Puppy Raising Program

Puppy Raisers are volunteers in the St. Louis and metro St. Louis area who give their home and time to raise a puppy in preparation for its career as a service dog. Puppy raisers come from all walks of life, providing the food, supplies, training, socialization, and love the puppy will need from seven weeks to 18 months of age. The puppy raising home is a volunteer (single or family) that commits to taking care of the puppy for a minimum of eight months. It is not necessary for the puppy raiser to be experienced. We just like for the puppy raiser to be full of love, dedication, and commitment.

Support Dogs, Inc. uses Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers. The puppies in the program come from breeders approved by Support Dogs to ensure that all medical, personality, and behavioral protocols are met. These breeds are of excellent temperament, strong work drive, and an incredible desire to please their human partner.

While the puppy raiser has the puppy, we ask that the puppy raiser bring the puppy to class once a week at the Support Dogs, Inc. facility for the first six months, then twice a month after that. As a puppy raiser, it is also your responsibility to socilize the puppy as much as possible by visiting local businesses, churches, restaurants, etc. By doing this, you are preparing the puppy for many different sights, sounds, and situations so that when the puppy is placed as a trained dog, it is familiar with these environments and it can focus its attention on the person it will be assisting.

The following are some of the guidelines that are to be followed as a puppy raiser:

• The puppies are placed on a specific diet as determined by Support Dogs, Inc.
  
  
• Other animals in the puppy raising home are perfectly acceptable, as long as they are accepting of a new puppy coming into the home.
  
  
• The individual/family is responsible for food, veterinary costs and supplies for the puppy during the puppy's duration in your home. This is considered a donation and is tax deductible.
  
  
• All puppies must be raised in an indoor environment.

To fill out and submit an application to be a Puppy Raiser, click here

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