As you consider becoming a foster volunteer for a Guiding Eyes breeding dog, please review the key points in the following sections, and see if these requirements fit your time commitment and schedule flexibility. For additional information, see FAQ and Foster Responsibilities.

Considerations

1. Distance from the CDC in Patterson, NY
   • Fosters of Broods must live within 1 1/2 hours travel time
   • Fosters of Studs must live within 1 hour travel time
2. Commitment of time:
   • Are you able and willing to get up a bit earlier in the morning to train and exercise your dog before work?
   • Can you devote adequate time to attend training classes, quarterly assessments, and Eye Clinics?
   • For brood fosters, can someone get home every four hours during the last two weeks of pregnancy to let the dog out to eliminate?
   • Can you make the long-term commitment to foster a brood or stud throughout their breeding career (typically until the dog is eight years old)?
   • Can you devote the time to transport the dog to the Canine Development Center for breeding and health care?
3. Ability to keep the dog safe:
   • Are you willing to keep the dog on leash or in a secure fenced area whenever it is outdoors? Are you willing to stay outside with the dog to supervise its activities?
   • Are all family members willing to accept the responsibility of keeping the dog safe? This includes taking care that doors are securely shut, and making sure that items that could be harmful if chewed or eaten are out of dog’s reach?
   • Please be aware that breed dogs are sexually intact, and must be prevented from any extra-curricular sexual activity.
4. Family unity:
   • Is everyone in the family willing to foster a breeding dog, and utilize the Guiding Eyes training methods and philosophy? Although there will be a primary foster, all family members will need to understand the basic Guiding Eyes training methods and be consistent in the handling of the dog.
   • Is anyone allergic to dogs?
   • Are other dogs and cats in the family agreeable to having a new dog in the house?
5. Enjoyment of dogs:
   • You don’t need to know how to handle a dog, as we will teach you, but do you feel comfortable around larger dogs?
   • Do you mind dog hair, cleaning up after the dog, lots of sloppy kisses, and the other aspects of having a dog around?
6. Brood or Stud?
   • Determine whether you live within the required travel times to the Canine Development Center — one hour if you are interested in fostering a stud, or one and a half hours for a brood.
   • Individuals or families interested in fostering a Breeder should consider whether they prefer a brood (female) or stud (male). It is important to understand that the gender of the dog does not determine the personality of the dog. All personality traits can be found in either gender. After reviewing each foster family’s circumstances, Guiding Eyes staff will guide you in determining the gender of dog that would be best suited to you.
   • Characteristics of the Brood and Stud programs are different, as explained below.

   Stud Program

   • A stud is required at Guiding eyes on average 25 to 30 times per year, and sometimes on as short notice as the same day. This requires that a stud foster have a flexible schedule.
   • Time away from home is more frequent, but for shorter periods, for studs than for broods. For example, studs called to the Breeding Kennel will be mated twice over three days (but each visit takes less than one hour), whereas pregnant broods will spend weeks at the Breeding and Whelping Kennels.
   • Stud fosters need consistent, skilled dog-handling abilities to maintain a well-behaved dog, because of a stud’s size and hormonal drive.
   • There are fewer fosters available for dog sitting studs than broods. This means you may have to work harder to find a sitter for your stud.
   • About five new studs are kept for breeding each year, compared with 25 broods. Thus, you may wait longer for the opportunity to foster a stud.

   Brood Program

   • Broods typically spend three weeks twice a year in the Breeding Kennel during their heat cycle (based on 6 month intervals) whether being bred or not.
   • Broods stay at the Whelping Kennel for five to six weeks to deliver and care for their puppies.
   • In general, broods tend to be easier to handle.
   • Brood fosters require additional training, provided by Guiding Eyes, to care for the Brood during pregnancy and upon her return home after whelping.