PALMETTO, Fla. — Right now, Dogs Inc., formerly known as 'Southeastern Guide Dogs', is working to train puppies and their trainers.
The nonprofit trains extraordinary guide dogs that service a range of people in all 50 states, but the thorough training process gets its start right here in Tampa Bay.
Today, dozens of puppy raisers gathered at the Dog Inc. headquarters in Palmetto for a conference and additional training.
Their job as puppy raisers is to assist with training, but also acclimate dogs to life in a home and various public spaces.
The nonprofit says right now, they need more puppy raisers to meet the demand for guide, service and skilled companion dogs.
Assistant Director of Puppy Raisers at Dogs Inc. Christie Bane explained, "We will teach you everything you need to know. We don't want people to think that you have to be an expert dog trainer to do this. You don't have to be familiar with dogs at all."
She said puppy raisers must simply have time and patience.
"They have to have time to spend with the dog because this is time-consuming. There's no way to make it not time-consuming," Bane said. "Once you get the puppy, you have six weeks of puppy kindergarten once a week. From the time of puppy kindergarten graduation on, you have two meetings a month that are that are close to your home area. We also have the option of virtual meetings."
Bane encourages anyone with interest to reach out for more information.
Dogs Inc. says they're not just looking for full-time puppy raisers, but also puppy sitters who work on a short-term emergency basis.
While the majority of puppy raisers commit for a year, they have more flexible options as well.
If any of these options could be a good fit for you, find more information here.