Guide Dogs NSW Puppy Raiser Open Day

Overview

What's the best job title in the world? That's hard to say, but Puppy Raiser surely ranks highly. 'Nice work if you can get it', you may well cry, but such a gig does exist — and it exists for a very good cause.

Guide Dogs NSW is searching for its new intake of volunteer puppy foster parents who will care for the winter litter of labrador pups destined to be the next generation of working service animals. Volunteers typically foster a guide dog puppy for a year, providing a safe and loving environment as well as basic training, ensuring their fur baby grows up socialised and ready to begin their formal guide dog training just after their first birthday.

At the Puppy Raiser Open Day, set to be held at the Liverpool Golf Club on Saturday, June 22, prospective fosterers can learn about what it takes to nurture a guide dog in waiting. There will also be training demonstrations that will reveal firsthand the kind of vital basics successful foster parents will need to teach their pup, including sitting while being groomed, behaving inside the home and walking confidently on a leash. These may sound like fairly standard skills (and they are), but without them, the golden-coated youngsters won't be able to add the extraordinary repertoire of abilities that will one day make them a life-changing assistant for someone with a visual impairment.

"We are looking for people that are home most of the time and who are interested in putting effort into training and socialising the dog," said Guide Dogs NSW's Puppy Development Advisor My Lindqvist. "What you get in return is a life-changing experience and knowing that you've positively contributed to your community."

Guide Dogs NSW takes care of the usual expenses of pet ownership, including providing food, veterinary access, and flea and tick prevention. A dedicated Puppy Development Adviser is also assigned to every Puppy Raiser to offer guidance and answer any questions. So, if you reckon you have what it takes to bring up a four-legged, wet-nosed superhero, make sure you book a session at Guide Dog NSW's Puppy Raiser Open Day.