Seeing Eye Dogs Show, by Vision Australia Radio

On this episode of the Seeing Eye Dogs Show, Harriet is joined by Perth-based Seeing Eye Dogs Instructor Matt Wood. We're going to chat about Matt's background, his story and how he works with and supports clients across Western Australia. He'll also share tips for clients working with him and navigating life with a dog guide.

If you'd like to find out more about Seeing Eye Dogs head to our website: https://sed.visionaustralia.org/

If you're blind or have low vision and are interested in becoming a handler or applying for a Seeing Eye Dog, please email us at [email protected] or call on 1800 037 773 to discuss dog guide mobility, eligibility or assessment.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Seeing Eye Dogs Show, Harriet is joined by Seeing Eye Dogs handler Colleen Ashby who will talk about her life, story and partnership with Seeing Eye Dog Inca. Colleen has been on this show before, talking about her book I Can See Clearly Now, her transplant games athletic journey and her partnership with her previous SED Xian. Colleen has a new Seeing Eye Dog Inca now so we're going to chat about retiring Xian, transitioning to a new dog and all that comes with that.

If you'd like to listen to the previous interview, it's available here: https://omny.fm/shows/seeing-eye-dogs-show/colleen-ashby-and-xian-handler-story

If you'd like to find out more about Seeing Eye Dogs head to our website: https://sed.visionaustralia.org/

If you're blind or have low vision and are interested in becoming a handler or applying for a Seeing Eye Dog, please email us at [email protected] or call on 1800 037 773 to discuss dog guide mobility, eligibility or assessment.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this Father's Day special of the Seeing Eye Dogs Show, Harriet is joined by Seeing Eye Dogs handler and dad Mitch Barri who will talk about his life, story and partnership with Seeing Eye Dog. Mitch is a man, dad of 2, and first-time handler. Happy Father's Day to all of the dads and wonderful father figures in our community!

If you'd like to find out more about Seeing Eye Dogs head to our website: https://sed.visionaustralia.org/

If you're blind or have low vision and are interested in becoming a handler or applying for a Seeing Eye Dog, please email us at [email protected] or call on 1800 037 773 to discuss dog guide mobility, eligibility or assessment.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Seeing Eye Dogs Show, Harriet is joined by two guests.

The first interview is with breeder carer Mena Wang joining us to chat about the life of breeding dog Caspar. We’re chat about her and her family’s life raising and looking after breeding dogs and puppies.

Then we have have Vision Australia NDIS & Aged Care Funding Specialist Lead and dog guide handler Caitlin McMorrow joining us to talk about Vision Australia’s campaign for the Queensland Taxi Subsidy Scheme and extending that to rideshare. For information about Vision Australia’s advocacy and corporate relations work, head to the visionaustralia.org website or head to our social media like Facebook to find this work in the news: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19ueWeFEhB/

We’re looking for more breeder carer volunteers in select regions of Melbourne listed on our website. Breeder carers care for the dogs in their homes full-time, and transport the dog to the Seeing Eye Dogs kennel facility in Kensington, VIC for breeding activities.  These dogs are over 1 year old accepted into the breeding colony selected for their lovely natures and maintain their manners during their time in the breeding program. Find out about breeder caring here: https://sed.visionaustralia.org/volunteer/breeding-dog

We're also open for puppy caring and training dog caring across other regions of VIC, NSW & QLD. If you'd like to find out more about Seeing Eye Dogs, the work we do, other caring roles or becoming a handler, head to our website: https://sed.visionaustralia.org/. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Seeing Eye Dogs Show, Harriet is joined by training program manager and qualified GDMI Kylie Gersh who gives us a behind the scenes into how the training team turns 12-15 month old puppies into fully trained Seeing Eye Dogs. Kylie talks us through the process of how they teach guiding skills and how dogs are prepared for their lives working with their handlers.

To learn how dogs are chosen to begin training, listen to this interview with Kylie about the In For Training assessments: https://omny.fm/shows/seeing-eye-dogs-show/selecting-suitable-seeing-eye-dog-candidates-with

If you'd like to find out more about Seeing Eye Dogs head to our website: https://sed.visionaustralia.org/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Seeing Eye Dogs Show, Harriet is joined by Seeing Eye Dog handler Cassandra Chiu and senior instructor Justin Marshall for part 2 of our interview about the life of the team, the unique and challenging environment for a SED team, access in Singapore and about how an instructor works with a SED team through client training and beyond. Part one is available on https://omny.fm/shows/seeing-eye-dogs-show or your preferred podcast platform.

We also have a repeat of an interview with puppy development trainer Abi Howes talking about grooming your dog and why it's so important to look after their coat. The full interview is available here: https://omny.fm/shows/seeing-eye-dogs-show/grooming-tips-for-your-dog-youth-program and other dog care and husbandry tips are available on our Omny FM.

