Raise a puppy for Freedom Guide Dogs and give the gift of Freedom to an individual who is blind or visually impaired!
Our Puppy Raisers fully housebreak these puppies and teach them to 'get busy' on command.
When a pup is taught to 'get busy' on command this will be very useful for the visually impaired handler in the future.
Socializing is a key factor in raising a future guide dog. Our pups should be well socialized with all kinds of people, children, dogs, cats and other animals. Raising these puppies to be well socialized with all walks of life will teach them how to behave when they are working in harness.
Our raisers provide a safe, loving and nurturing home for our puppies for a year and a half to two years of age. All of our puppies are to be raised indoors and looked after on a daily basis. Until you can fully trust your puppy we ask that they never be left unattended and are crated at times you are not able to watch after the puppy. This will ensure there is nothing the puppy can get into that can be harmful and cause an upset stomach or a possible obstruction. It is important that these puppies maintain a healthy weight so decreasing or increasing their food intake at times may be necessary. Our dogs being at a good, healthy weight will promote the longevity of their working years.
Teaching your puppy the basics such as sit, stay, down, come etc. is essential for a Guide Dog trainee. Our puppies are raised to be well-mannered pups and need to be obedient in all situations.
Exposing the puppy you are raising to new and diverse surroundings is crucial during the puppy raising process. Taking them out in public as much as possible is beneficial to their guide dog journey. Public places such as malls, restaurants, parks, public transportation etc. are all places these puppies may wind up working when guiding their handler on a daily basis. Exposing the puppy to different surfaces like shiny floors, carpets, grates, grass, gravel etc. will ensure the puppy will be willing to work on any and every type of surface he comes accross.
A year and a half to two years goes fast and the tiny 8 week old puppy you once brought home will return to us for Formal Training, enjoy every moment! We have a great group of 70+ volunteer puppy raisers who thoroughly enjoy raising puppies for us. Our Puppy Raising community is more of a family. Our raisers enjoy sharing their outings, ideas, moments and questions with fellow puppy raisers and appreciate the updates they receive when their puppies come back to us for Formal Training. It gives them great pride when they receive a certificate stating the puppy they raised has changed the life of a visually impaired individual.
For all other questions or more information on our Puppy Raising Program please email Ashleigh Pace, Breeding and Puppy Program Manager at Ashleigh@freedomguidedogs.org
A: Yes! Our puppies can be raised in homes with other dogs, cats and other animals. It is important to note that our puppies are not allowed to do certain things that your pets may be able to do. Such as; going on the furniture, eating table scraps, pulling on a leash, chasing other animals, jumping on counters and people. Those are all things that our Guide Dogs to be are NOT allowed to participate in.
A: No! Freedom covers the cost of all approved medical expenses such as routine vaccinations, spays/neuters and annual exams. If the puppy you are raising appears to be ill, vomiting , diarrhea, ear infection we ask that you call us first before seeking medical attention.
A: On average our dogs come in for Formal Training when they are a year and a half to two years of age. This can vary depending on the training times but our Puppy Raisers are given notice in advance as to the projected time their puppy will be called in.
When you volunteer to raise a Freedom puppy, you become part of our Freedom family.
