Call to double number of guide dog volunteers in North Northumberland

Puppies and their volunteer puppy raisers from North Northumberland and the Borders recently took part in a settling day at the Guide Dogs Newcastle training centre, with pups including Kell, an eight-month-old female Labrador cross Golden Retriever, and Khara, a 12-month-old female Golden Retriever, both currently being puppy raised in Berwick-upon-Tweed.

The session helps prepare older puppies for the next stage of their journey, giving them the opportunity to explore environments like those they may one day work in. During the visit, the puppies spent time in training rooms, explored office spaces, practiced using stairs and lifts, and experienced time in kennel pens – all valuable introductions to life at a Guide Dogs training centre.

Meanwhile, younger puppies like Tommy, a 12-week-old Labrador cross Golden Retriever in Bamburgh, are just beginning their journey, already building confidence through early socialisation, including visits to nearby shops and new environments.

Unlike pet puppies, guide dog pups are brought up to be given the skills and experience they need to succeed as life-changing guide dogs, supporting people with sight loss. This includes building their confidence in different environments and getting them used to new sights, sounds and smells.

Puppies live at home with their puppy raisers from eight weeks old, for around 12-16 months before they start their formal guide dog training, but with hundreds of people across the UK waiting for a guide dog, the sight loss charity needs more volunteers.

Gillian Salmon, a Puppy Development Advisor for Guide Dogs covering Northumberland and the Borders, said: “Raising a puppy is hard work but it’s highly rewarding. Without the support of our amazing volunteers, we simply wouldn’t be able to train the hundreds of life-changing guide dogs that we do each year to support people with sight loss across the UK.

“We need to double the number of volunteers we have locally in North Northumberland so we can increase the number of dogs we train, and therefore support more people with sight loss.”

Puppy raisers provide a loving home and a vital foundation for the puppy’s future role as a guide dog through training, socialisation and the introduction of new environments and experiences.

Volunteers need to be aged over 18 with suitable housing and plenty of time to invest in raising the puppy. Guide Dogs provides training and support and covers the essential costs including food and vet bills.

Find out more about puppy raising at: www.guidedogs.org.uk/puppyraising