Pets are no problem for puppy caring

As a seasoned puppy carer, Kylie is used to people quizzing her about the realities of raising a Seeing Eye Dogs puppy, but there’s one question she gets asked repeatedly.

“When I am out and about with one of the pups, I do have people coming up and asking me questions. And a lot of people are surprised that it makes no difference if you do have pets at home.”

It’s true: Seeing Eye Dogs puppies need to be exposed to all sorts of scenarios and situations, as it’s important they can handle any type of environment. When a Seeing Eye Dog graduates from their training and is matched with a handler – a person who is blind or has low vision and is matched with a Seeing Eye Dog – who has other pets in their house, it’s vital the dog doesn’t find the presence of these pets stressful or overly stimulating.

So, having pets is absolutely no barrier to becoming a volunteer puppy carer – which was great news for Kylie when she first signed up to the program in 2019. 

“I've grown up with dogs around me all my life, so I just feel weird if I don't have an animal around,” says Kylie. At the time, Kylie already had a beloved pet dog in the house named April, who became a great pal and companion to each Seeing Eye Dogs puppy in Kylie’s care.

However, when April sadly passed while Kylie was raising the fifth puppy, Truffles, Kylie noticed that Truffles was missing her companion.

“When I spoke to my puppy development trainer, she suggested I take on a second Seeing Eye Dogs pup,” says Kylie, who proceeded to welcome Seeing Eye Dogs puppy Mackenzie into the family. “That certainly helped Truffles.”

By the time Truffles entered her formal training, Kylie’s dad had adopted his own dog, ensuring another playmate for Mackenzie.

“Mackenzie gets on famously well with dad’s little puppy, Red. He absolutely adores her, and Mackenzie is so good with him,” says Kylie. “She puts up with a lot from him and is patient when he's jumping all over her. In the end she kind of says to him, ‘Come on, can I have a break?’.”

Kylie also has a pet cat, Ishka, who helps to familiarise each puppy with a feline presence.

“Ishka has responded really well to the puppies. She’ll just go up and start cleaning Mackenzie,” says Kylie with a laugh. “It's a lovely relationship that they've formed, which has been really nice to see, and it's been good for my cat too.”

Of course, even best friends can benefit from a little time apart, so Kylie has put a baby gate in the hallway at the back of her house.  

"When Ishka wants to spend some time away from the pups, she can go back there.”

Aside from helping to keep Kylie’s house flush with animals, the Seeing Eye Dogs volunteer puppy carer program offers many other benefits as well.

“Apart from the people that you meet and the community of trainers and volunteers, I've enjoyed the learning and teaching aspect [of puppy caring],” says Kylie, noting the program has sparked new interests in her too.

"Since I've been volunteering, I've embarked on doing a Certificate IV in dog training, care and psychology, which I'm just about finished. I'm also looking into doing the behavioural course for dogs.  

“It's just something that's ignited another arc for me.”