The puppies Fletch, Courtney, Ferdy, Hannah and Maeve are being trained to be life-changing guide dogs, by sight loss charity Guide Dogs.
They were invited to the farm this week to help support their socialisation training, and enjoyed walking round the farm, coming across a wide variety of animals from rare breeds of cows, pigs, donkeys, ponies and sheep to more exotic species like llamas, alpacas and meerkats.
Each pup was accompanied by their volunteer Puppy Raiser, who looks after them until they are just over a year old, before they move to a Guide Dogs’ centre to start their formal training.
The group were also able to meet farmers Rob and Dave Nicholson, best known as being the famous faces of Channel 5’s This Week on the Farm.
Volunteer Puppy Raisers for the charity provide puppies with vital foundations for their future role, teaching them basic commands and helping them get used to different environments.
Laura Lloyd-Anderson, local Puppy Development Advisor, said:
“We’d like to say a big thank you to Cannon Hall Farm for allowing our guide dog puppies to visit.
“As our pups grow and develop, it’s really important that they are exposed to different sights and sounds, so they grow up to become confident guide dogs.
“To help support this, we try to organise days out for them, similar to school trips, where they can experience new places and learn how to behave well in these settings.
“Cannon Hall Farm has provided a fantastic, sensory environment for our puppies to explore, and our pups and volunteers have had a great day.”
Guide Dogs currently needs more volunteer Puppy Raisers in Barnsley. The charity provides support and training and covers all the essential costs involved with caring for a puppy, such as food and vet bills.
To find out more about Puppy Raising for Guide Dogs and to apply, visit guidedogs.org.uk/volunteering