WEEKENDER A day with Jerry, guide dog in training

As Jerry, a Labrador retriever, approached a crosswalk, he came to a stop at the curb. His trainer, Keum Jung-hun, had given no command. Jerry simply recognized the boundary between the sidewalk and the road and stopped on his own.

Keum pressed a small device, producing a sharp click. Known as a clicker, the tool signals that Jerry has performed a task correctly.

"It means he did a good job," Keum explained. "Verbal praise takes time, but a clicker lets us mark the exact moment he does something right."

Jerry is an almost 2-year old guide dog in training. The Korea Times met him during a training session at Samsung Guide Dog School on Nov. 2. The school in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, is fully funded by Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance.

After six to seven months of professional training, he has passed his final walking assessment and is now completing the remaining steps before being paired with a visually impaired partner.

Accompanying Jerry and Keum on their morning training walk outside the school grounds near Bundang Central Park in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, revealed that guide dog training involves much more than learning to navigate streets and avoid obstacles. It is also about resisting natural curiosity, remaining calm amid distractions and learning when to make decisions independently.

Curiosity beneath calm exterior

Born on Dec. 27, 2024, Jerry spent his first eight weeks at the guide dog school before moving in with a volunteer family for about a year. During this period, known as puppy walking, he learned to live alongside people and became familiar with a variety of environments.

He later returned to the school for formal training, where he met Keum. Although calm by nature, Jerry proved curious and eager to engage in activities, making it harder for him to learn to sit still and wait.

"He's smart and learns quickly when you ask him to do something," Keum said. "But because he always wants to be doing something with me, teaching him to simply wait without doing anything actually took longer."

Jerry's daily routine begins with breakfast at 8 a.m., followed by a scheduled bathroom break and walking exercises starting around 9 a.m. After a midday rest and another bathroom break, he resumes training in the afternoon. He returns to the school around 4 p.m. for dinner and another bathroom break before finishing his day with a final toilet break between 6:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.

In all, Jerry eats twice a day and has four scheduled bathroom breaks.

Keum said toilet habits are an essential part of guide dog training because an unexpected bathroom stop during a walk could be difficult for a visually impaired partner to manage.

Guide dogs are therefore trained to relieve themselves at designated times and on command rather than doing so spontaneously while walking. When necessary, their partners can use a specially designed belt fitted with a waste collection bag.

During the morning session, Jerry demonstrated the skills he had learned. He stopped independently at curbs and resumed walking when Keum gave the command to proceed.

Guide dogs do not read traffic lights or decide when to cross based on green signals. Their job is to recognize the boundary between the sidewalk and the road and stop. Their visually impaired partners determine when it is safe to cross, using cues such as traffic sounds and audible pedestrian signals.

Guide dogs must also learn when to keep walking rather than stop. At one point, Jerry encountered an unexpected change in the sidewalk but correctly continued straight ahead, staying on the intended route. Keum praised him for making the right decision.

Such exercises help guide dogs apply what they have learned to unfamiliar streets, different types of curbs and unexpected obstacles.

Small dog tests Jerry's concentration

The otherwise smooth training session included an unexpected challenge when a small dog appeared along the route.

Jerry became interested in the other dog and briefly lost concentration. Trainers call this "dog distraction," a common challenge in teaching guide dogs to stay focused on their work.

"Ideally, a guide dog should simply pass another dog without paying much attention," Keum said. "But Jerry has found it difficult to ignore that kind of distraction."

Rather than forcibly restraining such behavior, trainers use positive reinforcement.

At first, a dog is rewarded for remaining calm in the presence of another dog. As training progresses, rewards are given when it redirects its attention to the trainer or looks ahead.

Jerry had made considerable progress, but his reaction was stronger than usual that day. Keum had just returned from his honeymoon, and it was his first training session with Jerry in about two weeks. During his absence, Jerry had continued working with other trainers.

Keum considered the possibility that the break in their routine had affected Jerry's concentration and adjusted the difficulty of the session. He began using the clicker, food rewards and praise even for familiar tasks.

"I originally planned to give fewer rewards, but when he started making mistakes, I lowered the difficulty," Keum said. "Once he starts doing well again, I can gradually raise the standard."

Learning to trust with eyes covered

Keum began training guide dogs in January 2025 and has worked with around 10 dogs. Jerry is the first dog under his care to pass the final walking assessment.

During guide dog assessments, trainers wear blindfolds and walk with the dogs, accompanied by another staff member who is responsible for safety and evaluation.

The final assessment takes place in busy, real-world environments, including the area around Seohyeon Station on the Suin-Bundang Line, where dogs must guide their trainers safely around obstacles and other pedestrians.

The challenge is not merely to follow every command. A guide dog must also know when to use their independent judgment.

"If I think we should move forward but Jerry stops, I have to trust that he has a reason and wait," Keum said.

Through training Jerry, Keum said he has learned something equally important: how to place his trust in the dog.

"Of course, Jerry learns to trust me, but I think an even bigger part of the process has been learning to trust him."

That mutual trust will eventually form the foundation of the relationship Jerry must build with his future partner.

Before that day comes, Jerry still has a few steps to complete. Although he has passed his final walking assessment, he must undergo an evaluation of skills needed for daily life and be matched with a suitable partner.

Jerry may still be curious about other dogs and occasionally lose concentration, but each training session brings him closer to the day when someone will rely on him.

One day, the patience, judgment and trust he is learning will help his future partner navigate the world with greater confidence and independence.