Leader Dogs for the Blind Seeks Puppy Raisers
Rochester Hills, Michigan, March 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- You've likely noticed them around town, those remarkably well-behaved puppies wearing blue 'Future Leader Dog' jackets. While basketball teams across the country compete for championship glory this March, Leader Dogs for the Blind is recruiting its own essential team members: volunteer puppy raisers.
Nature has been generous this season with exceptionally large litters of Labrador retrievers and Labrador crosses. This influx of puppies has created an urgent need for dedicated volunteers to raise these Future Leader Dogs.
As a volunteer puppy raiser, you'll spend approximately one year working with a Future Leader Dog, developing the foundation they'll need before advancing to formal guide dog training. With guidance from your assigned puppy counselor and local puppy raising group, you'll learn to teach:
Fundamental cues like sit, stay, and leash walking
Critical skills such as maintaining focus despite distractions
Confident navigation through various environments
Appropriate greetings and home manner
This opportunity is available to families, couples, and individuals who are able to pick up the puppy at Leader Dog's campus in Rochester Hills, Michigan. No previous dog training experience is necessary—the Leader Dog program provides all the support and resources you'll need.
The benefits extend well beyond the satisfaction of training a well-behaved puppy. You'll help provide independence to someone who is blind, connect with a community of dedicated volunteers, enjoy daily companionship, and make a meaningful contribution to society.
While brackets are being filled out across the country this March, consider joining a team that transforms puppies into life-changing partners for people with low vision.
Ready to make a difference? Visit LeaderDog.Org/Volunteer or call 888-777-5332 today to learn how you can help transform a puppy into a life-changing guide dog.
All Leader Dogs for the Blind services are provided free to clients thanks to our volunteers and donations from individuals, foundations, corporations and service organizations like Lions Clubs International. Leader Dog receives no government funding or insurance payments.
Go to LeaderDog.org to learn more about Leader Dogs for the Blind.
About Leader Dogs for the Blind
Leader Dogs for the Blind is a nonprofit organization providing people who are blind or visually impaired with lifelong skills for safe and independent daily travel using a guide dog or a white cane. All services are provided free of charge. The organization also trains guide dogs for people who are DeafBlind, offers a summer camp for teens, and holds seminars for orientation and mobility (O&M) professionals and university students. Leader Dogs for the Blind partners with agencies and O&M professionals throughout the U.S. to provide their clients with supplemental O&M training. For more information, call (888) 777-5332 or visit LeaderDog.org.
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