Leader Dogs for the Blind are always looking for host families, especially for new litters.
The breeding stock host process begins with hosts filling out an application, followed by a phone interview with Leader Dog. Lastly, the host comes to the Leader Dogs for the Blind Rochester-Hills headquarters to meet with staff and their potential dog before finally committing. For hosts with female stock dogs, this is a two to three year commitment. For male stock dogs, this is a four to eight year commitment.
Hosts that will house female breeding stock dogs must live within four hours of the Leader Dogs for the Blind headquarters; they also must be able to be home a majority of the time when puppy litters are present.
The hosts are also required to follow guidelines on how to raise the puppies. (For example, once the puppies are three days old, hosts must conduct stimulating activities for each puppy to decrease stress and makes them stronger/healthier. This must be done every day for each puppy until they are 18 days old. Other examples include weaning the puppies at 4-5 weeks of age, and training the puppies to sit and wait until food is placed.)
Male breeding stock dog hosts must live within eight hours of the Leader Dogs for the Blind headquarters. The hosts must be flexible, as the male breeding stock dogs are always on-call and may need to be taken to the Leader Dogs for the Blind headquarters at any time for breeding purposes (this is true for female breeding stock dogs as well).
Breeding stock hosts for both male and female dogs are given a target weight for their dogs for optimal breeding purposes.
Breeding host families receive free vet care for the breeding life of the dog, access to on-call veterinarians 24/7, boarding for the dog when they go on vacation and a mentoring program/guidance from Leader Dog every step of the way. Breeding host families also have the opportunity to adopt the dog once its breeding life comes to an end.
To apply for the program, visit LeaderDog.org.