Frequently Asked Questions

You can begin basic training as soon as your puppy comes home, typically around 8 weeks of age. Early socialization and foundational commands like 'sit' and potty training should start immediately — puppies are highly receptive to learning from their very first days in a new home.

Professional guide dog training typically takes about 18 to 24 months. The first year focuses on socialization and obedience with a volunteer puppy raiser, followed by 4-6 months of intensive formal training with a professional instructor before matching with a handler.

Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, and crosses between the two are the most common and successful breeds for guide dog work, thanks to their intelligence, eagerness to please, calm temperament, and appropriate size for public access work.

No. Most of our volunteer puppy raisers have no prior professional training background. We provide structured curricula, virtual coaching, and in-person support groups so first-time raisers can succeed.

Yes. Positive reinforcement is universally recommended by veterinary behaviorists. Rewarding good behavior with treats, praise, or play is highly effective and builds a strong, trusting bond between you and your puppy without the fallout of fear-based methods.

Puppy biting (mouthing) is normal behavior. Redirect the biting to an appropriate chew toy. If they bite you, say a firm 'ouch,' stop playing, and briefly withdraw attention — this teaches bite inhibition without punishment.

Identify the trigger first — boredom, attention-seeking, or alerting are the most common causes. Reward quiet behavior, avoid reinforcing barking by reacting to it, and ensure your puppy is getting enough physical and mental exercise.

Most trainers start with sit, followed by down, stay, and come. These four foundational commands build focus and impulse control that make every later skill easier to teach.

Puppies under 6 months typically need 3-4 small meals a day; from 6 months, most can move to twice-daily feeding. Always follow your veterinarian and food manufacturer guidance for your specific breed and weight.

Puppies generally need a core vaccine series between 6 and 16 weeks of age, followed by a booster at one year and periodic boosters after that. Your veterinarian will tailor the exact schedule to your region and the puppy’s health history.

A common guideline is about 5 minutes of structured exercise per month of age, twice a day, until skeletal growth plates close. Over-exercising young puppies can strain developing joints, so play and mental enrichment matter more than distance.

Visit our Contact page to reach our puppy-raising program coordinators. We review applications on a rolling basis and match approved raisers with puppies as litters become available.

Yes. We provide lifetime support to handlers and raisers, including retirement planning and ongoing behavioral guidance, well beyond the initial placement.