What is a puppy raiser? A puppy raiser provides the foundation from which one-half of a successful guide dog team is made. These essential volunteers raise a Guiding Eyes puppy by providing the pup with the love, socialization, house manners, and basic obedience it will need to succeed in guide dog training.
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A.K.A Famous Amos, Cookie, Cuddlebug
Amos is a sweet & spunky male black lab puppy. His proud parents are Denny and Violet.
Amos’ three favorite things:
Puppy Raisers: Lydia Tran
Region: Southern Connecticut Puppy Raising Region
How many puppies have you raised: “2 (this will be the second)”
Favorite thing about raising: “I started volunteering for Guiding Eyes as an opportunity to blend my love of dogs with service and a new challenge. I began this journey to potentially help someone else’s life be more accessible, but [I] never imagined how much the pup would change my life. It is truly the most rewarding and fulfilling experience.“
A.K.A Charrie
Char is a thoughtful & attentive female black lab puppy. Her proud parents are Perry and Dusk.
Char’s three favorite things:
Puppy Raisers: Lynn Stas & Aaron Ogletree
Region: Eastern Massachusetts Puppy Raising Region
How many puppies have you raised: “32? and starters pups around 12?” – Lynn / “1 puppy” – Aaron
Favorite thing about raising: “Love to start a puppy or raise to the end because the puppy who grows into an adult will change a person’s life. If they become a guide, goes to another agency for police work or service dog work or becomes a cherished pet they all change a person’s life. This is the best reason for raising a puppy for a greater purpose which is a beautiful gift.” – Lynn / “One of my favorite things about raising is being a bridge to their confidence in something that initially made them anxious or intimidated. It’s very rewarding to watch them grow in experience and also have their trust in you validated.” – Aaron
A.K.A Chew-ya, Tine Size, Choola-Boola
Chula is an adventurous & clever female black lab puppy. Her proud parents are Shadow and Irie.
Chula’s three favorite things:
Puppy Raisers: Gary & Lorraine Schiavi
Region: Adirondack Puppy Raising Region
How many puppies have you raised: “Chula is our sixth pup. We raised both her father and her grandfather so we’re excited to watch her grow.”
Favorite thing about raising: “We love to watch the pups learn and see their reaction to their new experiences. Puppy playdates with socialization for both pups and their humans are also a highlight of raising.”
A.K.A Just Clancey 🙂
Clancey is a curious & playful male yellow lab puppy. His proud parents are Hamilton and Eloise.
Clancey’s three favorite things:
Puppy Raiser: Joseph Gruber
Region: Colorado Puppy Raising Region
How many puppies have you raised: “4”
Favorite thing about raising: “Seeing the puppies learn so much in such a short time, then go off and proudly show how much they’ve learned to everyone else!“
A.K.A Sassy, Cuddles, Princess Di
Diamond is a smart & sweet female black lab puppy. Her proud parents are Shadow and Adrienne.
Diamond’s three favorite things:
Puppy Raiser: Naomi Barkevich
Region: Capital NY Puppy Raising Region
How many puppies have you raised: “Diamond is my 6th puppy for Guiding Eyes.”
Favorite thing about raising: “I love getting to know the different personalities of each puppy. I really enjoy learning about dog behavior, and every puppy is different, so I learn something new while raising each one. I also love working with our fantastic and supportive region team.“
A.K.A Becky
Quebec is a loving & spunky female yellow lab puppy. Her proud parents are Edgar and Hetty.
Quebec’s three favorite things:
Puppy Raiser: Meagan Christian
Region: Wayne County Puppy Raising Region
How many puppies have you raised: “2nd puppy raised”
Favorite thing about raising: “I enjoy being able to play with them as puppies and give someone the chance to have a guide dog.“
A.K.A Queenie
Queen is a cute & smart female yellow lab puppy. Her proud parents are Edgar and Hetty.
Queen’s three favorite things:
Puppy Raiser: Yingying Liu
Region: Richmond Puppy Raising Region
How many puppies have you raised: “Queen is my very first one. I even did not have a pet dog before.”
Favorite thing about raising: “Queen is the first dog in my family. My whole family loves her. A lot [of] helping hands involved in her raising. Grandpa, my two girls (9 and 7 yo), my husband and me. She brings so much fun to me and teaches my daughters love, responsibility, and patience. In addition, I have to have a lot more outdoor time, which is good for me, because of her.”
