Raise A Puppy

Being a Puppy Raiser is one of our most rewarding volunteer roles!

GDQ needs regular volunteers to love and care for our puppies from seven weeks of age and until about 12 to 14 months of age when they are old enough to begin Guide Dog training.

Our Puppy Raisers need to live within the greater Brisbane area (including on the Sunshine and Gold Coast) with pups placed in home environments which are assessed for suitability to our Puppy Development Program.

Raising a future Guide Dog is a big responsibility but it is also incredibly rewarding. 

Volunteers also board Breeding Stock including Broods and Studs which whelp on site at Bald Hills.

The Puppy Development Program

This program places young puppies, usually 7-8 weeks of age, with people in the community who undertake to raise them as a member of their family. The pup stays with their foster family, known as Puppy Raisers until they are 12-14 months old when they return to the Guide Dog Breeding and Training Centre to begin formal training. We require Puppy Raisers to rear the pup according to GDQ guidelines and keep in regular contact to give support, guidance and check on the puppy's progress.

Our aim is to produce confident, well mannered, socialised young adult dogs which are ready to undertake formal Guide Dog Training. The pups need to have regularly experienced the full range of everyday events and environments that a working Guide Dog will encounter. This involves socialising the puppy from an early age to a vast range of human and animal related environments. To achieve this, the puppy needs to live and sleep inside the family home. There should be regular interaction with family, friends and well behaved pet animals.

Part of a GDQ puppies everyday life should include:-

  • Regular visits to shopping centres, malls, cafes and restaurants.
  • Regular car travel  
  • Socializing with other dogs at all stages of its development
  • Travel on all range of public transport from a young age
  • Exposure to a range of people and children of varying ages. (This can be done by visiting pre-schools if there are no young children in your family).

This socialization program is ongoing and must be part of the puppy's daily life. It means the puppy participates in almost all family activities and accompanies you on most outings.

Can you answer ‘yes’ to the following questions?

You need to be able to answer 'Yes' to all of the following questions in order to submit a written application for consideration.

  • Do you live in the Brisbane metropolitan, Sunshine Coast or Gold Coast area?
  • Is there an adult member of your household who would be prepared to undertake the responsibility of raising the puppy and will be responsible for overseeing it’s the pup’s socialisation program?  
  • Is this person free of full time outside employment and able to commit 90% of their time to the program?  
  • Is your property securely fenced?  
  • Do you have a minimal number of stairs in your home or around your property?
  • Are you willing to have the puppy live and sleep inside your home?  
  • If you have children, are they all attending school full time?  
  • Are you able to access all forms of private and public transport?  

If you have a pet dog you may still be considered.


Click for next page: Commonly Asked Questions

Click here to download the Puppy Raiser application form [PDF] 36kb

Phone Numbers - Freecall 1800 810 122 - Guide Dog Shop 1800 007 460

Guide Dogs Queensland is a proud member of the International Guide Dog Federation. In addition, our organisation is a Quality Endorsed Company.

All Client Services provided through Guide Dogs Queensland comply with the '9' Queensland Standards for Disability Services (1997).