BC & Alberta Guide Dogs are on the lookout for foster families to become volunteer puppy trainers.
A puppy lives with a foster family from the time its seven weeks old until it moves on to advanced training as early as 15 to 16 months old, explains director of breeding and puppy training Linda Thornton.
"It's a 24/7 commitment," she says, adding the program is supervised and the organization covers costs like food, vet expenses and equipment.
The Delta-based organization relies on volunteers to raise puppies that are working towards becoming guide dogs for the visually-impaired or autism support dogs.
Although being a volunteer is a big time commitment, it's also very rewarding, says Thornton, noting volunteers get to meet people who end up receiving the dogs.
Obedience training takes place in Ladner. There are weekly sessions for new puppies until they're about five months old and biweekly sessions for older dogs, says Thornton, who spoke to the Optimist at a training class last month.
Dogs also meet with puppy training supervisor Matthias Lenz at least once a month outside the class setting, she says, noting it could be downtown or a mall, "to make sure all that socialization is happening."
It's very important volunteers take their dog, which has legal rights of access with its jacket on, out to various places, she says.
"Their job is to take them to restaurants, to malls, to anywhere they can think of."
She says puppies are generally placed with volunteers who aren't working.
"These guys can learn to be in an office in a minute, but they ... need to be out and about all the time."
Donna Hundt is a retired volunteer who loves dogs and is currently raising her seventh puppy, Louie.
"I know that they change people's lives," she says.
Hundt says it's hard to give them up when it's time for the dogs to move on to their next stage of training but likens it to when your kids go off to university.
"These guys have a whole life ahead of them to do good for somebody," she says.
Thornton says those interested in becoming a volunteer puppy trainer can come to an information session and then to an obedience class or two to see what goes on and talk to those already involved. After that comes a home interview and, if accepted, waiting for a puppy.
Contact BC & Alberta Guide Dogs at 604-940-4504, [email protected] or visit http://bcandalbertaguidedogs.com.
- BC & Alberta Guide Dogs has also recently launched a movie in honour of International Guide Dog Day. Available to be seen online (http://bcandalbertaguidedogs.com/news-events/our-movie/), the film covers the whole life of a guide dog from beginning to end.
"I think it gives everybody a perspective on what the drill is," says Thornton.
