Opportunity type: Long-term Commitment
Role: Outdoor and Practical including Animals and Environment
District: Boroughwide
Time of day: Weekday Mornings, Weekday Afternoons, Weekday Evenings, Weekend Full Days
Does this opportunity provide wheelchair access? No
Location: From home
Description: Puppy Raiser Are you a dog lover? Do you have some spare time? Would you like to make a difference to someone's life? If you've answered yes to these questions, then this role could be perfect for you! 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. 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. 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.
Requirements: Own vehicle or access to a vehicle
Email: rachel.patrick@guidedogs.org.uk
Phone: 01616191346
