Raise A Puppy

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

GDQ needs regular volunteers to care for our puppies from about 10 weeks of age until they are 12 months of age when they are old enough to begin Guide Dog training.

The primary responsibility of a Puppy Raiser is to socialise the puppy and help us to produce confident, well-mannered, young adult dogs who are ready to undertake formal Guide Dog Training.

During this first 12 months Puppy Raisers and their Guide Dog puppies will:

• Go on regular visits to shopping centres, malls, cafes and restaurants;
• Attend regular group training sessions in their local area
• Have regular car travel; 
• Socialise with other dogs at all stages of development (which is why our Puppy Raisers are allowed to have other well-behaved family pets); 
• Travel on all forms of public transport from a young age; and 
• Be exposed 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).
  

A Puppy Development Supervisor will make regular visits to your house and host regular Puppy Pre-Schools to provide instructional support and monitor the pup’s progress. Initially visits are weekly, then progress to fortnightly and monthly as the pup matures. Puppy Raisers need to attend two to four Puppy Pre-Schools in their regional area in the first two months and then monthly.

The Puppy Development Supervisor is qualified to provide Puppy Raisers with instruction on how to teach the puppy.  They will visit your home and take you on walks with the pup to show you exactly what you need to do.

It's important for the puppy to be taken on walks every day to socialise it to different environments and to grow their experience in social situations. This daily walk is a vital part of the puppy's routine.  

While it can be very sad to say goodbye, it is incredibly rewarding for Puppy Raisers to see their young dog enter Guide Dog training and go on to create a successful working Guide Dog partnership. For this reason, many of our Puppy Raisers continue to volunteer for many years and raise several puppies.  Puppy Raisers are also invited as special guests to our Guide Dog Team Graduation ceremony where they can see their puppy 'graduate' as a Guide Dog and meet their new handler who is blind. 

Puppy Raiser Criteria

• Do you live in the Brisbane, Sunshine Coast or Gold Coast metropolitan areas? 
• Is there an adult in your home who can oversee raising the puppy?
• Are you free of full-time employment or work flexible part-time hours only? (This role is not suitable for full-time workers) 
• Are you able to spend most of your time with the puppy or is there another adult member of the household who can help (the pup should not be left alone for more than two hours a day)? 
• Do you have a Driver's Licence and access to a motor vehicle?
• Do you have time to attend training sessions in your local area or at the Bald Hills Breeding and Training Centre? 
• Is your property securely fenced? 
• Are you willing to have the puppy live and sleep inside your home? 
• If you have children, are they attending school full-time?   
• Are you able to access all forms of public transport?
  

If you can answer yes to these questions then we would love to hear from you. 
Click here to apply to become a Puppy Raiser or e-mail puppyraising@guidedogsqld.com.au for more information. 

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