Guide Dog Breeding

Breeding Guide Dog puppies is a specialty all of its own.

Many Guide Dog organisations around the world have large Breeding Programs with specialist staff overseeing breeding colonies and striving to produce the best possible puppies to become successful Guide Dogs.

Some international schools even have veterinarians and geneticists on staff to assist in making the best possible breeding decisions.

Here in Tasmania, we are simply too small to invest such large amounts of money in breeding just the right puppies to maximise our success. Whilst some other states do have Breeding Programs to produce the puppies they require, it is not feasible for Guide Dogs Tasmania to breed our own puppies.

But we still want the best possible puppies, so how can we ensure access to purpose-bred, high quality puppies bred within a specialist Guide Dog Breeding Colony?

It’s actually very easy. We source all of our puppies from other Guide Dog schools, including Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind - Guide Dog Services in Auckland, New Zealand. By purchasing puppies from established guide dog breeding colonies, we know we are getting the best possible pups, which have been specifically bred for guide dog work. It is certainly more expensive than purchasing your average pet Labrador, but it is a sound investment in the future of our Guide Dog Program.

Our perfect little puppies arrive at the tender age of eight weeks, at which time they begin in earnest, their journey on to become Guide Dogs. The next step in their journey is the Puppy Raising phase.

Just click here to find out more about our puppies and their Puppy Raising adventures.

Click here to learn about Puppy Raising and how you can become involved.

Click here for Frequently Asked Questions about Guide Dogs.