A.K.A Royalty, Tiny Friend
Royal is a brave & smart female black lab puppy. Her proud parents are Midnight and Nyla.
Royal’s three favorite things:
Puppy Raisers: Michelle Sickles & Turner Pecen
Region: Richmond Puppy Raising Region
How many puppies have you raised: “We’ve raised 6 puppies all the way through! 3 for guiding eyes. Royal is our 4th starter puppy for Guiding Eyes.”
Favorite thing about raising: “Our favorite thing about raising is the community of people!”
A.K.A Puppers
Ruffles is a curious & lovable female yellow lab puppy. Her proud parents are Midnight and Nyla.
Ruffles’ three favorite things:
Puppy Raisers: Cheryl Gall & Ruth Ladd
Region: Eastern Massachusetts Puppy Raising Region
How many puppies have you raised: “3” – Cheryl / “18, plus 4 starters” – Ruth
Favorite thing about raising: “With each puppy, I am humbled by how much more I have to learn. Like children, it takes a village to raise one of these dogs, and there is tremendous support. In addition to bi-weekly classes led by the regional manager Lisa Bumbalo, I am fortunate to have mentors like Lynn Stas; my co-raiser Ruth who has raised 18+ pups and can answer any question(!); and a whole community of GEB raisers with whom we have puppy play dates, puppy swaps, photo sharing, and ongoing discussions about our everlasting love for these pups.” – Cheryl / “I have been raising for 24 years now and it has become part of the fabric of my life. I started raising because we (my husband and I) wanted to have a dog but didn’t want to deal with end of life heartbreak again (we’d had several wonderful golden retrievers) and we didn’t want to commit to 12-15 years – and because the idea of raising a puppy to help a visually impaired person seemed like such a wonderful idea. Our first puppy, Fletch, was a wonderful dog so we decided to keep going…and here we are with Ruffles! There is no one favorite thing for me unless you count the Guiding Eyes experience as a whole. Raising is a challenge but also fun and seeing difference my efforts have made it so satisfying.” – Ruth
A.K.A Ted, Theodore, Little Love, Big Guy
Teddie is a confident & playful male yellow lab puppy. His proud parents are Gomer and Piper.
Teddie’s three favorite things:
Puppy Raiser: Hannah Frederickson
Region: Cleveland East Puppy Raising Region
How many puppies have you raised: “Teddie is my first!”
Favorite thing about raising: “My favorite thing about raising is seeing how prideful Teddie is when he learns and executes a new skill. Even at such a young age, Teddie exhibits immense drive and always strives to do his best. Teddie’s future is incredibly bright, and I am ecstatic to be on this journey with him!”
A.K.A Sleepy Eyes
Thor is a sweet & curious male yellow lab puppy. His proud parents are Gomer and Piper.
Thor’s three favorite things:
Puppy Raiser: Beth Armstrong
Region: Cleveland East Puppy Raising Region
How many puppies have you raised: “Thor is my first puppy ❤️”
Favorite thing about raising: “I love watching him grow and learn. He changes on a daily basis, and it’s so fun to see the bigger dog he is starting to become. He learns fast. At first, I thought he would never be able to walk down the sidewalk without picking up every single stick, pebble, and acorn. But with daily practice and the help of Macy, our puppy instructor, he is now ignoring most of the things that once were so distracting.”
A.K.A Win, Winifred, Winnie the Pooh, Windsor, Winner, Win-Win
Winnie is an attentive & charming female yellow lab puppy. Her proud parents are Donny and Raelyn.
Winnie’s three favorite things:
Puppy Raisers: The Partlow Family (Jennn, Steve, Levi, Asa, & Clara)
Region: Dutchess Puppy Raising Region
How many puppies have you raised: “We raised one other puppy, Uriah, several years ago. Since then, we have been GEB puppy sitters.”
Favorite thing about raising: “As a family, we love the opportunity to bring a puppy into our home to snuggle with and play with, but ultimately to spend the time training the puppy so that it has the best chance to become a guide dog. We continually marvel at the abilities of these puppies and the good they do for those who need their assistance.”
A.K.A Woody
Woodstock is an inquisitive & playful male yellow lab puppy. His proud parents are Donny and Raelyn.
Woodstock’s three favorite things:
Puppy Raiser: Ann McDermott
Region: Montgomery Puppy Raising Region
How many puppies have you raised: “He’s my second.”
Favorite thing about raising: “It is so fun and rewarding to train and love these pups!”
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