I ran into a lady with a beautiful chocolate lab puppy in the carpark in my local shopping centre.
We got chatting and she explained that he was a trainee guide dog and she was going to love him and train him for a year before he goes for proper guide dog training.
I expressed interest and she said they are looking for more puppy walkers in our area !
This is probably a no go, as it would be up to DH and whether he would mind me committing to spend a year with the puppy.
The plus points are loving a puppy.
Being able/having to take them everywhere including food shopping, bus, trains, cinema...anywhere a blind person might go.
We have space in our home for their puppy cage. Paved space in our garden for a 'spending space' for 'busy'
Plus all vet, food and expenses are met by the charity. Even boarding costs if you want to go on holiday without the dog.
Plus the local puppy training area for the fortnightly puppy training classes is really close.
We already have a people carrier with a spare seat for the puppy harness or remove the seat to fit in the puppy cage for travelling.
The biggest negative is saying goodbye to the puppy when they move on :( But I have done rescue work with kittens and have experience of handing over kittens to new owners.
The children might be very upset when the puppy moves on. But we neither have the money or time commitment to get a forever family dog and thought this might give them a chance to enjoy having a dog in the house.
I would have to commit to staying home this year, I need to return to work at some point but that point is a little vague at the moment. As childcare costs vastly out way my earning potential atm, in a couple of years this will alter.
Guess I am looking for any advice from puppy walkers out there...what do I need to know ?