Puppy raising FAQs

Yes, you can! We have volunteer fosterers who can look after your puppy whilst you are on holiday. If you are holidaying in the UK, you can check with your volunteer manager to see if the puppy can come with you too.

You will usually be placed with your puppy at around 6-8 weeks old and then they will go on to their formal training at between 12 – 16 months old.

Yes, you can! We will do some checks to see if your pet would be comfortable with a puppy in the house, so we can ensure it is a suitable environment for everyone.

Yes, you can! Puppy raising requires you to be able to care for the puppy’s needs and to not leave the puppy for long periods of time. You will also be getting the puppy used to a routine and exposing them to different places! If you feel you can do this within your job, then it could be the right role for you. In some circumstances, if the work environment is suitable and you have permission from your employer, you may also be able to take the puppy with you.

Yes, you can! We will work with you to ensure it is a safe and suitable environment for everyone. Children under the age of 16 are not allowed to walk the puppy but we encourage all families to be involved in some of the puppy’s development.

You will have a dedicated volunteer manager who will be there to answer any questions that you might have and to go over the needs of your puppy. You will also have local puppy raising classes which you can attend to help with elements of the puppy’s training. There will be access to an online learning platform, where you can find all the information you need on raising your puppy. You can also get in touch with your local puppy raising volunteers for further support!

Guide Dogs covers all feeding and veterinary costs whilst the puppy is in your care. We will also pay an optional allowance of up to £100 a year to offset additional costs. We also have working agreements with certain bus and train operating companies which will enable you to take your puppy on short training journeys free of charge.

First, we have to do an interview and all the right checks to make sure you can be a puppy raiser for Guide Dogs. Then we will give you the appropriate training, so you are ready for your first puppy. When you get placed with your puppy, will depend on your location and when a puppy is being brought to your area. Therefore, the time waiting to be placed with your first puppy might vary and this can sometimes cause longer wait times. However, your volunteer manager will keep you updated throughout this period and when you might be placed with a puppy.

The puppy will go on to their formal guide dog training for around 20 weeks, before they go through an assessment and then matched with a guide dog owner if they pass. You will be kept up to date on how your puppy is doing in their training and when they have been matched with their service user. 

We will look at other career changes that might be suitable for the puppy, like our Buddy Dog service. Alternatively, Guide Dogs operates a very robust rehoming system, and we have a long list of members of the public who have been interviewed and assessed to give one of our dogs a lovely home. At all times though, the pup's best interests are always put first.