Our volunteer puppy raisers look after our dogs from 8 weeks old until they are 15-18 months old and ready to come in for formal guide dog training.
At 7-8 weeks old, the puppies will arrive at your home to begin their journey to become a guide or assistance dog. They will live in your home and be part of the family as they grow up with your support and training to become confident, obedient dogs with the best chance possible to succeed.
What does puppy raising involve?
· The puppy will live with you full-time and with the help of one of our trained members of staff, you will help the puppy to learn basic obedience cues as well as special guiding skills like going to toilet on command and learning to relax in any environment.
· You will socialise the puppy in different environments; busy, quiet, public transport, shops etc. so they are confident in these different places when working.
· We need people who are at home during the day with a flexible schedule, when the puppy first arrives it isn’t toilet trained and can’t go outside until fully vaccinated.
· The puppy should not be left alone for long periods of time (max. 3 hours) and you should have time to dedicate to short training sessions that will give the puppy a good foundation.
· You should be understanding that the puppy is not trained at first and so it might chew something, or try to jump on your sofa or be cheeky – it is all part of them growing up!
What do we offer?
· We provide all the food that you will need to feed your puppy
· We cover the veterinary care through our designated clinic.
· We offer professional training & support including access to e-learning to help you train you puppy in the best way possible.
· We offer holiday cover if you need to go away and it isn’t suitable to take the pup with you.
· We provide the basic equipment (e.g. crate, bowls, blanket, lead, collar, basic toys) that the puppy will need. You can purchase extra items for your pup, but please check with us regarding toys.
Where are we based?
· We are looking for puppy raisers based in the Bucharest area in order to offer the support and visits necessary throughout the year.
Interested?
We’d love to hear from you – fill in our contact form or get in touch here