Man and his new best friend to star in Chanel 5 show about guide dogs

A 34-year-old man with sight loss will star in Channel 5’s new show Puppy School for Guide Dogs.

Ashfaq Azim, from Elephant and Castle, Southwark, has a condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa, which means his sight is gradually deteriorating.

Mr Azim applied for a guide dog from sight loss charity, Guide Dogs, to help him an active life.

His journey with his first guide dog, Max, is captured on camera in Channel 5’s latest TV series.

In this joyful and moving series, viewers find out what it takes to turn a playful pup into a fully-fledged hero hound. 

Mr Azim has said it is a very different experience getting around the city with a guide dog, compared to a long cane.

The computer programmer said: “It’s a huge transition from walking with a cane to trusting a dog.

“I am so used to walking with a cane but the biggest difference is that with a cane, you navigate by kind of clattering the cane against obstacles in the way whereas with a guide dog, you’re manoeuvred around them. It makes for a much more enjoyable journey.” 

Mr Azim lives an incredibly busy life in Elephant and Castle, where he has lived for eight years, and works in central London for Thomas Pocklington Trust.

He cycles, runs, climbs, does yoga and going forward, Max will now be helping him get to these various activities, rather than a cane.

 

In Puppy School for Guide Dogs, viewers learn why Max is the right fit for mr Azim – he is bright, energetic, eager to work and is experienced using London public transport. 

Mr Azim said: “I have a full-time job, see my friends often and do lots of exercise which takes me all across London and the UK as a whole so I needed a dog who could keep up with me, which Max certainly does. Whilst it took a little time for us to find our feet together, I can’t imagine life without him.

“Filming the show and having people watching your every move through training was definitely strange at first. However, through the experience it sort of forced me to really reflect on certain aspects of the training and the process of transitioning from cane to guide dog which I probably would have overlooked otherwise.” 

Mr Azim and Max completed their training whilst filming for the Channel 5 series but viewers will see that it takes a lot of hard work to get to this stage.

Those who tune in will see Max avoiding people, traffic, and street clutter all whilst ignoring noise and other dogs. Ashfaq must learn not only how to be guided by Max, but also how to take care of a dog, having never owned one before. 

Mr Azim said: “I didn’t grow up around dogs at all really, so all this was new to me, especially dog behaviour. I had to learn the basics. It was a bit overwhelming at times but has been a hugely rewarding experience. It took time but now we’re the best team. I trust Max and it’s made life in London even more fun.”

To see Mr Azim and Max in action, tune in to Channel 5 this Friday at 8pm.

Pictured top: Ashfaq and his new best friend Max (Picture: Guide Dogs)