Volunteer with Guide Dogs
We are in Need for Fosterers and Puppy Raisers in the Cardiff/Newport area this year.
Fosterers
A guide dog in training needs you! Could you provide a loving home for a future life-changer during the evenings and drop them off at doggy school in the morning? Then this could be the perfect role for you!
You could learn new skills in dog handling or meet new people in your community, as well as having a furry companion in your home.
What you’ll be doing
In this unique role for extraordinary people, your support will include:
Doing the school run for your dog in training! This will involve dropping them off between 8-9am and picking them up between 5-6pm through Monday to Friday at your local Guide Dogs site.
Providing a dog in training with a warm and welcoming home.
Engaging with our first class training programme to help re-engage your dog at home with their training to become a guide dog
Providing care and support for your dog within your home e.g., grooming and feeding them
Ensuring the dog is not left alone for more than 4 hours in a 24-hour period
You’ll ideally have:
Access to a car, so that you can take your dog to training school
The agreement of your landlord to have dog in the home or your own home
Have a safe secure area outside for the dog to go to the toilet
Puppy Raisers
If you are a dog lover, who enjoys learning something new, then this volunteer role could be a perfect fit for you. You can learn our bespoke training techniques to implement with one of our puppies over the course of a year within your home! You will be caring and loving this bundle of joy to give them their first steps for their career as a guide dog.
What you'll be doing
Engaging with our world-class Puppy Raising for Excellent Partnerships (PREP) training programme to prepare your puppy for the next stages of becoming a guide dog
Providing care and support for your puppy at home e.g., loving, grooming and feeding him or her
Socialising your puppy and introducing him or her to a variety of environments to increase confidence – this can be as simple as taking your puppy with you to the shops, office or park as you go about your everyday life
Teaching your puppy to be comfortable alone - gradually building up from a few minutes to a maximum of four hours
Taking your puppy to monthly puppy classes, and interacting with other puppy raisers in your community whilst refreshing your training and sharing tips
Meeting with your volunteer manager as frequently as needed to discuss any changes or issues with your puppy
Completing short questionnaires about your puppy’s development
You'll ideally have
A loving home with enough time to invest in raising a puppy
Someone at home who is physically able to handle large breed dogs (around 25-40kg)
Access to a car, so that you can get your puppy used to travelling
The agreement of your landlord to have a dog in the property if you rent your home
A safe secure area outside for your puppy to go to the toilet
If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact us using the form below.