Raising a Future Guide Dog

Guide Dogs.  We all marvel at how they do what they do.  How do they learn all that they need to know to assist their human?  Perhaps you assumed, like many of us, that their training began as adult dogs in some special school with an intensive program.   Guide Dogs Queensland in Australia is such a place.  But did you know a guide dog's training actually begins as a puppy in a private home?

If you love dogs and are looking for a volunteering opportunity there is nothing more rewarding than raising a future guide dog.  Volunteers in these programs receive their "future guide dog" at about ten weeks and keep the dog till about twelve to fourteen months of age.

As a dog lover you know that early socialization is the key to having a happy, confident, well-mannered adult dog.  That is the kind of dog homes Guide Dogs Queensland need to enroll in their training programs. Socialization is what being a Puppy Raiser is all about.

While you have your puppy you will be asked to take the puppy with you wherever you go and expose it to all different sorts of situations.  Future guide dog puppies wear a special coat which allows them to go places other dogs can't go.  You'll take the pup along with you on shopping trips, to eating establishments, to sporting events -- wherever you go the puppy goes along.  That special coat says to all who see it "This pup is special and he or she can go anywhere."  You'll even be able to take the puppy on public transportation.  You'll be responsible for exposing the puppy to other dogs of all ages and other people and children of all ages.  Visits to pre-schools, schools and hospitals are encouraged.

Puppy raisers can expect regular visits and support from trained Puppy Development Staff.  With most Guide Dog Training Centres visits are once a week in the early stages of the puppy's time with you and then taper off as time progresses.  Typically, you will be asked to attend several formal puppy training sessions at the Guide Centre. 

To qualify as a volunteer you obviously must have the time available.  You must also have a car, be accessible to public transportation, and live close to the Guide Dog Centre you select.  In addition, most centres ask that you have a fenced yard.  Future guide dogs must live and sleep inside the home as well.

What is the most difficult part about being a Puppy Raiser for a Guide Dog Centre?  Giving up the dog.  While this is a frequently tearful process, a large number of Puppy Raisers stay in the program and keep working with new dogs as long as they are able.  Not all dogs make it through the rigorous training they face when they start and some centres allow their puppy raisers to adopt them if they don't work out.  Knowing that you are providing a partner and a companion for someone in need is a very rewarding experience.  If you think you've got what it takes to get involved with these wonderful dogs, please look for a Guide Dog Centre in your area and get in touch with them.  Get involved.  You'll be glad you did!