Volunteer ‘Puppy Raisers’ Needed To Look After Guide Dogs Australia’s First Litter Of The Year

Guide Dogs Australia’s first set of puppies born in 2020 has been born.

The organization is now searching for “puppy raisers” to help teach these adorable tots all the basics of being a dog before they go into guide dog school.

But don’t be fooled, it’s not as simple as caring for any regular dog. Being a carer for guide dog puppies requires you to be strict, or else the dog will be unable to help people in the future.

Once these puppies are seven weeks old, they will be placed with “families or individuals [to] ensure that our new recruits get the best possible care, in a loving home environment whilst receiving appropriate training.”

Guide Dogs Australia is looking for “caring, patient, and responsible” people to look after the puppies. While they’re so cute you’d want to take the whole litter with you, realistically, you’ll only get one to take care of.

If you’re accepted into the program, you’ll be responsible for taking care of the puppy for 12 months – long enough to get them used to life in a normal household.

You’ll have to attend about three Education Sessions as well as regular Training Sessions. Meanwhile at home, you can teach the puppy how to sit, stay and rollover. In addition, you should also be teaching them to walk properly on a leash and have good manners. And overall, you’re expected to provide the puppy with regular socialization experiences.

A successful applicant will also have to prove that they’ve taught their dog “good toileting, feeding, sleeping, and walking routines.”

A big perk of doing this is that Guide Dogs Australia will provide you with all the necessary equipment needed to raise your puppies, such as collars, a leash, grooming equipment, and a food bowl. In addition, they will pay for all food, preventative medicine, and veterinary costs.

The organization says, “Puppy Raising is a rewarding experience that you will remember for the rest of your life. Not only will you be giving a gorgeous pup a loving home, but you will also be helping to train a potential future Guide Dog, one that will change a person’s life forever.”

Each state and territory have maps to show who can and can’t be a puppy raiser based on geographic location.

Of course, the hardest part of this experience will be giving back the puppy after the 12 months are up – but it will be very much comfort knowing that they’re going to someone who really needs their help.