, you should provide your dog with access to communal areas and make sure they feel like a welcomed member of the household.

    It’s also important to maintain and develop your Guide Dog’s skills by reinforcing their training and maintaining a routine, especially in the early stages of the partnership.

    Following your initial training, you’ll continue to receive support and training through our in-person follow-ups. These will occur at one, three, six and 12 months in the first year, then annually until your dog turns eight.

    You can also contact us at any time if you need help addressing any issues with your dog or learning new routes and destinations together.

What happens when Guide Dogs retire?

Like all of us, dogs eventually get older and start to slow down. After your Guide Dog turns eight, in-person follow-ups will occur every six months until your dog retires.

Deciding when to retire a Guide Dog is one of the hardest decisions a Guide Dog Handler will make, and our instructors will work closely with you to help make the right decision for you and your dog.

When a Guide Dog retires, in most cases they will continue living with the Handler as a pet in well-deserved retirement.

If it is not possible for the dog to continue living with their Handler, the Handler can nominate a family member or friend to look after the dog in their retirement. If needed, Guide Dogs NSW/ACT can help find a loving home for the Guide Dog on retirement.

A Handler or a designated carer can access a $1,000 annual retired Guide Dog fund to help support their dog’s ongoing care. As a Handler, it’s your choice how you’d like to arrange your Guide Dog’s retirement. There is no right or wrong decision, and we understand that everyone’s circumstances differ. That’s why we are here to support you every step of the way.

Retired Guide Dog Winnie.

Need information on access rights when travelling?

Guide Dogs NSW/ACT provides information to help people understand their rights and responsibilities when travelling with a Guide dog.

Dan being guided through an airport with his Guide Dog.

Find out more.

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