Fostering Guide Dogs "Raise a Puppy" Organizations such as Guiding Eyes for the Blind in Yorktown Heights, NY, have volunteer puppy raiser programs. Puppies to be trained as guide dogs are raised by foster families for the first 14-16 months of their life, then returned to the guide dog school. "Volunteer puppy raisers have to be willing to meet the standards the puppy evaluators require in terms of a regimen and discipline," says William Badger, president of Guiding Eyes. Foster families receive the puppies between eight and ten weeks of age, and they must meet with a evaluator from Guiding Eyes to insure they are making progress in teaching the dogs basic manners and social skills. At the end of the program, the dog returns to Guiding Eyes to enter the guide dog training program where it will then be paired with a visually-impaired student. According to Badger, Guiding Eyes currently has about 500 volunteer puppy raisers throughout the Eastern seaboard, some of whom have raised more than one guide dog. If you would like more information about being a foster parent to a puppy or how you can support the work of Guiding Eyes for the Blind, contact them at their toll-free number 1-888-550-1115. Or write to: Guiding Eyes for the Blind, 611 Granite Springs Road, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598. Check out the web sites listed below to learn about a wide range of puppy raising programs. Guiding Eyes for the Blind Guide Dogs for the Blind: About Puppy Raisers The Seeing Eye Information Center Dog Owner's Guide Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc Return to Cover