Guide Dog Puppy Raising

Moving into retirement living can be a breath of fresh air for many people. A chance to spend time pursuing interests other than home repairs.

It’s also a chance to consider donating some of your time supporting the community. And I’ve met 2 lovely people who’ve done exactly that.

Since moving into their Karidis Retirement Village, Silvia and Jim have continued to volunteer their time in the very specialized and very rewarding Guide Dog Puppy Raising program with their lovely and adorable Labrador – Polar.

To be apply to become a Puppy Raiser:

– live in the Adelaide metropolitan area (or near vicinity from Victor Harbor to Gawler, Mount Barker and Murray Bridge)
– are able to attend regular one on one and group trainings sessions
– work part-time or less (preferred). However if you work full time or are a tertiary student and have flexible arrangements that could accommodate Puppy Raising including employer/learning institution permission to take the puppy to work or study or family support we would be pleased to discuss. Training sessions with the puppies and home visits are held during business hours and puppies can not be left alond for more than four hours at a time.
– have a secure yard
– have a driver’s licence and a car
– have time to spend training and socialising the puppy – children in the family should be of school age or older as people with younger children find it difficult to find adequate time to walk and socialise the puppy
– are prepared for the puppy to live and sleep inside the house.

Special Guide Dog puppies are placed with their Puppy Raising families at about eight to 10 weeks of age and can spend up to 14-16 months in the care of their new family.

Puppy Raisers are responsible for introducing their puppy to a number of different environments and situations, including:

buses and trains
shopping centres
restaurants
other public places.

Guide Dog staff members provide training and support for Puppy Raisers. All food and medical expenses are met by Guide Dogs.

If you’d information on how to become a guide dog puppy raiser like Silvia and Jim and spend time with a wonderful dog like Polar, just head to the Guide Dogs website.