When dogs are trained to be the eyes of their owner, they can't afford to be diverted from their task at hand.

For Gloucester's David Cooper, seven-year-old labrador/retriever cross, Cameron is not just a dog, he's David's eyes.

"He's the most important thing in my life," David explained. "He's part of my body and he's my protector."

When people see Cameron, there is a natural instinct to want to pat him or talk to him, but when he has his harness on, that's a no-no.

Guide dog etiquette stipulates when a dog is working they can't be patted, spoken to, distracted or fed. When in harness, the dog is working as its handler's eyes and needs to be alert to any movements and any dangers. Even when the dog is sitting next to its handler and may appear to not be working, if the harness is on, so is the dog.

"My life is in his paws," David stated. "He's saved my life many times."

The pair work as a team across all tasks to ensure David can maneuver his way around town.

Before he had a guide dog, David would use a cane to get between his home and the shops. He lives within two blocks of the main street, but with a cane it would take him around an hour. With the assistance for a guide dog this task, which for a sighted person can be quite straight forward, is now much quicker for David.

"He knows the shops, the bank, the post office. I just tell him where I want to go and he takes me there," David explained.

The major difference between a cane and a guide dog is that a cane is used to find obstacles, while a guide dogs avoids them.

"With a cane, I have walked into a pole. You only do it once," David laughed.

Although a guide dog is used for sight, the handler is still in control of the actions. Some things make it difficult for the pair to navigate.

Some of the main issues David can come across, that sighted people might not be aware of, are things like people standing in the middle of the footpath, vehicles parked across a footpath and car engines left running while parked. These situations can make it more challenging for a guide dog to navigate and can result in David and Cameron having to wait until the obstacle was cleared.

It can be hard for a sighted person to understand how seemingly simple things can affect a person with a visual impairment.

To help bridge this gap, Guide Dog Mobility Instructor from Guide Dogs NSW/ACT Matt Woods is coming to Gloucester is coming to speak at the next Rotary meeting. David will join Matt on Tuesday, April 30 from 6pm at the Gloucester Bowling Club for the Rotary Club of Gloucester's meeting for at 6.30pm start.

Along will providing information about what Guide Dogs NSW/ACT is all about, and how vital donations are to transforming lives by enhancing the independence and mobility of Australians living with vision loss, attendees will learn first hand what its like to have a visual impairment. The cost to attend is $20 per person which includes dinner and bookings can be made through Brian Beesley on 0419 634 275 by April 29.