Fostering guide dog puppies help?

[Valentine1 10]

Hi,

 

I was wanting to look into fostering a guide dog puppy, but can't find any information on this. The only thing I could find was for Trainee guide dog boarder and Brood Bitch Holders. Does anyone know how to go about finding out how to foster the puppies? Or has anyone done this?

 

Thanks,

 

Valentine

 

Oooh, I just found it's under Puppy walkers! Ah this is exciting.

Edited May 2, 2015 by Valentine1

[Rosa 10]

That's a fantastic thing to do. :-). My partner who is blind always took the guide dogs that were owned back to see the puppy walkers. So you can still stay in touch too. Best of luck. :-) xx

[Thirteen 10]

Currently walking my 13th Guide Dog puppy and we love it.

[Mayfly182 10]

Hi,

The only thing I could find was for Trainee guide dog boarder...

 

I read that as 'Trainee guide dog hoarder' :-D

[Valentine1 10]

That's a fantastic thing to do. :-). My partner who is blind always took the guide dogs that were owned back to see the puppy walkers. So you can still stay in touch too. Best of luck. :-) xx

 

Aww, I bet that was lovely for them to see the puppies again! Thank you!

 

Currently walking my 13th Guide Dog puppy and we love it.

 

Ooh, do you mind if I ask a few questions? I found a few things online that I wondered about, I'm calling tomorrow to discuss it with the Guide Dog people too!

 

Is it true you can't have any balls in the house at all? This would be an issue because we have a dog and cats who all love playing with balls so it wouldn't be fair to remove them from the house!

 

I have seen that the dog has to have a pavement area for it to wee/poo, that's fine, but I also saw that the dog is only allowed to wee/poo on command and even if it's outside and needed to go, it can't until you tell it to, is this true?

 

What training methods do they use? I saw a few things online that I didn't like the sound of but don't know if it was people making it up or not. Things such as using chocking collars, shouting at the dog and hitting it with a newspaper to ''show it who's boss''.. I won't do that. Do they use this method or positive reinforcement do you know?

 

Is the dog not allowed on furniture? I can understand this, and it wouldn't be an issue. I just wondered, plus our dog/cats are allowed anywhere they want and I didn't know if that would be an issue.

 

What is your experience in general of puppy walking? I obviously found things online of people who absolutely love it, and people who have done it then changed their mind and stopped for various reasons.

 

Thank you!

 

I've sent this in a PM too incase you don't read this thread!

 

I read that as 'Trainee guide dog hoarder' :-D

 

I could be one of those too!

Edited May 4, 2015 by Valentine1

[Thirteen 10]

Hope you got my reply to your private message but computer had a bit of a blip while I was sending. Let me know please if you didnt and I will reply again. Thanks

[denlin 12]

The centre used to be on the industrial estate at Thornecliffe

[Thirteen 10]

It was Support Dogs who were on Thorncliffe Estate I think.

[sweetie 10]

I tried to do this a couple of years ago but it didn't work out. They have many rules and regulations and wouldn't consider me because I work more than two hours a day. (I work four) and I have worked with dogs for 15 years so I thought I'd be fine but not so. To be honest I found them a bit snotty but I hope it works out for you.

[Valentine1 10]

Hope you got my reply to your private message but computer had a bit of a blip while I was sending. Let me know please if you didnt and I will reply again. Thanks

 

We have decided after much thought not to do this, I think it's just too many rules for how we bring up our own pets. I'd feel guilty having our dog where he wants to go and then the puppy not being allowed to do so many things. I wouldn't remove balls from the house as our dog and cats love playing with them. I'd feel guilty having my dog on my knee or next to me and the puppy not being able to go on the settee even!

 

I think it's an AMAZING thing for people to do, and I'm sure if we didn't have other animals it'd be something we'd definitely want to do, but that's not the case for us. I can also understand why they have the rules they have, they need those rules to be able to train it to become the dog it will become.

 

Thanks for all your help!

 

I tried to do this a couple of years ago but it didn't work out. They have many rules and regulations and wouldn't consider me because I work more than two hours a day. (I work four) and I have worked with dogs for 15 years so I thought I'd be fine but not so. To be honest I found them a bit snotty but I hope it works out for you.

 

Aw, it's a shame it didn't work out for you!