SEATTLE — Meet Flyer, a young Labrador puppy with a big future. He is in training to become a guide dog for the blind, and is at the center of a new effort to grow the program in Seattle.
Brian and Carol Gregory are raising Flyer, and they’ve launched a new volunteer group called Elliott Bay Puppy Raisers. The couple, who met years ago while working at KIRO Newsradio, is now devoting their time to raising puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind.
Flyer is the seventh puppy the Gregorys have raised. The dogs arrive when they are about two months old and stay roughly a year, until they are 13 to 15 months old.
“We’re not trainers, we’re raisers,” Brian Gregory told “Seattle’s Morning News.” “We socialize the dogs, we teach them or help them learn actually good house manners.”
That socialization means taking the puppies nearly everywhere, including restaurants, baseball games, concerts, and even theaters.
“They do learn to become small and can sleep underneath your feet in places like that,” Brian Gregory said.
A chance meeting years ago set Carol Gregory on the path to puppy raising
Carol Gregory’s path to puppy raising began many years ago, when she met a friend who gradually lost her sight.
“I met four of her guide dogs, and then I also met a puppy raiser here in Seattle,” she said. “Between seeing the baby puppies and the working guide dogs, I saw this amazing animal, these amazing animals just kind of develop into great working guides.”
“I love Labradors. I’ve always wanted to work with them, so this seemed like a perfect fit,” she said.
The connection between dogs and people, she said, runs deep.
“Canines actually share about 84% DNA with human beings, so there’s a very deep connection with many dogs,” Carol Gregory said. “Connection is kind of a key part of what we do as puppy raisers.”
The Gregorys, who live near Pike Place Market, said Seattle’s redeveloped waterfront inspired the name and mission of their new club. They walk the dogs along the overlook, down to the waterfront, and into the new Ocean Pavilion and aquarium.
“There’s this revitalized energy that I don’t think you feel in too many places,” Carol Gregory said. “People smile, they want to hear about the training. We’re meeting people from all over the world. Yesterday it was Scotland, Italy, Germany.”
Carol Gregory said the area’s vibrancy makes it ideal for the work.
“I just felt like this is the best place to have a puppy raiser club for these puppies to learn how to work with individuals in public spaces,” she said.
Interested in raising a future guide dog? Here’s where to start:
For those interested in becoming a puppy raiser, the first step is to visit the Guide Dogs for the Blind website and fill out a volunteer form, which connects applicants with a local club.
“There is a lot of support in the club,” she said. “It’s like a puzzle, and the support of the club will help people figure out, can I be a raiser?”
To follow Elliott Bay Puppy Raisers, visit their Facebook page. More information can also be found on their website.
This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com.
Manda Factor is the host of “Seattle’s Morning News” on KIRO Newsradio. Follow Manda on X and email her here.
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