Puppy walking is an essential element in the development of a future guide dog.  A volunteer puppy walker takes a puppy of around six weeks old into his home and nurtures it for the first year of its life.  The puppy walker teaches the puppy basic commands and socialises it to as many different environments as possible, under the guidance of a Puppy Walking Supervisor.  Puppy walkers give their puppy a firm foundation for its later training and life with a blind or partially-sighted person.

Puppy walkers have to meet certain criteria, and to be considered
for this role you need to:

o       be at home most of the day (puppies cannot be left for more than three hours)

o       be over eighteen years old

o       have suitable accommodation, ideally with secured, fenced garden or yard and have easy access to an appropriate relief area