Puppy Raiser

Are you a dog lover? Do you have the time to help raise a life-changing puppy? Would you like to make a difference to someone's life? If you've answered yes to these questions, then this role could be perfect for you!

As a puppy raiser, you'll provide a 6-8 week-old puppy with the vital foundation for its future role as a guide dog. You'll be looking after a puppy for 12-16 months and will guide him or her through training, socialisation, the introduction of new environments and experiences.

There might be the odd chewed slipper along the way, but nothing beats the rewarding feeling of loving and raising a puppy who will go on to make an enormous difference to someone living with sight loss.

And you get the love and companionship of a wonderful pup, without the costs. We pay all reasonable expenses related to volunteering with us, including veterinary costs, dog food and training costs.

This role is available in select locations, please visit the Guide Dogs website by clicking ‘Apply’ to find out if the role is available in your area.

What you'll be doing

• With the support of our world-class training programme you’ll prepare your puppy for the next stages of becoming a guide dog.
• Providing care and support for your puppy at home e.g., loving, grooming and feeding him or her.
• Socialising your puppy and introducing him or her to a variety of environments to increase confidence - this can be as simple as taking your puppy with you to the shops, office or park, as you go about your everyday life.
• Teaching your puppy to be comfortable alone - gradually building up from a few minutes to a maximum of four hours.
• Taking your puppy to monthly puppy classes, and interacting with other puppy raisers in your community whilst refreshing your training and sharing tips.
• Meeting with your volunteer manager as frequently as needed to discuss any changes or issues with your puppy.
• Completing short questionnaires about your puppy's development.

You'll have

• A loving home with enough time to invest in raising a puppy and attending to their needs (e.g. toilet training).
• Someone at home who is physically able to handle large breed dogs (around 25-40kg).
• Access to a car, so that you can get your puppy used to travelling.
• The agreement of your landlord to have a dog in the property if you rent your home.
• A safe, secure area outside for your puppy to go to the toilet.

Volunteers for this role must be 18 or over. But we welcome families and puppies can happily live with other dogs or children. But children under the age of 16 aren’t allowed to walk the puppy alone, thought we encourage the whole family to be involved in the puppy's development.

To help you determine whether puppy raising is right for you, your family, and the puppy, we’ll visit you at your home as part of the application process.

What you'll get

• The knowledge that you're supporting people with sight loss to live the lives they choose.
• The joys and rewards of watching an adorable pup learn new training techniques and take their first steps to becoming a life-changing guide dog.
• Participation in our world-class training programme which can help you train your own dogs or advance a future career in dog handling.
• A loveable, canine companion, proven to reduce feelings of stress and improve fitness - you'll be out walking rain or shine!
• The chance to be part of the inspirational Guide Dogs community, meeting like-minded people and interacting with a community of puppy raisers in your area.
• A dedicated volunteer manager and fellow peers who’ll help support you throughout your role.

As a volunteer you'll have access to our world-class training programme, so that you can help your puppy on their journey to becoming a fully-fledged guide dog. This is delivered through a mixture of in-person puppy classes, and interactive and fun online learning.

Our online training includes modules on the following:

• Food manners
• Greeting new visitors
• Being home alone
• Settling in new environments

And you'll receive plenty of support from your volunteer manager, who will help you work through these training modules with your puppy.

Our puppy classes are a great opportunity for you to meet other puppy raisers in the local area, share stories and get refreshers on training techniques.