Guide Dog Mum Shiraz gave birth to nine beautiful black labrador puppies on the 1^st July.

Shiraz came into our lives as a nine-week-old puppy. We had not had a dog for many years due to work commitments but when seeing the plea for more Guide Dog puppy raisers on the TV, we decided it would be a great opportunity to bring a dog back into our lives. With ongoing support and guidance from Guidedogs, we felt it would be a rewarding way to give something back to a good cause whilst having the enjoyment of a dog in our daily life.

Shiraz had always been marked as a possible breeding dog as she had been introduced to Guidedogs by another Charity, Dogs for Good. They are constantly bringing in new blood lines to ensure diversity in the breeding program. So, after one year with us, where she undertook the basic training and socialization visiting many shops in Oakham, travelling on the local buses and meeting the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh at Oakham Castle, she went back to Guidedogs for assessment. Having successfully passed all the many tests, we applied to have her to live back with us for her life as a brood bitch.

She has become such a lovely gentle, kind dog with real personality and we feel blessed to have her in our lives.

Her first litter of puppies are now one week old, and they are all thriving, entirely due to the instinctive nurturing of Shiraz. The animal instinct to care for and nurture is so strong and seems to come so naturally.  It brings so much joy to our friends and family to see the puppies, who seem to be growing before your eyes. Knowing they will go on to change the lives of blind people makes it even more special. We will have them with us for seven weeks. They then go back to the Guidedog Breeding Centre for veterinary checks before going on to their new puppy raiser homes a week or two later.

Guidedogs are always looking for puppy raisers, breeding dog holders and holiday cover, so if you love dogs and wish to help to change the life of a blind person then head to the website where you will find all the information. www.guidedogs.org.uk