Puppy Raiser Resources

The six and 11 month puppy raising assessment.

When the pup is six months and 11 months old, you will be asked to complete a simple assessment to help us track how the pup is progressing towards being ready for assessment and training. The assessment form will be sent to you.

Here are the questions so you know what to look for and what to work on with your Puppy Development Advisor (PDA):

The pup calmly allows a collar and puppy coat to be placed on them by the Handler, without backing away to avoid the equipment or becoming overly stimulated.
The pup walks freely in the puppy coat and it does not appear to have a significant impact on the pup's walking speed or general demeanour.
On leash, the pup walks at a consistent speed besides, or in front of, the Handler.
The pup greets other people in a friendly, polite manner without becoming over-stimulated e.g. jumping, launching at people, mouthing, or vocalising.
The pup is comfortable around novel or unfamiliar objects and people. It can investigate, but does not become "spooked" or vocalise (such as whining, barking or growling) towards novel or unfamiliar objects and people.
The pup is comfortable walking up and down stairs, and does not baulk, freeze, or rush/pull excessively.
The pup is comfortable walking on a variety of surfaces like concrete, grass, gravel, service coverings, and puddles.
The pup is unconcerned by noises, including a variety of traffic, construction, and other sudden noises, and recovers quickly when startled.
The pup remains responsive to the Handler when in the yellow zone, and rarely goes into the red zone.
The pup remains connected and responsive to the Handler in the presence of other dogs when on leash.
The pup can mix socially with other dogs in a safe, playful manner.
The pup shares resources like toys with other dogs, and does not freeze, growl, snap, or bite when resources are taken away, either by a person or another dog.
The pup willingly gets into the car and is comfortable travelling in the front passenger footwell.
The pup takes kibble gently when offered by the Handler.
The pup has a consistent and appropriate toileting routine. This includes not toileting inside the home, toileting in an appropriate area, and not defecating on walks.
The pup displays good house manners, and does not counter-surf for food, jump on furniture, excessively seek out bins and other opportunities for scavenging, or chew on inappropriate items.
The pup can be left alone without people or other dogs for longer periods of one to two hours without becoming overly anxious, barking, or whining excessively.
The pup can settle and remain calm, independent of toys and treats.
The pup can be held in a calm restraint for the administration of medication and health checks.
The pup is generally responsive to the Handler and appears motivated to learn and engage.

Puppy raising skills checklist.

Use this checklist to help guide you and your pup’s progress:

At six months, my pup:

☐ Is working towards a consistent toileting routine and good habits such as toileting before walks and not defecating on walks

☐ Is comfortable with wearing a collar and the puppy coat

☐ Is comfortable with touching of ears and paws, and being held in a calm restraint

☐ Enjoys going for a walk!

☐ Is comfortable getting in and out of the car, and going for a ride

☐ Is comfortable walking up and down stairs

☐ Does not jump on furniture, and is easy to get off if they do

☐ Shares its resources happily; does not growl or stiffen when sharing toys or around food

☐ Is able to be alone for short periods of time of around one to two hours

☐ Plays happily with other dogs; does not stiffen, growl, snap, cower or avoid playing

As well as the above, at 11 months, my pup:

☐ Has a consistent toileting routine, and rarely defecates on walks

☐ Is comfortable walking over a variety of surfaces

☐ Is comfortable with heights, and stepping over small gaps

☐ Lets me put on their collar and puppy coat

☐ Walks happily on leash and stays beside or just in front of me rather than dropping behind

☐ Walks freely in their puppy coat

☐ Responds to its name and can engage when I walk past another dog

☐ Is comfortable exploring new things, such as different environments, new people or novel things in the environment

☐ Comes when called, and responds to cues such as sit, down and stay

☐ Has good house manners; Does not “steal” items, destroy or ingest things, scavenge in bins or counter-surf tables and benches for food

Socialisation checklist

Tick the box “Introduced” when the puppy has been introduced to a new experience.

Tick the box “Pup is confident” when the pup demonstrates they are confident with the experience.

Puppy raising program: Quick reference guide.

Eight weeks old.

Pup arrives home.

Focus on settling into new home and routines.
Keep things calm and consistent.
Be patient. The puppy will adapt to their new environment and routines.

Health.

Feeding guide: Three quarters of a cup in the morning, half a cup at noon, and three quarters of a cup in the afternoon.
The pup may have an upset tummy or diarrhoea in the first week. If the pup is otherwise bright and eating and drinking normally, simply monitor. Notify your PDA or the Guide Dog Centre if it continues more than 24 hours.
If the pup is lethargic and not eating or drinking, take to the vet.
Schedule the pup’s 10 week and 14 to 16 week vaccination with your nearest approved vet.
Daily health check: gentle touching of ears, eyes, gums, skin, paws. You are building trust with the puppy. Sessions should be short, calm and a good opportunity for bonding.
Sleep and rest: An eight-week-old puppy typically requires between 18-20 hours sleep daily.

