What makes a good fit for a Guide Dog home?
The perfect home is a loving, welcoming environment.
Generally speaking, a welcoming, loving environment makes a fantastic fit for a reclassified Guide Dog. Beyond that, there are some specific requirements for best-possible forever homes:
- The ideal home for a reclassified Guide Dog is a loving, warm and welcoming environment. Labradors are renowned for their loyalty and affection, and it is important that this is reciprocated by their humans so they can live their best lives.
- Our beautiful dogs are raised to assist and be around people and are not accustomed to being left alone for long periods of time. An ideal pet applicant would work from home, be retired or semi-retired, or spend much of their time at home, not leaving the dog generally for more than four hours at a time and allowing the dog access to home most of the time so they can keep them company.
- Our dogs are very clever! They have been house trained from a young age and have slept indoors since birth. An important requirement is they must not sleep outdoors.
- To keep our dogs safe, a fully fenced dog proof yard and shelter attached to the home is a must. A doggy door to the home is highly suggested.
- Labradors are joyful and energetic dogs who require daily exercise and enrichment to keep them happy and healthy. Applicants should be willing and able to commit to exercising the dog for an hour each day.
- All pet dogs are desexed and microchipped. All pet dogs are vet checked prior to placement with their new owner and are current with vaccinations, flea, tick, and worming treatments.
- There is a charge for the dogs and this price may vary dependant on a range of factors advised at time of advertisement. This fee is invested back into the important community focused programs offered at Guide Dogs NSW/ACT and assists with the ongoing care of our wonderful dogs.
How old are the reclassified Guide Dogs?
Every rehomed or reclassified dog is unique!
Most of the dogs that become available for adoption are around a year and a half old and have been given a career change because of circumstances that are unique to them.
We look for homes that will be understanding of each dog’s individual needs and prepared to put in the time and management that any young dog in a new home requires.
How can I find out more?
Follow us for more information and updates moving forward.
Owning a dog can be an incredibly rewarding experience but it comes with many responsibilities. Please consider all aspects of our dog ownership expectations before submitting your application to our pet adoption list.
To learn more about our dogs, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
How to apply for a reclassified Guide Dog
A limited number of reclassified dogs are offered to the general public.
We are not currently accepting new expressions of interest to adopt one of our Reclassified Pet Dogs.
We are currently not taking new applications for our Reclassified Pet Dogs, please check back soon.
At eight weeks of age, our Guide Dog pups are placed in the community with volunteer Puppy Raisers. These families or individuals ensure that our new puppy recruits get the best possible care, in a loving home environment while receiving necessary training.
Raising and training a puppy is an amazing experience that is incredibly rewarding for the whole family.
Apply now
Join the Pet Dog Waitlist.
Other ways to get involved
There are many ways to help out.
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As a Puppy Raiser, you're responsible for giving the best care and training possible for a young pup, usually for around 12 months.
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As a Puppy Pal, you'll be part of a community following a litter of adorable pups on their journey to becoming Guide Dogs.
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Your donation goes towards ensuring people with low vision and blindness can partner with Guide Dogs, if and when they choose to.
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Provide a loving home for one of our specially selected breeding dogs.
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Volunteer for Guide Dogs - there are lots of ways to help out.
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Join an unstoppable community of fundraisers!
