Top 5 Questions People Ask A Guide Dog Puppy Raiser

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As a Guide Dogs of America puppy raiser I get the chance to take Stetson almost everywhere I go including the movies, grocery stores, work, shopping malls, and almost anywhere the public can go. It’s important to socialize your puppy to help prepare them for there formal guide dog training. Because I’m always out in the public with Stetson I’m always asked questions about his training. Here are the top 5 dog questions I’m asked when out with Stetson:

Top 5 Questions People Ask Me As A Guide Dog Puppy Raiser

1. What’s your dog’s name?
   • Stetson
2. Isn’t it difficult to give the puppy back?
   • Stetson is my first guide dog puppy in training, but I already know

     

     that it will be difficult to give him up. He’s only 13 months old, so I still have several months with him. I think it will be emotional day bringing him back to Sylmar for his formal training.
3. How long do you have the puppy for?
   • I keep Stetson until he’s 18-22 months old. I picked him up when he was 7 weeks old.
4. Can I pet your dog?
   • At Guide dogs of America we’re taught that it’s okay to have people pet your puppy in training. We have to make sure our puppy stays calm and remains in a sit position. If the puppy gets too excited or gets out of the sit position then we ask that the person stop petting our puppy until we get them back under control. Also, we’re told that we shouldn’t allow everyone to pet our puppies.
5. What happens if your puppy doesn’t qualify for the program?
   • According to Guide Dogs of America 40% of the puppies won’t make it as Guide Dogs. If the puppy gets dropped from the program then the puppy raiser has the first option to adopt the puppy. If the puppy raiser declines to keep the puppy then the puppy will go to public adoption through Guide Dogs of America. According the to GDA website they are not accepting applications for puppy adoption and there is a 5 year waitlist for those currently on the list.

Guide Dogs of America Website

There’s a puppy raising FAQ page on the Guide Dogs of America website. That page answers almost any questions you’d have regarding the Guide Dogs of America puppy raising program.

Do you have any other dog questions regarding Guide Dogs of America puppy raising? Just leave me a comment if you do and I’ll do my best to answer your question.

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Check out more of our favorites on our New Puppy Checklist.