THERE IS a very enthusiastic welcome for visitors who call on Julie and Keith Cattrell at their home in Blackpole, Worcester.

For a few minutes the house descends into chaos as two golden bundles of energy show exactly how pleased they are to see you.

Then, just as quickly, calm returns as the couple’s two young golden retrievers recover from the excitement of greeting the visitors. This is a routine that many dog owners will recognise and can happen several times a day.

But Keith and Julie don’t actually own these dogs – they train and breed them on behalf of the two charities Dogs for the Disabled and Guide Dogs.

The pair first started puppy walking for Dogs for the Disabled five years ago because they were “looking for something different to do”.

Julie, who works part-time in the neonatal units at Worcestershire Royal Hospital and the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch, said: “We do not have a family and decided to do something to fill the gap and we both love animals.”

After a few years their contact at Dogs for the Disabled – a charity providing dogs to help people with disabilities – moved to Guide Dogs and that is when Julie and Keith decided they were interested in breeding Guide Dogs as well as continuing with puppy walking.

They explained that their Dogs for the Disabled puppies stay with them for 12 to 14 months and during that time they train them, socialise them and introduce them to as many different everyday experiences - like going to the shops, being around noisy school children and traffic - as possible.

The aim is to prepare them to be partnered with an adult or child with disabilities and assist them with everyday life.

“The Dog for the Disabled puppies stay with us until they are about 15 months old but you do get attached to them. It can be difficult to let them go,” said Keith, a retired electronics engineer. “But if you have a dog to breed from for Guide Dogs, they stay with you for longer and once they have had four or five litters they are retired and you get the opportunity to adopt them.”

Both Julie and Keith absolutely love having their canine family, which has totally changed their lives.

The couple are so committed to making sure their four-legged friends get the best possible treatment that they have even adapted their home to make life easier for the dogs.

They’ve even adorned their patio doors with butterfly stickers to make sure the dogs don’t bump into the glass. There had been a few sore noses when a few of their doggy lodgers didn’t realise there was glass between them and the garden, said Julie.

Having the dogs has also opened up a whole new network of friends as they meet up with other puppy walkers for both charities for walks, meals and other social events. They all chip in and help each other too.

Keith had offered to help another Worcester puppy walker by taking her dog with him for his appointment at the dentist. Guide dogs and Dogs for the Disabled need to be able to cope with every situation when they are paired with the person they assist.

Other puppy walkers will also look after Keith and Julie’s dogs if they want to go away for a short break. “It is nice to have a break from them for a couple of days but then you want them back,” said Keith.

Information and help is also shared via facebook and if any of the puppy walkers or breeders anywhere in the country has a problem, there will be someone with the answer.

The charities are also always on hand to help. Julie said the support is second to none. “Guide Dogs is available on the phone 24/7 so you can contact them if anything happens. They also come out and visit us regularly and we get great support while we have they dogs,” said Julie.

One of the advantages of having pets this way is that the charities pay for all the dog food, vets bills, toys for the dogs and any equipment, such a heat lamp which is used when the new pups are first born.

The couple currently have three-year-old Pip which had her first litter of guide dog puppies last May. She was mated at the Guide Dogs National Breeding Centre in Leamington with a black Labrador and produced nine puppies – five golden males and four black females.

Julie said the house was a bit mad as the puppies were growing up but they absolutely loved having them – even though there is a lot of cleaning up needed when you have nine puppies in the house. They hope Pip will have a second litter this year and they can’t wait.

They also have Unity. She is a 10-month-old puppy and the sixth they have taken on to train for Dogs for the Disabled. The two retrievers are good friends and companions. “They are all different and characters but we love having them,” said Julie.

Julie and Keith also fundraise for both Guide Dogs and Dogs for the Disabled.

Anyone interested in becoming a puppy walker or breeder for the charities can get more information by visiting www.guidedogs.org.uk/ and www.dogsforthedisabled.org/