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Puppy Raising Program

Puppy raisers provide the foundation for a future guide dog’s success – shaping confidence, manners, and adaptability – while working as part of a supportive, structured team. It’s a significant commitment, but one with a lasting impact.

Make the puppy part of your family and teach good social skills and house manners.

Welcome a puppy into your home

Raisers nurture and teach puppies to enjoy being with people while building the confidence they’ll need as future guide dogs. Dedicated raisers invest countless hours in patient teaching and meaningful socialization experiences. During their 12 to 18-month puppy raising journey, pups may stay in more than one home, and when the time is right, the well-adjusted dog returns to Guiding Eyes’ training staff to be evaluated for harness training. Ultimately, a person who is blind or visually impaired receives a priceless gift – a guide dog that provides independence, mobility, and companionship – made possible by the raiser’s commitment and care. Puppy raising is a rewarding experience that involves the entire household. Learning life lessons, giving to others, and learning about dogs are among the reasons people are drawn to raising a potential guide dog puppy. Along the way, they gain a deeper understanding of dog development, learn meaningful life lessons, and experience the joy of serving others. 

Whether it’s a first puppy or a twentieth, raisers can take pride in knowing they’ve done something truly special. And while returning the pup to Guiding Eyes may leave an empty space in their heart, it also brings the deep fulfillment of helping another person. Begin your puppy raising journey by exploring below and signing up for a virtual Info Session.

Watch the following video Raising a Guiding Eyes Puppy to learn more and meet our dedicated Guiding Eyes puppy raisers.

Watch puppy raisers at Cornell University share their experiences in the following video. You can read about their experiences in the article It’s a Labor of Love.

Table of Contents

STEP: Successive Training & Enrichment Program – a quick review

STEP™️ is Guiding Eyes for the Blind’s relationship-based training approach. Raisers teach puppies essential skills in small, sequential steps, grounded in trust and consistency. By learning to recognize and respond to a puppy’s needs, raisers help build a strong bond that allows puppies to grow confident, curious, and eager to learn.

Is this opportunity right for you?

Puppy Raiser Requirements

  • Love of dogs & comfort with large dogs: Raisers must genuinely enjoy dogs, including the realities of dog hair, cleanup, and energetic behavior. Other pets in the home must be welcoming of a new dog.
  • Time & long-term commitment: Puppy raising lasts about 12-18 months and requires daily care, training, exercise, and supervision. Young puppies need frequent feeding and bathroom breaks every 3-4 hours.
  • Whole-household participation: Everyone in the household must agree to follow Guiding Eyes training methods consistently and be patient, persistent, and supportive.
  • Physical ability & safety awareness; Raisers must be able to bend, handle, and safely manage a dog that may grow to 60-80 lbs, keep the puppy leashed outside secure areas, and maintain a hazard-free environment.
  • Location & accessibility: Most raisers live within about an hour of regional class locations and must be able to attend classes and evaluations.
  • Team mindset & communication skills: Willingness to work collaboratively with instructors, volunteers, and staff, communicate via email, and access online training materials.

Puppy Raiser Responsibilities

  • Daily care & training by providing food, exercise, grooming, house manners, crate training, and consistent positive reinforcement using Guiding Eyes methods.
  • Socialization and exposure by actively exposing the puppy to a wide variety of environments, people, noises, surfaces, and situations to build confidence. Raisers also participate in temporary puppy swaps with other raisers to broaden experiences.
  • Safety management is necessary by ensuring constant supervision outdoors, removing toxic substances (like rodenticides), managing female dogs during heat cycles, and protecting the puppy from unsafe situations.
  • Pre-Placement Class is a required introductory class before raising a puppy. It covers puppy raising expectations, training methods, and the Guiding Eyes philosophy.
  • Group classes are regular, required classes led by Region Helpers or Regional Puppy Instructors to support skill-building and allow raisers to learn from one another’s experiences.
  • Walk and Talks are one-on-one sessions, held at least 3 times, between the raiser, puppy, and a Regional Puppy Instructor
  • Evaluations and paperwork include completing progress surveys, sitter forms, and a final evaluation when the puppy returns for formal training.

Guiding Eyes Support You Can Count On

Guiding Eyes provides structure, training, financial support, and a strong community, allowing raisers to focus on what matters most: helping a puppy grow into a confident, capable future guide dog. Puppy raisers are fully supported throughout the raising journey and are never expected to do it alone.

Guiding Eyes provides each raiser with:

  • Careful puppy matching based on temperament, skills, and household situation, following Pre-Placement Class and evaluations.
  • Training, guidance, and education through ongoing instruction in Guiding Eyes training methods via required group classes, one-on-one “Walk and Talk” evaluations, online materials, videos, and webinars.
  • Dedicated team support from Regional Puppy Instructors, region teams, and fellow volunteers, working closely with raisers to problem-solve, share experience, and support each puppy’s development.
  • Veterinary care coverage by Guiding Eyes provides heartworm and flea/tick preventatives and covers all pre-authorized veterinary expenses, either through local veterinarians or Guiding Eyes veterinary facilities.
  • Transportation assistance coordinating transport to and from Guiding Eyes, and advance notice of In-For-Training dates and clear instructions for drop-off and pickup provided.
  • Ongoing communication and updates through regular training updates while their dog is in formal guide dog training, and requested updates after graduation.
  • Graduation connection opportunities, with mutual consent, between raisers and the guide dog’s recipient. Guiding Eyes facilitates meetings during training or graduation.
  • Flexibility and contingency support if a raiser can no longer continue due to life changes. Guiding Eyes arranges for another raiser to take over, or puppy sitters are available when raisers need short-term support.

What else should you consider?

Raiser Checklist

Answering “yes” to most of the items on the Raiser Checklist and reviewing our core policies and sample agreements will help you know whether you are ready to take the next step towards raising a Guiding Eyes puppy.

Information Sessions

Learn more about puppy raising and review common questions during one of our Information Sessions. Sessions are scheduled twice a month via Zoom. Sign up for a session here.

Region Locations

Guiding Eyes has Puppy Raising Regions, from Maine to North Carolina and Ohio, and most raisers live within an hour of regional class locations. Determine whether there is a region near you, and if not, our Remote Puppy Raising opportunity might be for you. You’ll receive virtual training sessions along with the same trusted support and resources available to all our raisers.

Puppy Raising FAQs

Please check the Puppy Raising FAQs if you have questions that aren’t already answered on these pages.

Alternatives to Raising

There are other ways you can play a significant role in a puppy’s journey to becoming a guide dog. Whether you’re interested in starting or finishing a puppy, or becoming a sitter, the process is similar to that of a puppy raiser and must be completed before local Pre-Placement classes. Discover available options if unable to commit to the full raising period.

Our Raisers Return Again and Again

Guiding Eyes Puppy Raisers are incredible – and many are dedicated repeat raisers. As they prepare to send off their current pup, they’re already welcoming the next one. Some have raised more than 30 puppies for Guiding Eyes. Find them on our Raiser Recognition page.

Beyond Puppy Raising

At the end of the raising period begins a new adventure for the pup and the raiser, as well. From the IFT test to breed evaluation, formal guide dog training, and more, learn what to expect Beyond Puppy Raising.