Breeding Dog Holder - Stud

If you have space in your home and heart, for a guide dog dad who will be bringing the next generation of guide dogs in the world, then this could be the role for you! A role where you can care and nurture for a future dad who will be shaping the next generation of guide dogs. 

Apply now

Find out if we have any Breeding Dog Holder roles near you with the search option below.

What you’ll be doing 

• Providing care and support for a guide dog dad within your home e.g., loving, grooming, and feeding them (with the option to rehome after this, once the guide dog dad retires at around 8 years-old.)
• Engaging with our first-class training techniques to implement with a guide dog dad.
• Transporting a guide dog dad to the National Centre, to support bringing the next generation of guide dogs in the world.
• Ensuring the dog is not left alone for more than 4 hours in a 24-hour period.

You’ll ideally have 

• Have a loving home with a secure garden.
• Access to a car, to support with any emergency veterinary care.
• Live within an hour’s drive of the National Breeding Centre in Leamington Spa.

Guide dog dads can happily live with other dogs or children, however we wouldn’t place them with a female dog that has not been spayed. To determine whether you are suitable, we will conduct a home visit as part of the application process. 

If you don’t feel you tick every box, but are sure this role is the one for you, we’d love to hear from you! We’re always open to suggestions and are very happy to chat with you to discuss what’s possible, so please just get in touch at volunteer@guidedogs.org.uk.

What you’ll get 

• The satisfaction of knowing you’re supporting people with sight loss to live actively, independently, and well.
• The rewarding experience of knowing you’re supporting in bringing the next generation of guide dogs in the world.
• The opportunity to have a loveable, canine companion, proven to reduce feelings of stress and improve fitness – you’ll be out walking rain or shine!
• The chance to be part of the inspirational Guide Dogs community, meeting like-minded people and interacting with a community of volunteers in your area.
• A dedicated volunteer manager and fellow peers who will help support you throughout your role.

Training and support

Our volunteers have access to our bespoke training techniques to implement with their dog in training - a great bonus for any dog owners!

Our volunteers also receive lots of support from their volunteer managers to help them implement these training modules. If you have questions about the training requirements, we can answer these at your interview along with any other support or accessibility needs you may have.

Will I have to pay?

Volunteering for Guide Dogs should never leave you out of pocket. We’ll make sure we pay any expenses related to your volunteering with us, including veterinary costs, food costs or any specialist breeding equipment. All you may need to buy is a bed and grooming equipment. 

Our breeding programme 

Most of our guide dog mums and dads come from dogs that have been bred by us and will have been on the puppy raising journey. They are usually labradors, golden retrievers, or German shepherds (discover more about our guide dog breeds).  

Our guide dog mums are typically mated 2-3 times with a guide dog dad during their 21-day season, to ensure the best chance of conception.
 
Each year, thanks to our guide dog dads and mums, we produce around 1,000 puppies.

What we need from you

We ask that volunteers for this role are aged 18 or over.

Breeding Dog Holder – Stud FAQs