Skills.

Introduce the following skills:
Toileting (“Quick quicks”)
Food bowl manners
Name response

Socialisation.

Keep things low-key in the first week.
Introduce members of the family, any other pets if appropriate, and regular visitors.
Allow pup to explore the home and yard, and begin to feel at home, whilst providing active supervision to keep pup safe.
Familiarise pup with collar and leash by putting them on for short periods around the home.
The puppy is not fully vaccinated yet, so avoid letting the pup access public spaces, especially high dog-traffic areas.

Nine to 16 weeks old.

Foundation classes and early learning.

Attend puppy foundation classes.
Continue to build trust and safety through consistent and predictable routines.

Health.

Feeding guide: three quarters of a cup in the morning, at noon, and in the afternoon.
Complete 10 and 14 to 16 week vaccinations.
Daily health check: ears, eyes, gums, skin, paws. Continue building trust with the puppy. Keep sessions short and positive.
Sleep and rest: nine to 16 week old puppies will still typically sleep for 18 to 20 hours a day.

Skills.

Incorporate the following skills into daily routines:
- Toileting
- Food bowl manners
- Crate acceptance
- On your bed
- Car travel. At this age, pup usually travels in travel crate secured by a tether or seat belt on the back seat, or tethered in the front passenger footwell
- Walking over and being comfortable with different surfaces
- Give. Trade the pup an appropriate toy when they pick up something they shouldn’t
Introduce the following skills:
- Delivery of a food reward and gentle food take
- Check in
- Sit
- Down
- Stay
- Release (“Free!”)
- Recall (“come!”)
- Settle
- Close
- Loose leash walking (“Let’s go!” and “This way!”)
- Stairs.
  Up to 12 weeks old: Avoid letting the pup use stairs as their growth plates are soft and vulnerable. Block stair access or carry the pup up and down stairs if necessary.
  For pups 12 to 16 weeks old: You may begin gentle exposure with a few steps only, focusing on slow, controlled movement. Pups are generally more confident going up first. Carry the pup up and down longer flights of stairs. Do not allow pup free access or to run up and down stairs.

Socialisation.

Positive, gentle socialisation experiences.
The puppy is still not fully vaccinated, so continue to exercise caution and avoid high dog-traffic areas such as dog parks, outdoor cafes, grass ovals etc.
You can take the pup out and about a little bit. If going to a café or another public space, consider a carrier or blanket for the pup to sit on and avoid letting other dogs approach.
Familiarise the pup with your local area by doing short loose-leash walking exercises in your yard or driveway to begin, progressing to walking along local footpaths. Try and choose low-distraction environments and if there is a distraction or situation that you’re not quite ready for, simply move away to a safe distance or calmly pick the pup up and leave the area.
Incorporate short periods where the pup is left alone, slowly increasing the duration. Always ensure the environment is safe and secure (refer to ‘routines: leaving the pup alone’).

Four to six months old.

Fully vaccinated.

Pup can begin to go more places.
Focus on:
- Expanding socialisation opportunities
- Practising foundation skills in new environments
Keep experiences short, positive, and fun.
Introduce equipment such as the puppy coat and halter.
Complete six month puppy assessment.

Health.

Feeding guide:
- Four months: one cup in the morning, three quarters of a cup at noon and in the afternoon.
- Five months: one cup in the morning, three quarters of a cup at noon, one cup in the afternoon.
- Six months: One and a half cups in the morning, nothing at noon, one and a half cups in the afternoon.
Daily health check: ears, eyes, gums, skin, paws.
Short, daily grooming sessions. Gently brush the pups’ coat using the zoom groom (rubber brush).
Sleep and rest: 16 to 20 week-old puppies will typically sleep for 15 to 18 hours a day.
Body condition: Use the body condition score chart to assess the pup’s body condition.

Skills.

