Jasper's puppy page

Pupdate 1 - The adventure begins

Hello, it’s Susie and Peter here, we’re Jasper’s Puppy Raisers.

A little about us

We became interested in puppy raising by chance. When picking up a prescription from our local chemist, we saw a gorgeous guide dog puppy in training in the shop and instantly fell in love. After chatting with the puppy raiser, we went home and applied to become puppy raisers ourselves. Within weeks, our Puppy Development Advisor arrived with the biggest bundle of fluff! We couldn’t believe this pup was only eight weeks old; it was love at first sight, and eight years later, we’ve never looked back.

We really enjoy raising puppies and we’re also speakers for Guide Dogs. It’s great to meet new people, and these volunteer roles give us some amazing opportunities to do that and talk about the brilliant work Guide Dogs does.

Jasper is the eighth puppy we’ve welcomed into our busy household. We’re a family of eight, including a rehomed golden retriever, Parsnip. Parsnip’s amazing with puppies, and he’s affectionally known as ‘Uncle Parsnip’ in our house. All the pups learn so much from him; it’s incredible how much he teaches them.

Jasper

From the moment Jasper arrived, he was incredibly confident. As with all pups, they take a few days to settle in, and he and Parsnip have become inseparable.

Jasper’s the happiest pup we’ve raised. From the moment he wakes up, his tail starts wagging. He’s just such a joyful soul. He’s very clever and really enthusiastic about everything he does, always giving it his all, including sleeping on top of Parsnip any chance he gets!

Jasper will play with any squeaky toy he can find. He loves carrying them and squeezing them so they make a noise. He also loves his pink dragon soft toy.

Learning the basics

We’ve been attending puppy classes, and we’re teaching Jasper the basic cues, such as ‘sit’ and ‘down’, which he picked up quickly. We’re working on the cue ‘wait’ - Jasper’s such an energetic pup that he always wants to be on the go. So, waiting until he hears the release cue ‘okay’ can be hard for him, but with lots of practice, we’re sure he’ll get the hang of it. He’s mastered sitting and waiting for the whistle before eating, which is fantastic progress. So, we’re confident he’ll learn to wait in other situations too.

Jasper loves to travel in the car and has recently grown big enough to jump in – which is always a proud moment for us. He’s a very inquisitive boy and is happy to sit and watch the world go by out of the window. Wherever we go, he loves to meet people but can get a little overexcited and want to jump up. However, he’s learning that by sitting and waiting, he’ll get fuss faster.

The next few months

We’ll continue going to puppy classes, teaching Jasper new cues, and taking him to many new environments. We’ll keep working on the ‘wait’ cue too. Jasper’s learnt so much while he’s been with us, and we’re so proud of his progress.

Thank you for sponsoring Jasper. We’re excited to update you on what he’s been learning in your next Pupdate in February.

A man in the countryside wearing a sweatshirt with sponsored pup Jasper design.

Exclusive range!

Check out our brand-new Jasper merchandise! We’ve partnered with Teemill to produce sustainable and fun designs for our wonderful sponsors. T-shirts, hoodies, mugs and notebooks – there’s something for everyone.

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Your downloadable content

Download your Facebook cover photo and mobile wallpaper to show off your sponsored pup!

Jasper Pupdate 1 cover photo (jpg 718.33kb)

Follow Jasper on Facebook

See real-time updates, photos and videos of Jasper by joining his exclusive Facebook group!

Please note, by requesting to join your puppy’s Facebook group you consent to Guide Dogs storing your Facebook ID on our database. This information will be used only for the purpose of administering your access to this group and, if you choose to sponsor another puppy in future, any similar groups. If you choose to cancel your sponsorship, or if your sponsorship comes to an end, we will remove your Facebook ID details from our records.