When Jennifer Barber takes her new puppy for a walk she knows it won't be staying with her for very long.

Although Mrs Barber has full sight, what is on her mind when she walks her puppy is what it would be like to be blind.

Mrs Barber, 54, is a puppy walker for the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association.

She performs a vital role in the initial training of guide dogs, who, will eventually become the eyes for blind people.

Mrs Barber who lives near Wilsden has been puppy walking for nearly three years.

She heard about the scheme after talking to a blind person about how they had to wait up to 18 months for a guide dog.

She said: "One of the main reasons that people have to wait 12 to 18 months for a guide dog is that there is a shortage of puppy walkers in Bradford.

"I love dogs and had time available so I decided to do something to help," she said.

After making a phone call to the association she had her first puppy, Boston, within a few weeks.

"Boston is now working with a blind person in Cheshire. That thought is incredibly rewarding," she said.

She is now working with her third puppy Maple, a curly coated Retriever crossed with a Labrador.

Mrs Barber keeps the puppies for a maximum of 12 months. During that time she homes, cares for and educates the dogs.

She said the most important quality a puppy walker needs is lots of patience. After that they go on for more intensive training at specialist guide dog centres.

It takes 18 months before a guide dog is fully trained. The total cost of training is around £35,000.

Shirley Cohen is a volunteer development advisor for the Guide Dog for the Blind Association.

She said: "We are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to become puppy walkers because if we don't have puppy walkers, we don't have guide dogs."

There are currently only 3 puppy walkers in the Bradford area.

Mrs Cohen said that in order to be suitable for the scheme people have to be at home for most of the day, be over the age of 18, are able to commit a year of their time to train a puppy the guide dog way and have a secure fenced garden or yard.

All expenses incurred are paid by the association and if a puppy walker needs a break a temporary home for the puppy can be provided.

Once the guide dogs are fully trained they are matched with a blind person on the waiting list.

Linda Byrne, 48, of Swain House was registered blind five years ago. She had to wait 18 months before she got her guide dog Dale.

She said: "Dale is my life. He gives me my independence.

"Without him I am completely reliant on other people.

"The puppy walkers are the back bone of the operation and their work is invaluable to people like me."