# Guide Dogs for the Blind: Puppy Raising



## Sousa Kalliovski (Oct 13, 2014)

Hello! So I am puppy raising for Guide dogs for the blind. he is an 8 week old yellow lab named Yeti and he is definitely a handful! Is anyone else puppy raising for GDB?


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## Chris Viscovich (Apr 2, 2014)

Thanks for your efforts. I am not training for them, but have been a supporter for almost 20 years.


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

hi and welcome
- good luck but u may be on the wrong forum, and if you look thru the threads you will see why 

i've been on this group for many years and never recalled a GDB specific thread, nor a GDB handler or training post

there have been a few threads related to general service dogs and therapy dogs ... whether they would be useful is doubtful, but you could always do a search

the GDB should provide everything you need to know and if you want to share that, there might be some members who would want to read about it

puppy raising in general is often done with the ultimate goal of what you intend to do with the dog, but that advice may not apply in your situation

i would be interested to know what specifics GDB has advised you to do as you raise the pup for them


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## Catherine Gervin (Mar 12, 2012)

a really really wonderful neighbor of ours has volunteered with NEEDS for years, almost a decade in fact, but she does not provide any of the home environment for the candidates. instead, she has visitations--or even stay-overs with pups 5 months and older--in her home with her two Labs and both of them were dogs who failed out of that very program. her dogs are Therapy dogs and they are outstanding playmates for the puppies because of their gentleness and good obedience and perfect house manners. also, she has an enormous fenced in yard and baby pools for water/play and a trillion toys. she has various puppies of assorted ages come visit alllll the time and invites the children on her street to come over and play with all the dogs, as well as her family members, to expose the puppies to extra noise and stimulation outside of their own known territories to help expand their worlds. she also vacuums and plays music and does yard work/mows the lawn or uses the leaf blower in the front yard so the pups can experience those sounds from the other side of the fence or in the house.
don't know if any of this helps...


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## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

This might be of interest:

http://www.blindenhundeschule.ch/en.html


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## Meg O'Donovan (Aug 20, 2012)

Gillian Schuler said:


> This might be of interest:
> 
> http://www.blindenhundeschule.ch/en.html


Gillian, thanks for that link. It is good that at the Swiss training centre for guide dogs they are utilizing the dogs washed out from the guide program and putting them straight into therapy or "social" dog training/roles. 

Best wishes to the OP for giving this pup a solid start with lots of social and environmental variety.


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