Progress existing skills:
- Fade the use of a food lure. Use verbal cue and hand signal and reward with “Yes!” and a food reward after the pup has performed the behaviour.
- A food lure may still be used to get the behaviour in new environments or in the presence of distractions.
- Use intermittent food rewards to reinforce very good examples of the behaviour, or when the pup performs the behaviour in a new or challenging environment.
- Actively teach “give” and begin to put on a cue.
- Incorporate walking over different surfaces into your regular walks.
- Passing other dogs: Where possible, maintain enough distance from other dogs that you can get a check-in. Reward the pup for checking in with you and reward again when you have passed the other dog.
- Stairs: Pups can start to use full flights occasionally. The pup should still be under supervision with the emphasis on controlled walking, not bounding or running.
- Car travel: The pup can be placed in the front passenger footwell, on the back seat or in the rear compartment of an SUV or station wagon. The pup should always be tethered using either a car restraint or the pup’s leash. Secure the tether to a fixed point, allowing enough length so the pup can stand and turn around but not so much that the pup can roam and pose a distraction while driving.
Introduce the following skills:
- Stand from a seated and down position (“Up-stand”)
- “Get dressed” with new puppy coat
- Returning to the heel position (“Heel”)
- Food refusal: Whilst you will have been preventing the pup from scavenging food off the ground when on leash and around the home, introduce some more structured food refusal exercises and begin to actively teach the pup to look away and ignore food on the ground when walking past. Continue to try and prevent scavenging around the home.
- Polite greetings: Increase expectations around other dogs and people. Ask for a sit and introduce the cue “say hi!” before allowing the pup to greet other dogs and people.
- Chin rest
- Roll
- Passing other dogs: The focus at this stage is on the puppy being comfortable around other dogs. This may include allowing them to greet and say hi to other well-socialised dogs.

Socialisation.

Expand the pup’s world. Take the pup more places. Use your ‘socialisation bingo card’ for inspiration!
Allow the pup time to observe and explore new things as they learn about the world.
Familiarise the pup with wearing their puppy coat.
Take the pup on walks that involve a variety of surfaces, like footpath, grass, bitumen, gravel, grates and service coverings.
Introduce busier and noisier environments. Start from a distance and move closer as the pup feels more comfortable.
Expose the pup to different people:
- Men, women and children
- People with mobility aids
- People with different gaits and postures
- Hats
- Umbrellas
- Tradies, hard hats and hi-vis vests
Calm exposure around other dogs (older dogs are good for this)
Continue to build the duration that you can leave the pup alone.

Seven to 14 months old.

The adolescence phase.

Expect testing of boundaries and at times, a drop-off in attention and skills. Stay patient and consistent.
Manage the environment for success. Keep food away from the edges of tables and counters and prevent jumping up on furniture.
Use appropriate equipment (halti, harness) as pup gets stronger.
Capture the good. Reinforce good manners every day.
Complete 11-month puppy assessment.

Females may come into season.

Watch for the signs that your pup is coming into season, like a swollen vulva, bloody discharge, or excessive licking of the genital area. Contact your PDA or the Guide Dog Centre.
Your pup may need to board at the Guide Dog Centre during this time for about three weeks.
Males may exhibit increased territorial marking and interest in other dogs. Speak to your PDA if you need extra support.

Health.

Feeding guide:
- Seven months: one and a half cups in the morning and afternoon
Eight months: one and a half cups in the morning, one and a quarter cups in the afternoon
- 10 months: one cup in the morning and afternoon
- 12 months: one cup in the morning and afternoon
Daily health check: Refer to section on completing a health check. Move slowly and calmly through the health check procedure to help the pup settle and become accustomed to touch and handling.
Regular grooming. Use zoom groom to brush coat and run fingers through coat and around the body.
Medication: your pup may be prescribed ear, eye or oral medicine at some stage. Refer to the section on administering medication and speak to your PDA for support and further instruction.
Body condition: Use the body condition score chart to assess the pup’s body condition. Always follow PDA and vet advice on feeding amounts.

Skills.

Progress existing skills:
- Reinforce skills with pats, genuine praise, play and rewards.
- Limit the use of luring for known behaviours in known environments. Use occasional food rewards for excellent behaviours or when the pup performs the behaviour in a new or challenging environment.
- Generalise known skills to different environments and with different people.
- Settle. Provide opportunities for the pup to settle and ’switch off’ like laying in a dog bed next to you while you work, at a café with friends, in the office.
- Car travel. Increase expectations when the pup is getting in and out of a vehicle. Follow the car entering and exiting procedure to prevent the pup from rushing. Ensure the pup gets exposure to travelling in the front passenger footwell, as this is a common area for working Guide Dogs to travel.
- Passing other dogs: increase expectations of pup’s behaviour when passing other dogs. Try to create enough distance so you can get a “check-in” that you can reinforce with food reward, pats and praise.
- Chin rest. Incorporate into grooming and health checks. Reinforce longer duration and introduce gentle touching of mouth, near eyes, paws.
- Roll. Incorporate into grooming and health checks. Reinforce longer duration and introduce gentle touching of mouth, near eyes, paws.
Introduce the following skills:
- Seating. Increase expectations around seating while in public places. Have the pup lay parallel with your chair, under the seat or between your feet. This ensures that the pup is not in the way of others, their tail is kept safe and you can monitor the pup to prevent scavenging off the ground.
- Road crossing procedure.

