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 about 10 weeks of age and until about 12 to 14 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/young dog and help us to produce confident, well-mannered, socialised young adult dogs who are ready to undertake formal Guide Dog Training at age 12 months.

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

• Go on regular visits to shopping centres, malls, cafes and restaurants;
• 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 range 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).
  

The Puppy Development staff will make regular visits to your house; and host regular Puppy Pre-schools on site at Bald Hills, to provide instructional support and monitor the pup’s progress. Initially visits are weekly, then progress to fortnightly and monthly as the pups matures. Puppy Raisers will need to attend 2 to 4 Puppy Pre-schools at Bald Hills in their first two months and then monthly.

While it can be very sad to say goodbye, when the young dogs enter Guide Dog training, helping to achieve a successful working Guide Dog partnership is an incredibly rewarding experience and one that will often see our Puppy Raisers carry out their role for many years.

We also have volunteers who help to board our Breeding Stock and Ambassador Dogs.

Puppy Raisers Wanted

• Do you live within 90 minutes of Brisbane (including the Sunshine Coast or Gold Coast)? 
• Is there an adult who can oversee raising the puppy and has flexible working hours? 
• Is that person able to spend most of their time with the puppy or is there another adult member of the household who can assist (the pup should not be left alone for more than two hours a day)? 
• Do you have access to a motor vehicle and have time to attend training sessions at the Bald Hills 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.
Apply as a puppy raiser online here 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.