Our puppy raisers are a vital part of the Independence Guide Dog organization. They are key to the early development of our future guide dogs. Puppies are placed with their puppy raiser family when they are approximately 8 weeks old. It is with these volunteer families that our puppies begin their training and socialization.

The puppy raising experience requires a significant amount of time, dedication, energy and patience. However, the returns on your “investment” are immeasurable. It is a rewarding experience that results in many puppy raisers coming back again and again to raise another future guide dog.

With IGD’s Home to Harness program, puppies stay with their puppy raiser families during the formal training stage. As a result the pups remain in their puppy raiser home until they are approximately 2 years old after which time they are placed with an IGD client. While saying good-bye to a pup is often the most difficult part of being a puppy raiser, knowing you have contributed towards changing a life eases the separation.