Socialisation.

Provide opportunities for play and calm exposure with other dogs (monitor pups as they are not desexed yet!)
Continue to expand the pup’s world and provide exposure to different places, sights and sounds. Join in one of our organised monthly social catch-ups!
Continue to expose to a variety of surfaces. Go for a bushwalk, walk on the grass verge, follow a gravel path, walk over service coverings, walk over wet grass and through shallow puddles etc.
Build the pup’s stamina by increasing the length of walks to 30 to 60 minutes. Mix up some leisurely, recreational walks with focussed, purposeful walks where the pup can lead out and build fitness.
Expose the pup to the following environments:
- Busy shopping centre (with permission from the centre management as our pups do not have public access)
- Pedestrian malls or areas with high pedestrian activity
- Walk along busy roads with lots of traffic noises
- Walk along a shared path with bikes and scooters (stay attentive!)
- Train stations. Practice boarding and disembarking a train with your PDA
- Bus terminals. Watch the buses enter and leave. Practice boarding and disembarking with your PDA
- Rural environments. Allow the pup to observe horses, cows and sheep from a safe distance
- Go for a bushwalk (make sure dogs are allowed)
- Leaving alone. Pup should be able to be left alone for two to four hours. Ensure the environment is safe and that pup always has access to fresh water and shelter
- Take the pup to the vet for a positive and calm experience, so not when it is an emergency or because the pup is sick. Ask the vet, vet nurse or receptionist if you can weigh the pup, spend some time in the waiting area and if possible, in the consult area (though be mindful that vets are generally very busy people!)

14 Months and over.

Feeding guide: Once pups are over 15 months old, they transition to adult food.

Ready for the next step.

Puppy should now be:
- Comfortable going to most places
- Confident and responsive in many environments
Refer to the Puppy Raising skills checklist and the 11 month assessment for areas to work on
Practice skills in real-world scenarios, for example:
- Walking the pup with bags of shopping
- Having the pup sit or lay down and stay while browsing in a shop and talking to staff
- Queuing at a counter
- The pup lays on a bed through a meeting
- The pup is left at home alone for four hours
- The puppy returns when called in the presence of distractions
Complete the Canine Questionnaire with your PDA.
Pup is ready for Guide Dog assessment.

Tips for all stages:

Keep your pup’s welfare first. Aim for a happy, healthy, confident and resilient pup by paying close attention to body language and emotional state. Pups learn best when they are relaxed and able to think. If your pup is worried, over-excited or shut down, make things easier, create distance, or end the session and allow time to recover.

Set your pup up for success with good routines, supervision and management. Use puppy-proofing, barriers, appropriate chew items, rest breaks, toileting routines, and safe sleeping areas to prevent problems before they start. Be consistent with boundaries, but also fair. Many unwanted behaviours happen because the pup is tired, over-aroused, under-supervised, or simply not ready yet.

Use a positive, LIMA-based training approach. Reward the behaviours you want more of, keep sessions short and achievable, and break skills into small steps. Food, praise, play and life rewards all matter. Focus on teaching the pup what to do rather than punishing mistakes. Build skills gradually by changing only one thing at a time, such as duration, distance or distraction, and return to an easier step if your pup struggles.

Confidence grows through safe, supported exposure to the world. Socialisation is not about doing everything at once. It is about helping your pup experience new people, places, sounds, surfaces and situations in a way they can cope with. Let your pup look, sniff, explore and recover at their own pace. Reward calm investigation, check-ins and small, brave choices. Everyday play, movement activities, decompression walks and appropriate dog interactions can all help build resilience, body awareness and engagement.

Good manners and life skills are built through everyday repetition. Practise cues consistently, reinforce calm greetings, loose lead walking, settling, polite waiting, and cooperative care for grooming and health checks. Use management and redirection for problem behaviours such as mouthing, stealing, jumping, barking or pulling, and avoid chasing, yelling or physical corrections. If your pup is rehearsing a behaviour often, revisit the setup and make success easier.

Most importantly, ask for help early. Your Puppy Development Advisor is there to support you. Please reach out if your pup seems worried, overwhelmed, difficult to settle, increasingly reactive, uncomfortable with handling, or if you are unsure how to respond to a behaviour. Early guidance helps keep training safe, effective and enjoyable for both you and your pup.