While working with buyer clients in January of 2007, my family got an adorable Golden Retriever puppy and named him Chewbacca. Chewy was only 8 weeks at the time and my clients were quite anxious to meet our new little guy because one of the benefits of becoming a first time home owner would be to eventually get a dog of their own. As we looked at homes, they continued to follow Chewy’s progress and growth and he often accompanied us on our house hunting adventures. They were really looking forward to having a puppy of their own by the time we found the perfect home!

Now, if you have never had a dog, thinking about getting a puppy can be quite daunting. They decided to volunteer as an early home “socializer” for the Guiding Eyes for the Blind organization so they could see what having a puppy would really be like before they made a total commitment to a dog of their own. They went to visit the Guiding Eyes for the Blind facilities, filled out an application form and went through their screening process. Guiding Eyes for the Blind have a class for prospective “socializer’s” which they attended before they were given their first two puppies to work with.

A puppy socializer will keep two puppies anywhere from 3 - 4 days. The puppies go to your home with food, a pen for feeding, a crate for sleeping, a few toys, and an instruction manual. During the puppies’ stay, they are introduced to different sounds, like a doorbell, dishwasher, telephone, alarm beeps, and TV, which are all normal household sounds for us, but to a puppy, it’s all new. They are also introduced to different textures, like walking on a deck, grass, driveway, carpet, linoleum, gravel and tile. They learn to maneuver stairs, walk over obstacles and follow their socializer. It is fun to have the adorable puppies but it’s also a lot of work. Feeding takes place at designated times, and there are routines that the puppies must follow before and after eating, and it really takes time and commitment to meet the guidelines for the care of these valuable potential guide dogs.

A big part of socializing a puppy is to have visitors, and I am a regular on their call list. I can’t resist hugging and kissing the adorable puppies! Although I have two dogs of my own, I never tire of playing with the sweet bundles of joy.

My clients have enjoyed having 4 sets of puppies and found it very satisfying knowing they have helped Guiding Eyes for the Blind. They have also learned a lot about dogs, their personalities, and training which they feel will help them when they select a breed and puppy of their own. So, if you have the urge to volunteer, and love puppies, the Guiding Eyes for the Blind is an excellent organization and great place to start.

Posted by:Sonja Lovas