Organisation

Guide Dogs

Guide Dogs NW Regional Centre

Atherton

M46 0SU

 

 

Role and Opportunity Details (You must be 18+ to apply for this role)

Puppy Raiser

What is a Puppy Raiser?

As a Puppy Raiser, you’ll provide a 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 whilst providing a loving home.

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.

What you’ll be doing –

  • Engaging with our world-class Puppy Raising for Excellent Partnerships (PREP) training programme to 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.

 

Specific Skills Required

You’ll ideally have –

  • A loving home with enough time to invest in raising a puppy and attending to their needs (e.g. toilet training).  If you work from home or have hobbies, you’ll need to be available to give the puppy regular attention alongside these.
  • 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.

 

Benefits of Volunteering with this organisation

What you’ll get –

  • The satisfaction of knowing you’re supporting people with sight loss to live actively, independently, and well.
  • The rewarding feeling of watching a mischievous puppy learn new training techniques to help them develop into a guide dog.
  • The opportunity to participate in our bespoke world-class training programme – this can help you train your own dogs or advance a future career in dog handling.
  • The opportunity to have 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 Family, meeting like-minded people and interacting with a community of puppy raisers in your area.
  • A dedicated volunteer manager and fellow peers who will help support you throughout your role.

 

Level of commitment required 

Ongoing Volunteer Opportunity

 

Date(s)/Time(s) Required

Full time role for 12-16 months

 

Volunteer Opportunity Number

VO10425

Apply for this role