Imagine getting to cuddle puppies all day, every day, for an entire year. It’s quite literally our dream job – and it could be yours! Guide Dogs NSW is currently searching for Australia’s cutest volunteers to help raise their new spring litter of labradors.
The life of a ‘puppy raiser’ is more than just hugs, hang-outs and hairballs. It’s a 12-month gig where you’ll nurture and train an eight-week-old fur baby until it’s ready to graduate as a trainee guide dog. The lucky pup parents will need to attend weekly puppy pre-school sessions where their tiny labs can socialise and learn basic skills like good house manners, obedient toileting, proper feeding and sleeping routines and walking on a lead – everything to set them up for a life of incredible service for those living with blindness and vision impairment across Australia.
Guide Dogs will be there to hold your hand every step of the way and will provide the food, vet care and ongoing guidance on how best to look after these adorable munchkins.
The only requirements for this dream job are that you have a car and have a fully fenced yard, and will be away from home no more than four hours at a time.
If you think you’re up for the job then you should book a session at Guide Dog’s puppy raiser open day on Saturday, October 28 from 10-11am. They’ll share more about what’s involved in the magical role and will also provide a puppy training demo to give a behind-the-scenes look at how they train the pups.
The open day will be hosted in Guide Dog NSW’s new flagship office at level one, 7-9 Albany St, St Leonards. You can find out more about becoming a puppy raiser on the Guide Dogs NSW website here.