Become a Puppy Rearer for SAGA

The South African Guide Dog Association (SAGA) is looking for Puppy Rearers to raise Golden Retriever or Labrador puppies. At around 6 to 8 weeks the puppies leave the training centre and are placed in foster homes within a 40 km radius of the Training Centre. This is the optimal age for human/animal bonding to take place.

Prior to being accepted as a Puppy Rearer an application from needs to be filled in, volunteers from SAGA will visit the premise and check the house if all is acceptable you will be added to the waiting list.

While the puppy is living at their foster home SAGA covers all the veterinary bills and supply the food which is sponsored by Purina.
The best homes are those where there are children, other pets and a Mum who doesn’t work.

The important part of the programme is the socialisation of the puppy, therefore homes in built-up areas are preferred so that the puppy can be introduced to car travel, busy shops, noisy streets, heavy traffic and crowded pavements.

It is preferred that at least one adult should be at home during the greater part of the day in order to free exercise and educate the puppy. The puppy should be taken to the shops and introduced to its local environment throughout the time it lives with the Puppy Rearer.
Basic obedience is also an important part of the programme as this is fundamental to all future training.

Any problems, no matter how small, are reported to the Puppy Development Supervisor. Every effort is made to ensure that the puppy’s behaviour is shaped right from the beginning. Everything must happen in the formative first year to increase the likelihood of the puppy growing into an effective guide dog.

The Puppy Development Supervisor makes regular monthly visits and there are training sessions on a monthly basis in different areas of Gauteng that the Puppy Raiser should attend.
At around 12 to 14 months the puppies return to the training centre to commence their formal training.

Puppy walkers form an integral part of the training programme and are so important that SAGA couldn’t manage without them.
Numerous families each year take one of our cute, lovable puppies into their homes to begin the essential process of socialisation.

Being a Puppy Rearer isn’t of course for every-one. They need people who meet the following criteria:
During their time with the Puppy Rearer families the puppies are exposed to car travel, busy shops and escalators, noisy streets and crowded pavements. The puppies are also exposed to obedience training … obedience being one of the core training needs of a guide dog.

The Puppy Rearer is expected to sign a contract with the Association whereby a greater understanding of responsibilities and the objectives of the Puppy Rearing Program are clearly defined.
 Be at home at least half the day
 Be able to attend training sessions during a working week, during working hours and be able to get themselves and the puppy to the session
 Preferably children in the family, but not essential
 Preferably other pets, but not essential
 Capable of giving the puppy all the love they would bestow on a normal pet but willing to give it up when it is time for the dog to return to the training centre for the next stage of its training.

The dogs return to the training centre at approximately 12 to 18 months depending on the breed.
They spend two weeks in the Approval Block to check for internal and external parasites and then they are allocated to a Guide Dog Mobility Instructor who does the advanced training and final polishing of the dog’s training.

It need not be a super dog as regards looks, but it must possess the correct temperament, intelligence and physical requirements for the work. Guide dogs are trained to respond to commands such as “right”, “left", “forward” and “back”.

They are trained to avoid obstacles and to watch for traffic when crossing roads. As the blind person’s life may depend on the quality of the dog’s work, this must be of the highest standard.

The dogs start with advanced obedience training and are taught to walk in a straight line, in the correct position with the proper tension on the lead. All commands tend to be one word and the training is made enjoyable to keep the dog’s willingness at a high level.

Early work is done at the Training Centre and in quiet areas using long straight walks. As the training progresses it slowly moves to busier and busier areas, giving the dog as much experience as possible.

Obstacle work is of prime importance with the dog being taught to go around all obstacles, leaving enough space for the blind person to negotiate the obstacle safely. Overhead obstacles always present a problem and the dog is taught to identify them up to a height of around 2½ metres.

During its training the dog’s concentration is improved, learning to ignore other dogs, people and children.
Traffic work is one of the most important aspects of the guide dog’s work as the safety of the blind person is at stake. The dog is taught to recognise a moving car as a danger to itself and its handler.

Over a number of training sessions and by experiencing everyday traffic conditions it learns to indicate to its handler when it is safe to cross a road or intelligently disobey a command should the given command put the guide dog owner in danger.

For more information on becoming a Puppy Rearer call Caroline, Monica or Lynda at 011-705-3512 or e-mail: dogs@guidedog.org.za or download an application for from the website: www.guidedog.org.za