Frequently Asked Questions
How can you give them up?
This is always the first question people ask us. Yes, we do get very attached to our puppies, but when they are 15 to 18 months old it becomes clear that they are beginning to show an eagerness for more challenges than we can offer. Many raisers say that when a puppy leaves our care for more complex guide dog training, it feels like sending our high school graduate off to college. There is great pleasure associated with raising these pups and we feel honored to see them progress to formal guide dog training.
How long is the commitment?
Puppies come to us at 8 to 10 weeks of age. A raiser usually keeps the puppy for 12 to 16 months. However, the time commitment with a “transfer” puppy can be shorter because the puppy comes to the new raiser as an older puppy.
What happens to my puppy after 14 to 16 months of basic training and socialization?
Your puppy returns to the GDB campus in Boring, Oregon where the professional, licensed instructors do the formal training in guide work. Each dog’s health and welfare and training progress is carefully managed. If your dog graduates with a visually impaired partner, you will be invited to present your “puppy” at a formal graduation ceremony at Boring. That is a special day, indeed.
How much does it cost to raise a puppy?
The veterinary fees are paid for by Guide Dogs for the Blind. The raiser pays for dog food, toys, food and water dishes, and field trip expenses. Most, if not all, expenses related to raising a puppy are tax deductible. Our puppy raising club has some equipment (crates, exercise pens and bait bags) available on loan to our puppy raisers/sitters.
Last Updated: 5/30/2011