Interested in raising a service puppy?

We got this news release recently from a great organization in Michigan. If you’ve ever wondered about becoming a volunteer puppy raiser, this group would be a great place to start!

Rochester Hills, MI – Leader Dogs for the Blind announces that the organization is in need of families or individuals to participate in the Leader Dog Volunteer Puppy Raiser program. Leader Dog guide dogs can only be provided to the visually impaired with the assistance of volunteer puppy raisers.  The volunteer puppy raising program places puppies in host homes for approximately one year in preparation for their lives as guide dogs. Raisers teach puppies house manners and basic obedience, and they socialize the dog by taking it into the community on a regular basis.

Leader Dogs for the Blind provides a range of support materials and programs for volunteer puppy raisers, including training, veterinary care in the Metro Detroit area, and other materials. A puppy raiser coordinator is matched with an individual or family throughout the duration of the program to assist with training and answer questions.

Puppy raisers typically receive their puppies at 7 to 8 weeks of age and return them to Leader Dogs for the Blind between 12 and 15 months of age. Breeds include Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers and German shepherds, with a few smooth-coated collies or standard poodles.

Leader Dogs for the Blind is known throughout the world for its forward thinking and innovation in the guide dog field. In fact, Leader Dogs for the Blind was the first guide dog organization in North America to hold a dedicated program to train guide dogs for people who are deaf and blind.  Leader Dogs for the Blind is also the only guide dog organization to offer an entire continuum of learning for people who are blind and visually impaired, including: classes on learning to travel safely with a white cane, classes on how to use a pedestrian GPS navigational tool, and a summer camp experience for teen’s age 16 and 17.

For more information about Leader Dogs for the Blind call (888) 777-5332 or visit www.leaderdog.org. Find them on Facebook here