Baráthegyi Guide Dog School is waiting for applicants to join their puppy raising program. The participants will help the little candidates with love and care to become real guide dogs.

Andrea Sápi is often asked in the street whether she is a dog trainer when she is with the golden Labrador. The situation is a bit different, as Andrea and her family agreed half a year ago to provides a home to Houston within the framework of the puppy raising program of Baráthegyi Guide Dog School.

‘We agreed to raise the puppy, because we know that a guide dog can open the world for the future owners. The more people raise puppies, the better it will be for the owners’, said Andrea Sápi. That is why they started to raise the second doggy.

Andrea said that they do not need to be dog trainers. The professionals working for the foundation have the qualification for that, but they can get all the support to be able to raise a friendly and calm doggy by the end of the 1-1.5-year program. Houston is expected to start his real guide dog training in autumn.

According to Andrea, the preparatory course the ongoing advice are useful, as well as the pleasant monthly meetings with a lot of dogs playing and learning together, while puppy raisers exchange experience and get help from the trainers of the foundation.

The family have made new friends and gained useful knowledge since they started to raise puppies:

‘I realized that I teach the puppy the same things as a puppy raiser than I would teach my own dog: to be a nice dog with whom it is a pleasure to live.’, said Andrea.

We asked her to give us some examples of what is important in every dog’s life and can be taught later to the family dog:

– obeying to its owner: e.g. to stop at the curb, sit down, not to pull on the leash

– travelling appropriately on public transport and in the car

– being friendly with strangers and unknown dogs

– letting its ears and legs be checked; it is important not only in case of a visually impaired owner but also when being examined by a vet

Baráthegyi Guide Dog School is waiting for applicants to join their puppy raising program and help the little candidates with love and care to become real guide dogs.