How old do you have to be to raise a guide dog puppy?

Answer 1

To puppy raise for the Seeing Eye (the most recognized guide dog school in the world), you must join 4-H, which requires you to be at least 9 years old. You must also have the support of your parents as someone must be at home during the day to care for the puppy and with you at school that means mom or dad.

The actual trainers, as opposed to puppy raisers, are adults.

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-You dont have to be any age acctually. As long as your a adult you can train a dog. Not 18. But first when a puppy is old enough to be taken away from its mother it goes to a puppy raiser.It stays with the puppy raiser until its at least a year old. German shepards golden retrevers and any kind of lab(black lab yellow lab choclate lab) can be a guide dog. Its hard being a puppy raiser sooner or later you will have to say goodbye to the dog. Then it goes to a trainer.A trainer must be strict. If its not the dog will be bad.Listen I know its cute but when it comes to training separate all your emotions from the dog.If a dog is bad pick it up from its neck 3 feet from ground and say NO. If its a dog just grab its neck and say no. Depends on how much the dog weighs. This is just extra info ok.But any way a guide dog CANT be a

puppy. It has to be a dog. One year old. Puppys are with puppy raiser. Dogs are with trainer. But when it learns to cross a street you have to say good bye. Its hard crossing a street with a dog. Then it goes to someone blind.It leaves the trainer 2years old.

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To be a puppy raiser, which is what I believe you are asking, age is not a factor. It is however, a commitment an entire family must make together. Everyone in the household must be involved in the decision, as you all will be involved in the life of said pup. There are many organizations who utilize puppy raisers in their Service Dog programs, and each organization will have it's own guidelines in choosing families. The best thing to do, if you are interested in volunteering, is to contact a group in your area and inquire about their guidelines and standards. ---- To raise for Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB), the largest school in the world, you must be nine or older, although many local clubs have a more stringent requirement (12 is typical). Because of the commitment involved, all minors, particularly those that can't drive, must have parent participation to get to meeting and outings. It's also good to have a parent to take the dog to work when the child can't take it to school on any given day for whatever reason. There are however many kids that "raise" puppies at a much younger age, but their parents are the real, official raisers. GDB wouldn't want an eight year old taking their dog to school with them, without a parent (but they probably wouldn't want a nine year old doing so either; PITs (puppies in training) are better for middle schools and high schools unless they have an adult raiser, who for example works at the elementary school.
That depends on if you're doing it for pay or not. Some states have rules concerning those that train guide dogs for pay. If you aren't going to be paid then I believe there is no restriction. I would have been capable as a teen of training such a dog- having someone believe that it was properly trained and placing it could be another matter altogether. But if you were training a dog for yourself, a family member or a friend I don't think there is any law to stop you. To be safe check on any guide dog laws in your state. And remember it is a HUGE responsibility.
? You can be any age to help, but a professional adult trainer should be doing the work.