Four puppies from Powys have started their journey to become little life changers with Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Labrador puppies Lambert, Lee, Laurie and Lottie were bred by Rebecca Walters from Pupstarts Breeders, based in Llanrhaeadr Ym Mochnant, and Kevin Childs from Tricymoedd Labradors based in Llanfyllin and is the latest chapter in a long line of success for both.

The young dogs were raised for the first nine weeks of their lives in Powys and set off to begin their new adventures with their puppy raisers in April where they will be trained to act as a guide dog.

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“I’m very excited to follow the progress of the puppies and watch them bloom,” said Ms Walters.

“So much planning, research, time and dedication goes into breeding and raising a litter of puppies. It’s wonderful to see our hard work paying off and our puppies being of such a high calibre that they’ll have the opportunity to make a huge difference to people’s lives.”

Dogs suitable to be guide dogs are very unusual and the litter came from Ms Walter’s female dog Ypres and Mr Childs’ working gundog Keale.

Ms Walters, is the founder of Pupstarts Breeders and is a “5-star licensed dog breeder, an ex-licensing officer, and a woman committed to changing the industry for good.”

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Ms Walters through her work at Pupstart works to bring a more ethical approach to dog breeding.

This is based on being well prepared during dog pregnancy and getting whelping right, extensive early puppy socialisation and making sure they are matched to the right owner.

That includes “extensive health testing, training, temperament assessment and a range of socialisation activities including meeting new people, exploring different environments and exposure to sensory stimulation to build confidence and resilience”.

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She furthered this work by creating the UK’s first nationally recognised dog breeding qualification, which drew on 20 years of work and took over a year to create.

Mr Childs is also a breeder who also prides himself on his high standards. His red Labradors at Tricymoedd Labradors “are bred with a focus on health, temperament and trainability” – something he has been perfecting for decades.

“After breeding and working Labradors for over 40 years, it’s a very proud moment indeed that Tricymoedd puppies have been chosen for this vital role in society,” said Mr Childs.

“Our mission is to ensure puppies are healthy, have the right temperament and as working dogs must be highly trainable, so to have this recognition is a privilege.”