It’s difficult to turn down an invitation to join fourteen Labrador puppies along Manly Beach, harder still to leave an interview without one. But these puppies aren’t for the taking, unless of course you promise to hand them back after 14 months.
Friday’s gathering of more than a dozen puppies was part of Guide Dogs NSW/ACT call out for puppy raisers across the Northern Beaches – volunteers who will take on a guide dog puppy for around a year while it develops the basic skills needed before formal training begins.
Dan Cassels, a Puppy Development Adviser at Guide Dogs NSW whose role is to support the volunteers, said: “We are constantly looking for puppy raisers.
“For people to volunteer and help us with our other programs as well, so either temporary care, which is having a dog for a shorter period of time, or for our breeding program.
“Our puppies go out to their volunteers at about eight or nine weeks of age and live with a family for around 14 months.
“My job is to provide them with support puppy classes, walks like this, shopping centre interactions and home visits over the course of their journey.”
Becoming a puppy raiser is simpler than many believe.
Volunteers are required to have access to a suitable outdoor space and spend a reasonable amount of time at home to support the puppy’s early development.
Importantly, having an existing dog is not a barrier, with many volunteers successfully raising guide dog puppies alongside their own pets.
“We go through a process of onboarding our volunteers, so we will give them some training at the start and some information about what puppy raising involves,” said Dan.
“I will go and check their house early on too, before they get a dog and make sure that their environment is suitable for young pups.
“This year we had around about 180 puppies born into our breeding program”
“We will use around 80% of our dogs every year, so that is either to be placed as a guide dog for somebody with low vision or as a therapy dog.”
Cassels said there is a common misunderstanding about the role.
“There is probably a bit of a misconception that people during the puppy raising phase are going to need to train the dog up to being a guide dog. That is not true. We will assess the dogs when they are around 16 months of age, and we will put the dogs into about 20 weeks of guide dog training with a professional dog trainer.”
From around eight weeks of age, puppies are placed with volunteers who provide a loving home, basic training and socialisation before they begin the 20-week specialist guide dog training about 12 months later.
Think establishing good toilet habits, feeding and sleeping routines and walking nicely on a lead – the building blocks that could one day underpin life-changing independence for someone with a vision impairment.
Hamish, a first-time puppy raiser who has been paired with James, said: “It has been really rewarding, really overwhelming, but really good fun.”
“It has been really rewarding, really overwhelming, but really good fun.”
He decided to take on a puppy after seeing how much his friends enjoyed the experience.
“We are really hoping he passes.
“You hear how these dogs change people’s lives, and I think that would be amazing if he gets to do that.
“We are also dreading that day, we are very attached to him, and we absolutely love him dearly.”
Michelle Parker has helped raise five puppies and now takes on a slightly different role as a home for guide dog mums and mums-to-be.
“It was on my bucket list ever since I was a little girl, actually being involved in the guide dogs, and when my kids were little and I was at home, we raised three guide dogs, and then I got involved in the breeding program.
“I have Eliza now, who has had 17 babies in just two litters,” she said.
Michelle also cares for Riley, one of Eliza’s puppies from her second litter, who is due to fall pregnant in the coming weeks and contribute to the next generation of guide dogs.
“You know, it is not too hard.
“The usual, sit, stay, come, is a good thing for the dog to know, but I sort of believe, apart from that, they just want calm and confident dogs.”
Michelle said she views the role as her way of giving back to the community.
“It is something that I am not truly altruistic about, because I really enjoy it and get a lot out of it, but it is just a lovely thing to do.”
The role is unpaid but fully supported.
“They provide so much, from food and vet bills to leads and collars, and of course we all buy extra bits.”
It takes over two years and costs more than $50,000 to breed, raise and train each guide dog, who will eventually be provided at no cost to those who need them.
For more information on how to become a Guide Dog Puppy Raiser: nsw.guidedogs.com.au
