Puppy Raising Volunteers Wanted!

On this day, a graduation ceremony was held at the Sendai Training Centre, and four puppies were admitted. All were puppies entrusted to volunteer families last April. 

Puppies at the Puppy Programme Graduation Ceremony. 
They will start their life at the kennel, training and learning skills to become guide dogs. 

 Whilst formal training for guide dogs begins around the age of one, the foundation for this lies in the experiences gained during their time with puppy raisers. In the puppy raisers' homes, the puppies learn the following important things: 

•  Through the experience of being praised by people, they learn that interacting with humans is enjoyable. 
•  Developing the habit of relieving themselves on cue makes future management easier for their future users 
•  Accepting basic rules for living with people and learning to remain calm 

 Guide dog training in Japan relies heavily on volunteer support across many areas. 
However, a recent challenge is the decline in the number of households wishing to become puppy raisers. This stems from the following changes in social structure: 

•  The increase in dual-income households has reduced the number of adults available at home during the day 
•  The rise in apartment complexes where dog ownership is difficult 
•  The time and mental capacity available to those raising children have diminished 

The Sendai Training Centre is no exception; securing volunteers has been a longstanding challenge. We continue to devise solutions, drawing on volunteer recruitment systems and training initiatives both domestically and internationally.