Puppy Raiser [Falkirk]

• Guide Dogs

• VO101872

Guide Dogs Scotland is one of the UK’s leading sight loss charities. Our expert staff, volunteers and life-changing guide dogs help people with sight loss live the life they choose.

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. 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.

This role involves:
-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.

There are lots of rewarding benefits to this role! Not only will you enjoy a loveable, canine companion, proven to reduce feelings of stress and improve fitness, but you will also get the chance to participate in our bespoke world-class training and have the satisfaction knowing you're supporting people with sight loss to live actively, independently, and well.

Volunteering with Guide Dogs is life-changing – and not just for the people we support. If you'd like to know more, then we would love to hear from you.

Experience required

Volunteers should 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.

Travel expenses

Volunteering for Guide Dogs should never leave you out of pocket. We’ll make sure we pay any expenses related to volunteering with us, including veterinary costs, food costs for the puppy and other materials needed for the puppy’s training.

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