Puppy Raising
Raise a Puppy, Change a Life!
Are you inspired by Guide Dogs for the Blind's mission to help people who are blind or visually impaired gain greater independence, confidence, and inclusion? Are you looking for a fun and meaningful service project? Did you watch the Pick of the Litter documentary or Disney+ docuseries and want to learn more? Whatever your motivation, raising a guide dog puppy, being a puppy sitter or club volunteer, is a rewarding opportunity that can change many lives – including your own!
Join our next Hybrid Puppy Raising Cohort!
We are currently enrolling new hybrid puppy raising volunteers in the Portland, Oregon area. Learn more about this project today!
(For those in the Portland, Oregon area interested in our club-based puppy raising model, continue scrolling below.)
What is Puppy Raising?
You see a puppy, a person who is blind sees the world! Volunteer puppy raisers receive a pup when they are approximately 8 weeks old and will teach them house manners, provide socialization experiences, and prepare them for their future career as a guide dog, breeder, or K9 Buddy. Each pup will return to one of our two campuses for formal guidework training when they are approximately 15 months of age. Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) will support you throughout the entire puppy raising process, step by step!
Let's Have Fun!
This is a volunteer service project that is both warm and fuzzy! Not only will you receive unconditional love and joy while helping a puppy on its journey to service, you will also be invited to celebrate if and when a puppy you raise becomes a guide dog, breeder, or K9 Buddy. You’ll even become an ambassador for Guide Dogs for the Blind as you socialize the pup within your community.
What It Takes
No prior experience is necessary. Puppy raising volunteers can be any age, whether you’re 9 or 90. Families are great too! Puppy raisers are attentive learners, adaptable in different situations, and know that their effort and hard work will contribute to the puppy's potential. Due to the hands-on, social aspect of our training, there must be a puppy club in your area in order for you to be involved. Most importantly, you must love puppies, and enjoy being of service.
Join the club
Puppy raising volunteers belong to one of our puppy raising clubs, located in these 9 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Washington. Puppy raising volunteers are encouraged to attend club activities before and during the puppy's time in your home. Led by volunteer leaders and overseen by GDB field staff members, clubs meet regularly to work on training techniques, exchange ideas and information, participate in socialization outings, and club events.
Work with the best
Although becoming a volunteer puppy raiser is a commitment, you won't do it alone. As the leading guide dog school in North America, you will have the support of a professional regional Puppy Raising Field Manager providing you with all the expertise and insights you will need along the way, both in-person and virtually.
Q: What is required of me before I become a puppy raiser?
A: Before being selected as a puppy raiser, people attend puppy club activities in order to learn some of GDB's puppy development and training techniques, as well as experience opportunities to handle puppies.
Q: How soon can I get a puppy after applying?
A: It takes approximately three months of attending puppy club activities to learn about the program before being ready to raise a puppy. We will tell you when you are ready!
Q: How often do puppy clubs meet?
A: Puppy clubs typically meet once a month and sometimes more often when puppies are younger. They also hold fun socialization outings in the community!
Q: What costs are covered in GDB’s puppy raising program?
A: Veterinary care is entirely paid for by Guide Dogs for the Blind. We also provide leashes, collars, and other equipment.
Q: What supplies does a puppy raiser need to provide?
A: Puppy raisers typically provide food, toys, and sometimes a crate or other equipment for the puppy. GDB also has a Fundamental Support program to assist those who may not be able to cover some of the costs of raising a puppy.
Q: Can being a puppy raiser qualify as a service project?
A: GDB’s puppy raising program complements many FFA, 4H, homeschooling, high school, and college programs.
Q: How old do I have to be to be a puppy raiser?
A: All ages can participate, however primary puppy raisers must be at least 9 years of age. Youth raisers must have full support from a parent or guardian, including attendance at club activities and in management of the puppy in all settings.
Q: Can I raise a puppy if I work or go to school full time?
A: Yes, if you are able to take the puppy to work or school with you. If your work or school doesn’t allow puppies in training to attend, we may be able to facilitate a co-raising arrangement in which a single puppy can be raised in two different households to accommodate raisers’ work schedules and time commitments.
Q: Am I allowed to have other pets in the home while I raise a guide dog puppy?
A: Yes, as long as the other pets are well behaved and don’t
negatively impact the puppy’s development. Our dogs need to learn to be
comfortable around other animals so having other pets in the home can be
extremely helpful.
Q: What type of training methods do you use with your puppies?
A: We use positive reinforcement as the basis for most of our puppy training games and exercises.
Q: Do puppies ever get to take a break and have fun?
A: Yes, every puppy has daily training games and exercises, but the rest of their day contains normal puppy activities such as playing and exercising.
Q: Do I need to have a fenced yard to raise a puppy?
A: No, a fenced yard is not absolutely required, but a puppy raiser must have access to a safe and secure outside area to relieve and exercise the puppy. We will work with you to find the best settings.
Q: What do I do with a puppy if I go on vacation or have an emergency?
A: Depending on the circumstances of the trip, a puppy may be able to accompany you on your vacation. If it is not appropriate or possible for the puppy to attend the vacation or there is an emergency, the puppy raising club leader assists with finding another puppy raising home to provide temporary care for the puppy. Our puppy sitters love to watch puppies in training!
Q: What happens if the puppy I’m raising does not become a guide dog?
A: Puppies that don’t graduate as guide dogs, K9 Buddies, or enter into our breeding colony are known as “career change” dogs. If a puppy is career changed, it is first considered for placement with one of GDB’s partner service dog organizations. If this is not an option, the puppy raiser may be given the opportunity to adopt the dog as a pet.
Q: Will I get to meet the individual who received the dog I raised?
A: Usually, yes. Puppy raisers are invited to attend the graduation of the puppy they have raised, whether the dog becomes a guide dog, a member of our breeding colony, or a K9 Buddy dog. Graduation generally includes time to meet the dog’s handler or breeder custodians. There are circumstances where guide dog teams are trained in-home and we offer virtual participation in the graduation.
Q: Is it hard to give the puppy up?
A: Yes, and we are fortunate to have many puppy raisers who have raised more than one dog for us. They tell us that it is always hard to bring the dog back to campus for formal training, but their emotions are outweighed by the exciting possibility that the dog they raised could provide enhanced safety, independence, and inclusion for someone who is blind or visually impaired. Lastly, there will always be another puppy waiting to join your heart and home!
Q: Are there other ways to participate with Guide Dog for the Blind if I am unsure about making a commitment of a year or more?
A: Yes, within the puppy raising program there are opportunities for volunteers to do more than raise a puppy full time. Puppy clubs in your area are often looking for club volunteers to fill support roles, including puppy sitting, for the puppies in the club. That is an amazing volunteer experience that really prepares you for raising your first puppy! If you live near one of our campuses in either San Rafael, CA or Boring, OR, there are many campus volunteer opportunities as well.
Eager to get started?
Puppy Raising Interest FormAlready raising a puppy?
Puppy Raising CommunitiesStill have questions?
Please contact Guide Dogs for the Blind's Puppy Raising Department at [email protected].
Looking to participate in other ways?
You can get involved with your local puppy club in other ways: help onboard new volunteers, participate in puppy sitting, consider co-raising a puppy with a fellow volunteer, or make a donation to Guide Dogs for the Blind.