What you’ll be doing
- Providing a loving home for a guide dog mum who will be at least 12 months old, for around six years whilst they are in the breeding programme (with the option to re-home after this, once the guide dog mum retires at around 7 years-old.)
- Giving a guide dog mum the care and support that our canine companions need, like feeding and grooming.
- Creating a safe environment for the guide dog mum when they are giving birth within your home and helping with the birth of future guide dogs, which usually happens once a year. (You don’t need any previous experience of breeding or having dogs – we have expert staff who will help you!)
- Providing care and support for the newborn puppies for at least 6 weeks while they are still in the nest, including socialising them to the new sounds and first-time experiences in your home.
Can I care for a guide dog mum?
If you want to care for a guide dog mum, here's what we ideally look for:
- A loving home with a secure garden.
- Access to a car, to support with any appointments needed for the guide dog mum.
- Live within one of our catchment areas and be willing to travel to the National Centre in Leamington Spa when required.
Guide dog mums can happily live with other dogs or children, however we wouldn’t place them with a male dog that has not been neutered. To determine whether you are suitable, we will conduct a home visit as part of the application process.
If you don’t feel you tick every box, but are sure this role is the one for you, we’d love to hear from you! We’re always open to suggestions and are very happy to chat with you to discuss what’s possible, so please just get in touch at volunteer@guidedogs.org.uk
What you’ll get
- The opportunity to have a lovable canine companion!
- The satisfaction of knowing you’re supporting people with sight loss to live actively, independently, and well.
- The rewarding experience of bringing the next generation of guide dogs in the world and caring for their mum.
- Our volunteers have access to our bespoke training techniques to implement with their guide dog mum a great bonus for any dog owners!
- The opportunity to be part of the Guide Dogs community, meeting like-minded people in your area.
- A dedicated volunteer manager and fellow peers who will help support you throughout your role.
Training and support
Our volunteers also receive lots of support from their volunteer managers to help them implement the training modules, as well as managing the birth of new-born puppies. If you have questions about the training requirements, we can answer these at your interview along with any other support or accessibility needs you may have.
Will I have to pay?
Volunteering for Guide Dogs should never leave you out of pocket. We’ll make sure we pay any expenses related to the littler or your volunteering with us, including veterinary costs, food costs or any specialist breeding equipment. All you may need to buy is a bed and grooming equipment.
Our breeding programme
Most of our guide dog mums and dads come from dogs that have been bred by us and will have been on the puppy raising journey. They are usually labradors, golden retrievers, or German shepherds (discover more about our guide dog breeds).
Our guide dog mums are typically mated 2-3 times with a guide dog dad during their 21-day season, to ensure the best chance of conception.
While a guide dog mum will have a maximum of 4 litters during her time in the breeding programme, each year, we produce around 1,000 puppies.
What we need from you
We ask that volunteers for this role are aged 18 or over.
