Yes, you do have to give them back eventually.

But if you’re a patient dog-lover with some spare time on your hands, the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind could really do with your help.

The charity is currently recruiting for Puppy Raisers in Cork to foster one of the organisation’s puppies from the age of eight weeks.

“At eight weeks old our puppies begin their journey to becoming a Guide Dog for a person who is vision impaired or an Assistance Dog for a family of a child with autism.” said an IGDB spokesperson.

“This journey starts in the homes of our Puppy Raising Volunteers. The puppy will live with your family in your home.

 

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“Under the direction of our Puppy Raising Supervisors, puppies learn basic rules and obedience. At approximately 14 months they move into our Training Centre with our highly skilled trainers and the hard work towards graduating as a Guide or Assistance Dog begins.”

It’s not always easy, but puppy raising is a great opportunity to make a real difference to someone’s life and to learn new dog training skills while you’re at it.

Interested? Here are the criteria to become a Puppy Raiser:

• You must live no more than two hours from the Training Centre on Model Farm Road, Cork.
• No more than two other dogs in the home. They must be sociable, well behaved and neutered/spayed
• The puppy must not be left alone for prolonged periods of time (max four hours but this is age-dependent)
• You must have access to a secured outdoor area
• Children in the home must be over five years of age
• You must be 18 years or older, but the whole family can get involved
• Must have internet access and be able to use Zoom platform

To apply or to find out more, email Erin at erin@guidedogs.ie.