Hi Amandajvv
Puppywalking for gdba is hard work at times, but it's also really rewarding. Yes, you do get attached to the pups and I don't mind admitting that I've shed a few tears when it's been time for each one of mine to leave, but I've also met the owner of my first pup and it was lovely to talk to him and hear how much of a difference she has made to his life.
When you apply to puppywalk someone from gdba comes round to see you to tell you what is involved and to check things like you have a secure garden. You can't leave the pups for more than 3 hours on their own so it's not a thing to do if everyone in the house is working full time.
The pups are placed at about 6 to 7 weeks old and you get a visit from your puppy walking supervisor every 4 to 5 weeks. GDBA pay for food costs and vet bills and supply collars and leads. The pups are with you for about a year, although with the bitches it tends to depend more on when they come into season so mine have all been 14 and 15 months before they have left for training. While you have the pups the big thing is socialisation, most shops will give you permission to take the pups in and you also do things like take them on buses and trains, into lifts, into cafes for a drink or a meal, get them used to cars... my current pup is going with me to Stansted airport on Friday. We also teach them basic obedience (sit/down/stay/wait/bed/recall etc) and when they are a bit older they can learn things like left and right, find stairs, find seat. They don't get introduced to the harness until they go back to the centre for training, but to identify them as guide dog pups we get a lead flash and a blue puppywalking jacket which you might have seen.
When they do leave you get updates from the trainers and upon them qualifying you get a photo of your pup in harness. The new owner is given the puppywalkers details, but they don't always get in touch so you have to be prepared for the fact that when the pup leaves you you might not see them again.
Anyway I could go on all day so I shall stop now! Hope all this gives you a bit more info and you might find more information on the guide dog website (there is a link to it from this site).
Clare