Raise a guide dog puppy
A friend has invited you to do this with them.
A future guide dog spends its early life in an ordinary home, where a volunteer teaches it house manners and takes it into shops, offices, parks and public transport. The puppy then goes on to formal training, which means the job ends with handing the dog back.
DemandingFreeA year or moreIndoors or outAlone or with othersUK and US
How to start
- Read the Guide Dogs puppy raiser page in the UK, or the Guide Dogs for the Blind page, which lists the US states it covers.
- Check the practical requirements on the page, such as a secure outdoor area and the landlord's permission if you rent.
- Contact the charity's volunteering team or complete its puppy raising interest form.
Where to go
- Guide Dogs puppy raiser volunteering page (UK charity) UK
- Guide Dogs for the Blind puppy raising volunteers page (US charity) US
We opened these links on 8 October 2026 and found them to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
Plan this
Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. Projects run over months and stall without a rhythm, so the plan sets milestones you can see.
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