Guide Dogs and their Puppy Development Program volunteers celebrated their graduation

A group of dedicated individuals gave one last pat to their furry friends at this year's Guide Dogs Tasmania Graduation.

This year's graduating class and their Puppy Development Program volunteers gathered inside the Peppers Silo Hotel, where they celebrated the past 18 months that they spent training together.

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Over this time, strong bonds were formed between owner and pup, but teary goodbyes were imminent as the dogs were destined since birth to serve and assist members of the community who need them.

Chief Executive of Guide Dogs Tasmania, Anna Presser, commended the trainers for their difficult yet rewarding efforts.

"Our volunteers are critical to the success of the program and it was wonderful to feel the atmosphere in the room as the proud puppy raisers got to see their dogs graduate today," she said.

"The feedback from the recipients of the dogs has indicated that it's been life changing, as it's allowed them to go out into the community with the confidence to live each day to the fullest."

Guide Dogs Tasmania provides Guide and Assistance Dogs for Tasmanians living with a disability. These life-changing dogs offer independence, mobility, safety and friendship to those who need it most.

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Proud new owner of Vinnie, David Bugg, said the impact the autism assistance dog had already made on his son Lucas's life was immeasurable.

"It's all gone above and beyond any expectations that we could have had," he said.

"Just Vinnie's presence alone has increased Lucas's concentration from five or 10 minutes to up to an hour."

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Mr Bugg said that within a week of having Vinnie in the house, heightened states of agitation that would previously take Lucas hours to calm down from de-escalated to a point of non-existence in less than 20 minutes.

"When he calmed Lucas down that quickly, it took us days to fully comprehend what had happened," he said.

"We were just blown away."

Program Manager of Guide Dogs Tasmania, Kim Ryan, urged the community to get behind the initiative.

"It costs over $50,000 to raise and train one of these Tasmanian heroes and we are dependent upon the generous Tasmanian community for support," she said.

"This covers all of the costs of raising and training the dogs as well as all of the equipment, food, vet care and everything else involved that results in wonderful outcomes like the one we witnessed here today."

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