The Baráthegy Guide Dog School aim is to provide more and more visually impaired people guide dogs given with free of charge. For this reason, we are constantly increasing our team of volunteer puppy raisers, which is now waiting for puppy raisers to apply! The bet is no less than this: whoever proves to be suitable for the task will take part in training at the beginning of 2025, then in March they can take home a 9-week-old Labrador puppy with whom they can make a lifelong friendship.
Guide dogs support our fellow visually impaired people more effectively than anything else in overcoming everyday obstacles and challenges. These miracle dogs are much more than just a “tool” for their owners: they are real loving family members, loyal companions, with whom their owners can also experience the beauty of dog ownership.
Guide dogs support our fellow visually impaired people more effectively than anything else in overcoming everyday obstacles and challenges. These miracle dogs are much more than just a “tool” for their owners: they are real loving family members, loyal companions, with whom their owners can also experience the beauty of dog ownership.
Puppy raisers with their first puppy
“The Baráthegyi dogs live a happy and full life from the moment they are born, we raise and train them in a family environment. In our own breeding program, 3-5 litters, that is roughly 20-30 labrador puppies are born every year, who grow up in the families of our litter breeders until they are 9 weeks old, after which they move to our puppy trainers” – said Piroska Komondi, the professional chief executive of the Baráthegy Guide Dog School.
Komondi Piroska professional leader
Who is puppy raising for?
- The foundation’s puppy-raising program was designed for those who it spoken to the following:
- would like to belong to a cheerful, cohesive community,
- likes to fill his/her free time with active programs,
- interested in dog training, would like to learn more about it,
- social responsibility is important to him/her.
What support does the foundation provide?
- During the training period, they will hold the hand of the puppy raiser:
- they help him/her with puppy training,
- regular puppy meetings are held,
- supported with publications and professional assistance,
- they even accompany them through the release and handover process.
The only wrong question is the one that is not asked – this is what the employees of our foundation believe as well. Our puppy raising coordinator will help you in case of any problems. All members of the team work to train and hand over loyal helpers to our fellow visually impaired people
– said Piroska Komondi.
The relationship between the puppy raiser and the puppy is not broken even after it moves to a training home at the age of one to one and a half years, and then to its visually impaired owner. His puppy raiser can meet him later, and if he feels like it, he can keep in touch with him even after he has passed his exams and has become an adult working guide dog.
Let the active puppy raisers of the foundation talk about the program now:
“We had a reasonable amount of free time, which we wanted to spend with something important and useful. We wanted to learn a lot ourselves about dog keeping, the ideal training bases, and we also wanted to show good examples to our environment.” Anna and Döme (raising 4 puppies). The name of their current puppy is Hargita.
Hargita with her raisers
“At my previous workplace, I came into contact with several visually impaired people, they told me about the Baráthegy Guide Dog School and their brilliant dogs. I decided to help a visually impaired fellow human being by raising a puppy for him. That way, letting go won’t be so difficult either, because I took on the task with this goal in the first place. The one I am currently raising is a wonderful little creature, he fills my days with a lot of success and adventure.” (Zsófi with her first dog).
Zsófi and Frappé
“As a volunteer and puppy raiser, I support an extremely important mission together with my family. It is a very beautiful, but also a very difficult task. Real teamwork, with all its advantages. What we thought was a disadvantage before we joined (e.g. handing over the dog at the end of the education period), turned out to be an advantage, because we see how important it is to help a visually impaired person. In this way, our self-respect has improved a lot. Furthermore, it is an advantage for us, and for the families the dogs are handed out, because we can see the result, meaning and necessity of our work so far. So few people get to experience that these days.” Ferenc and his family (raising 2 puppies, 1 raised female dog). Their current foster is called Fanta.
Fanta and his trainer, Ferenc
“I wanted to study, I wanted to play with dogs – and both worked out. It is interesting, for example, that if I had not become a puppy raiser in Barathegyi, I would never have known how good it is to have a dog in an apartment! Now I can’t imagine it any other way.” Dóra (raising 1 dog). He raised Bukfenc for our foundation.
Dora with the slightly bigger Bukfenc in her hands
“When we started raising puppies, we didn’t think that there would be so many increments from this kind of volunteering, apart from playing with dogs. But wonderful friendships and acquaintances have been built into our lives in the last 10 years, in addition to the fact that there was always a cute puppy at the house.” – Andrea (raising 9 dogs). This year’s foster is named Csúzli.
Andrea with her 9th foster, Csúzli
“What makes me think of raising a puppy? Pride, lifestyle program, endless source of joy.” Zsófi (raising 1 dog). Trainer of Darázs.
Darázs with Vera in the snow
The next time you can take the puppies home is in March 2025
The foundation is constantly expanding its team of volunteer puppy raisers! The bet is no less than this: whoever proves to be suitable for the task will be able to take home a 9-week-old Labrador puppy in March 2025, with whom he can make a lifelong friendship.
Applicants from all over the country are welcome for their puppy raising program. Experience with dogs is not a requirement! Those interested will take part in a training that will take place on January 11 in Budapest. The active puppies spend a year with our volunteer puppy raisers, after which they are trained as guides, but the relationship is not broken.
Applicants are requested to read the detailed information and then send the application form.
