Suncoast Puppy Raisers FAQ's


		Here are some questions that we are often asked by the people we meet.

	Home Photos Newsletters How Can I Help? F.A.Q.s Puzzle Fun Raisers Only Contacts and Links To learn more about the Guide Dog Foundation and the mission of the school, click here.	Questions from The General Public and Site Visitors How long does it take to raise and train a puppy? How much does it cost to raise and train a dog? Can I pet your dog? How many dogs make it to working status? What breeds does the school use and why? Where does Southeastern get their dogs from? Can I donate a puppy to the school? Where can I buy a puppy coat so I can take my dog with me when I go out? How long will a dog work before retiring? My friend is going blind. Is there a waiting list she should be on? Does the school train dogs for disabilities other than blindness? Can I raise a puppy if I have other pets in my house? Do they pay you to raise the dog? Is it hard to give up the puppy? I have a very smart dog, how can I train him to be a guide dog? How old do you have to be to raise a puppy? Questions from Puppy Raisers If I raise a puppy can I buy it instead of returning it to school? When a puppy goes back to school, what happens next? When a puppy goes back to school, can I visit? Will I get updates on my puppy's progress during school training? What happens when a dog does not work out? How does a person get on a waiting list for a released puppy? Does a puppy have the same rights as a working dog? What attributes are considered when matching a puppy to their final owner? Are the graduations every month of the year? Do I have to be a certified dog trainer? What should I do if I am denied access to a business? Submit a Question Answers - General How long does it take to raise and train a puppy? 4 to 6 months is average after the puppy is returned to school. Raising the puppy inyour home can take 18 to 24 months. TOP How much does it cost to raise and train a dog? $50,000. All funds for the operation of Guide Dog Foundation comes from public donations. Please consider us in your charitable contributions. TOP Can I pet your dog? Thank you for asking. It is always good practice and manners to ask a dog owner first. In general, with our puppies, if they are wearing a blue coat they are considered to be "working" and its best to not be a distraction to them. There are circumstances such as a special event or if the puppy is less than 10 months old where it is beneficial for the puppy to be petted and for the raiser to answer questions. TOP How many dogs make it to working status? Approximately 60% will become Guide Dogs, another 20% will become Therapy, Chemical Detection or Companion Dogs. TOP What breeds does the school use and why? We use primarily Labrador Retrievers, also a Labrador/Golden Retriever cross, (Goldador), Golden Retrievers, Smooth Coat Collies, Smooth Coat Collie/German Shepherd Dog cross, Australian Shepherds and Hungarian Vizslas. These dog are quite tractable and people oriented. TOP Where does GDF get their dogs from? We Breed all of our dogs here at the school. TOP Can I donate a puppy to the school? At times we do take donated dogs to improve our breeding line. TOP Where can I buy a puppy coat so I can take my dog with me when I go out? All the Puppy coats are issued by the school when a puppy is placed. They are not for use by the general public. TOP How long will a dog work before retiring? Approximately 8 years. TOP My friend is going blind. Is there a waiting list she should be on? We can usually get a prospective student into a class in three to four months. TOP Does the school train dogs for disabilities other than blindness? We do not do any other service training other than Guide dog work. We have provided a few folks with balance harnesses with a gifted K-9 placement but that is about it. TOP Can I raise a puppy if I have other pets in my house? Yes. TOP Do they pay you to raise the dog? No. Being a puppy raiser is voluntary. GDF will cover the costs of Heartworm medication and approved visits to the vet. All other expenses such as food, toys, damage to your furniture are the responsibility of the raiser. TOP Is it hard to give up the puppy? After almost 1 1/2 years of living with and getting to know your puppy, of course its hard. The rewards however of knowing that you are contributing to another persons life in a HUGE way and the pleasure of the companionship with your dog far outweighs the heartache at the time of release. Many puppy raisers go on to raise another dog as soon as they can to help bridge the loss and to continue giving to the blind community. TOP I have a very smart dog, how can I train him to be a guide dog? Most dogs are very smart but to be a working guide dog takes something extra special from both the dog and the trainer. Puppy raisers do not train the dogs to be working dogs but instead focus on a high standard of discipline and obedience. Often we find it is not the dog that needs training but the owner could stand for some education about the psyche of a K9. TOP How old do you have to be to raise a puppy? 18 years old if you a raising the Puppy individually. TOP Answers - Raisers (and prospective Raisers) If I raise a puppy can I buy it instead of returning it to school? No, but you can sponsor a puppy. Check the GDF website for levels of sponsorship. TOP When a puppy goes back to school, what happens next? The Puppy is housed in the Receiving Kennel, smaller than main kennel to ease the dog into a Training mode. All medical and initial evals a done there. TOP When a puppy goes back to school, can I visit? It is not recommended by school policy. TOP Will I get updates on my puppy's progress during school training? Yes. Approx. once a month the Area Coordinators are given a list of dogs and the phase of training they are in. TOP What happens when a dog does not work out? Some time it is necessary to change a dog that is in Training with a Student. The dog is then returned to the next training team that will be going into the next class. TOP How does a person get on a waiting list for a released puppy? Dogs are evaluated for service as Guides, Service, Therapy, Companion or Detector Dogs. If it is determined that they are inappropriate for these careers, the dogs are first offered to their Puppy Walkers, the family who raised the dog as a puppy. Retired dogs are first offered to our graduate's family, and then to the Puppy Walker. The Foundation once maintained a waiting list of those interested in adopting a “career change” dog. The demand for these wonderful dogs far exceeded the supply. So few dogs became available to the public that our waiting list exceeded 500 applications. As a result, the Foundation no longer accepts applications for adopted dogs. TOP Does a puppy have the same rights as a working dog? No, not by Florida Statute. TOP What attributes are considered when matching a puppy to their final owner? Personality, Physical limitations, other disabilities and many more. TOP Are the graduations every month of the year? We do not run a class between Thanksgiving and New Years. TOP Do I have to be a certified dog trainer? No, and we always need Puppy Raisers. TOP What should I do if I am denied access to a business? Leave the premises with a contact name and pass it along to your Area Coordinator. TOP
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