Become a puppy walker

Help socialise tomorrow's guide dogs. Become a puppy walker in the Guide Dog Puppy Development Programme.

We place around 90 puppies each year with volunteer puppy walkers all around the country. Their important role is to introduce the young dogs to situations they will encounter as guide dogs and provide them with love, care and confidence during their first 12-18 months of life.

The puppy then returns to the Guide Dog Centre for four to six months of training where it is assessed on a variety of different personality and temperament traits, health aspects and guiding tasks.

If you're interested in becoming a volunteer puppy walker, you must:

• Have no more than one pre-schooler at home.
• Have no more than one other dog in the house.
• Have a high fully-fenced and dog secure section.
• Be able to drive and have a car that the puppy can travel in.
• Not work full-time and have enough spare time to socialise the puppy.

Guide dog puppies need:

• Company most of the day.
• To be walked about 5km per day.
• To sleep inside.

If you would like to become a puppy walker, please fill out the application form. A puppy development staff member will then interview you, assess your home for safety and discuss what is involved. Ongoing support is provided through the Puppy Development Department and includes:

• Monthly visits.
• Food and equipment.
• Free vet visits.
• Free registration through the Auckland Council.
• Regular opportunities to compare notes and meet with other puppy walkers.

Free board is available at the Guide Dog Centre if you go on holiday and can't take the puppy with you. Air New Zealand kindly lets your puppy accompany you at no cost when travelling within New Zealand.

As a puppy walker, your guide dog puppy should accompany you almost everywhere you go. That's how they learn!

Guide dogs, guide dogs in training, guide dog puppies and breeding stock are legally allowed into any public place and on any public vehicle, so being a puppy walker won't restrict your activities.

There are always puppies to love!

Fill out the puppy walking application form.

To find out more about Guide Dog Services please phone 09 269 0400 or email gds@rnzfb.org.nz