This is no ordinary kennel, but its residents are no ordinary dogs. On completing five months of intensive training, they will work in the community as guide dogs.

The kennels at the Guide Dogs Centre at Glossodia, on Sydney's outskirts, have undergone their first major renovation since the centre opened 16 years ago. Funded through supporters' donations, the upgrade aims to make life more enjoyable for trainee guide dogs and ensure they perform at their best.

Guide Dogs services manager Paul Adrian said the renovation, due for completion at the end of the year, embraced a more holistic view of canine welfare and an organisational focus on performance science. A training track will introduce dogs to the kinds of environments they will encounter while working, but in stress-free surroundings.

"Just like athletes, if you provide a dog with the right diet, the right exercise, and a good environment to put them in the right state of mind, you will end up with the best possible dog," Mr Adrian said. "Our philosophy is that the more closely a kennel environment ... feels like a home, the less stressed our dogs will be."

Trainee guide dogs spend 12 months with volunteer puppy raisers before undergoing intensive training at the centre, where Guide Dogs NSW/ACT will this year breed and raise close to 170 puppies.

Every day 28 Australians are diagnosed with irreversible vision loss.While it costs more than $35,000 to breed, raise and train a single guide dog, they are provided at no cost to a person who is blind or vision impaired. Guide Dogs NSW/ACT relies on community donations, with less than 2 per cent of its funding coming from government.