We're changing lives - 1 dog at a time.... and you could raise that dog!

This volunteer opportunity where your efforts will directly contribute to our achieving our mission- providing free service dogs to people with physical disabilities other than blindness. The average wait time for one of our dogs is over 2 years now. We can't raise loving, successful service dogs for someone in need without the loving homes of our puppy raisers getting the pup started on their path. Depending on the pup, they live with their raiser 12-18 months. They finish their training at our Head Trainer's house. I

We adopt carefully mixed breed puppies from Rescue Organizations when we have an approved raiser(s). Our recipients tend to be in wheelchairs, and drop things, so we raise and train larger dogs that retrieve. Hearing alert dogs may be smaller.

Raisers are expected to care for, love, exercise, train, socialize the pup. The first year you'll attend weekly training classes and then classes are every other week. We use group classes to teach our pups to work under high distraction. There's nothing more distracting than other pups.

Our Trainers will guide you on how to raise a service dog pup. We use only positive, humane training techniques. It's essential that a service dog trust and love humans.

There's more information on our website, putnamservicedogs.org, and the application is on the Home Page under Applications. Here's the link to the website page. 917-449-5359 or info@putnamservicedogs.org.

https://www.putnamservicedogs.org/puppy-raiser-application/