Breeder Dog Custodians
Breeder dog custodians are essential volunteers who provide day-to-day care of GDB's valuable breeder dogs. You are invited to consider this exciting volunteer opportunity to literally care for the sires and dams of future working guide dogs while including a special dog in your family.
The Breeding Stock Custodian volunteer opportunity is local to the San Francisco Bay Area.
Custodian Criteria:
- The desire to support GDB's mission as a volunteer.
- Enthusiasm to learn about our mission of service to people who are visually impaired and how the breeding program supports that mission.
- Willingness to comply with GDB's protocols and practices.
- Flexibility to accommodate the breeding dog's schedule and breeding program's needs.
- Ability to provide a safe, secure, caregiving home for a large, reproductively active dog.
- Live within 50 miles of GDB's California campus in San Rafael.
In addition, when a volunteer breeding stock custodian welcomes a dog into their home, you will be responsible for providing the following:
- Dog food as recommended by GDB
- Equipment (such as leashes, grooming tools, etc.)
- Daily exercise and grooming
- Flea-free environment
- Formal obedience training
- Attendance at required veterinary care appointments
- Transportation to and from our campus in San Rafael when the dog's breeding services are required (brood bitches may require 8-10 round trips per year since they are required to be boarded in a kennel when they are in season; stud dogs may require as many as 15)
You would also need to agree to adhere to the following requirements to ensure the dogs' safety and well-being. Breeding stock dogs are required to:
- Sleep indoors as part of the family.
- Be kept on leash when not in a securely fenced area (no exceptions).
To ensure that GDB’s breeding dogs are placed in healthy, safe and secure homes, the screening process includes:
- A written application
- A telephone interview
- A group orientation held at GDB's California campus in San Rafael
- A home visit, which includes yard and fence evaluations
- Completion of an on-campus dog management class which covers dog handling and training tips, dog behavior, and canine health care and grooming.
Breeder Custodian Applications On Hold Through the End of 2021
We are thrilled many people are interested in supporting our mission as a Breeder Custodian. Because of the limited number of new breeding dogs selected each year for the GDB breeding colony, and the popularity of this volunteer role we are unable to accept any new applications until 2022. As this volunteer role is specific to the Bay Area we encourage you to explore other ways you may be able to support the Guide Dogs for the Blind mission on our Volunteer Page. If you have been a Breeder Custodian in the past, please contact the breeding department directly for more information.