Meet the guide dog trainer with a mission to help the blind in Singapore
Christina Teng trains guide dogs that help the blind get around independently in Singapore.
As a child, she dreamed of working with guide dogs but it wasn’t until Guide Dogs Singapore offered training opportunities that she got her chance.
The mum of two applied and moved with her family to Melbourne, where she spent two years in an intensive guide dog instructor training programme.
Beyond handling dogs, the training also covered dog breeds, mobility exercises and, most importantly, understanding what each blind person truly needs.
Guide dogs, often Labradors or golden retrievers, are not pets but working dogs, making it important for them to be welcome in public spaces.
Matching a guide dog with a blind handler requires a careful study of the latter's lifestyle, abilities and daily needs to ensure the right partnership.
One example is Manabu, who lost vision to retinitis pigmentosa and once spent two exhausting hours commuting to work with just a cane.