If you'd like to find out more about Seeing Eye Dogs head to our website: https://sed.visionaustralia.org/

If you're blind or have low vision and are interested in becoming a handler or applying for a Seeing Eye Dog, please email us at [email protected] or call on 1800 037 773 to discuss dog guide mobility, eligibility or assessment.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Seeing Eye Dogs Show, Harriet is joined by Seeing Eye Dog handler Cassandra Chiu with Seeing Eye Dog Mandy and senior instructor Justin Marshall. We're going to talk about the life of the team, the unique and challenging environment for a SED team, access in Singapore and about how an instructor works with a SED team through client training and beyond.

We had a lot to cover, so this is part one and there'll be a bit more of this interview available next week on https://omny.fm/shows/seeing-eye-dogs-show or your preferred podcast platform.

If you'd like to find out more about Seeing Eye Dogs head to our website: https://sed.visionaustralia.org/

If you're blind or have low vision and are interested in becoming a handler or applying for a Seeing Eye Dog, please email us at [email protected] or call on 1800 037 773 to discuss dog guide mobility, eligibility or assessment.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Seeing Eye Dogs Show, Harriet is joined by two guests.

First, we have Carleen Miller, Aboriginal Engagement and Project Coordinator at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, who is going to talk about the puppies she’s named in celebration of NAIDOC week in the Taungurung Language of her ancestors. We talk about the importance of NAIDOC week, language revitalisation and how recognising Language and culture can help close the gap in healthcare for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.

If you'd like to learn more about NAIDOC week head to their website here: https://www.naidoc.org.au/. The Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre is a great resource for people visiting Melbourne to learn more: https://museumsvictoria.com.au/bunjilaka/.

Then, we'll chat with Seeing Eye Dogs Instructor Genevieve Leonard. Gen is the Seeing Eye Dogs instructor based in Gold Coast, new to Seeing Eye Dogs but with a lot of industry experience we'll hear all about Gen's going to talk about her story, background in the industry and her role.

If you'd like to find out more about Seeing Eye Dogs head to our website: https://sed.visionaustralia.org/

If you're blind or have low vision and are interested in becoming a handler or applying for a Seeing Eye Dog, please email us at [email protected] or call on 1800 037 773 to discuss dog guide mobility, eligibility or assessment.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode, Harriet is joined by Seeing Eye Dogs handler Nadia Mattiazzo to talk about the upcoming workshop for dog guide handlers Living With Your Ageing Seeing Eye Dog: https://sed.visionaustralia.org/news/ageing-workshop-2025. The workshop will be held on Saturday, July 19, 2025, 10am – 5pm AEST. You can attend the workshop online over Teams Webinar or in person at: Seeing Eye Dogs HQ Kensington, VIC, Vision Australia Coorparoo, QLD, Vision Australia Caringbah, NSW, and Vision Australia West Leederville, WA. It's open to all handlers and free to attend, but registration is required. Register today to secure your spot, in-person or online: 

• Register to attend online.
• Register to attend in-person. 

If you have any questions, please email [email protected].

We finish this episode with a repeat of some vet tips with Seeing Eye Dogs vet Dr Ashe Mooney talking about maintaining a healthy body condition for your dog to keep them fit and in optimal health.

If you'd like to find out more about Seeing Eye Dogs head to our website: https://sed.visionaustralia.org/

If you're blind or have low vision and are interested in becoming a handler or applying for a Seeing Eye Dog, please email us at [email protected] or call on 1800 037 773 to discuss dog guide mobility, eligibility or assessment.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Seeing Eye Dogs Show, Harriet is joined by two guests.

We're joined by Puppy Development Trainer Abi Howes to talk about recall, how to train and effective recall and why it's so important. These are great tips which will help you train and maintain a recall which will keep you and your puppy or dog happy and safe.

Then we're going to play part of a repeat of an interview with Puppy Development Trainer Paige Don  to chat free running with some great tips about keeping pups’ and dogs’ social time positive. You can listen to this interview in full: https://omny.fm/shows/seeing-eye-dogs-show/free-running-travelling-with-a-sed-and-advocacy-ti?in_playlist=training-tips

If you'd like to find out more about Seeing Eye Dogs head to our website: https://sed.visionaustralia.org/

We are looking for puppy carers now so if you're keen to raise a puppy to hopefully become a Seeing Eye Dog we'd like to hear from you! It's an incredibly rewarding experience, with training provided. Carers need time, patience and love to give to a puppy, so if you want to commit to a year of puppy raising, we would love your help. We're looking for carers now in parts of Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales listed on our website. Get in touch to find out about volunteering with us or apply now via our website.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.