Born in the Spring of 2023, Marche began his exciting life with seven other puppy siblings in Osaka, Japan. About a year into his basic obedience training, he was selected as one of the puppies fit to become a guide dog and made his way to Singapore.
Although Marche is an obedient and intelligent boy, he had one challenge when it came to guide dog training: he simply had too much energy.
Not every guide dog trainee becomes a working guide — and that’s perfectly fine. Some dogs just have personalities that don’t align with the demands of guiding, and we celebrate every path they take.
Some of you might remember Marche as a curious black Labrador who underwent training to be a guide dog. After careful assessment by our Guide Dog Mobility Instructor (GDMI), Christina, it was determined that family life would suit him best. Today, Marche is thriving with his adoptive family, enjoying all the cuddles, playtime, and adventures a loving pet can offer.
Settling Into His New Chapter
We are so blessed to have adopted Marche from Guide Dogs Singapore. We like to say he chose the pet life — and lucky for us, he chose us.
This sweet, gentle, and wonderfully trained boy has become the heart of our home. He quickly ditched the fancy dog bed we got him in favour of ours which he has claimed as his own (and doesn’t hesitate to steal our spots the moment we get up). These days, our dining choices revolve around whether places are dog-friendly — and wherever we go, he comes along too. Even the kopi uncles and aunties have fallen for him, and his chill, obedient vibes.
Marche is the perfect fit for our family. He’s a true foodie — give him dry-aged beef, aged Gouda, or even better, durian, and he’ll love you for life!
He’s also incredibly sweet and smart. When his older sister fell sick, he stayed by her side for several nights, refusing to leave even for his comfy bed. Since joining our family, he’s picked up more than 20 party tricks (yes, he can open doors, tidy up, and even get the lift!). He also “sings” along to his sister’s piano playing, with his favourite piece being Clementi’s Sonatina in C Major.
Marche’s Adventure-Filled Life
We had high hopes he’d love to swim as he is a Lab after all—but alas, not quite. He’ll oblige us with a short swim (if treats are involved), but he’s happiest just standing peacefully in the sea like a true beach bum.
His happy place is the dog run. He comes alive there, prancing joyfully and trying to get every dog in sight to play with him. It warms our hearts to watch him live his best life.
Marche is such a huge part of our family now that even coming home from a holiday is something to look forward to. We can’t imagine life without him! We are very grateful to GDS for the wonderful opportunity to welcome him into our lives, and for the chance to give back to such a meaningful cause. Huge thanks to Christina from GDS for training him so well, his incredible puppy raiser Yoh-San and family for loving him so deeply, giving him such a happy and exciting puppyhood in Osaka, and even sending him presents today (he still remembers his Japanese roots and responds to Japanese words), and lastly, to James, his boarder during training, for taking such great care of him.
Here’s to a lifetime of adventures with our best boy!
Support Our Guide Dog Programme
Guide dogs are specially trained to assist people who are blind or have low vision in navigating the world safely. That’s why their temperament and energy levels play a crucial role in ensuring the safety of their handlers.
To date, Guide Dogs Singapore has successfully trained and paired 14 guide dog teams, with 9 currently active. We are also seeing a steady increase in individuals joining our guide dog waiting list.
Support our mission by donating today — every contribution helps us train more guide dogs and transform more lives.
