Puppy Raising FAQ

The length of time volunteer puppy raisers have the puppy depends heavily on the organization they are raising for. However, most puppy raising opportunities are approximately a year commitment, sometimes lasting up to two years. Many programs give raisers the puppy around 8 - 16 weeks old and the puppy returns to the assistance dog organization around 15 - 20 months old.

Not always, but most puppy raising programs are built for volunteers to raise the puppies from their youth through to early adulthood. Many nonprofit assistance dog organizations have volunteers raising the puppies to get others involved in their mission and provide assistance dogs to their clients at no cost.

Puppy raisers and assistance dog organizations were heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Some ways in which volunteers and organizations were affected include:

• Many organizations had their operations and ability to train, raise, and place dogs with clients disrupted.

• Some programs were not able to give out new puppies to raisers and/or were unable to take dogs back who were ready for the next step of training. This disrupted the lives of many puppy raisers and some struggled with the additional time and cost of having a puppy longer than expected.

• Organizations’ fundraising efforts were impacted and some had to adjust programs and the support they provide puppy raisers to make ends meet.

In some cases, yes. However, please respect the dog and their raiser by asking before petting. If you pet the dog without asking you might be distracting the dog or be putting them, or their raiser, at risk. The raiser might tell you no especially if the dog is working on a skill, in the middle of a task, or otherwise cannot be pet at that time. If you see the dog in public they are likely working, just ask before petting!

Many service dogs and service dogs in training wear working vests to indicate that they are a working dog and put them in the “working mindset”. Vests also give the general public a visual indication that this dog is a working dog and not a pet. The vests are like a work uniform and the dogs wear it so they can do their job best. Some vests also have pockets, handles, and other additions that are helpful for the dog, their handler, or their puppy raiser. In some cases you might see a service dog without a vest, if you do you shouldn’t treat the service dog any differently as they are still a working dog.

• This is a very common question of puppy raisers, and each raiser has a different answer to this.

• But the core of it is that as a puppy raiser, you've signed up for this experience, which does include giving up the puppy that you have trained and cared for. It's all in the name of a bigger purpose, to truly change the life of someone and give them a furry companion who can give them peace of mind, freedom, and independence.

• Raisers pour a lot of love into the puppy but give even more love when they give up the puppy so they can go on to do bigger things. Coming to the end of your time together is a heart-wrenching experience that is also so very humbling. It may be hard but it is infinitely worth it, especially if you have the opportunity to see the puppy as a fully grown working dog. The pride a raiser feels when they get reports, pictures of their dog working, or hear their dog is graduating is a feeling that makes puppy raisers just come back again and again.

• Often puppies that are released from assistance dog programs either transfer “careers” or are released from the program as a normal pet dog. Career transfers typically happen if a dog wants to work but is not able to meet expectations or requirements for the specific program they are in. Sometimes dogs transfer careers and head to a different organization or program if they are still fit for and interested in working. Dogs that have specific health, behavior, or other issues may be unable or disqualified from working and will leave the program as a pet dog. In some programs, puppy raisers even have a chance to adopt the dog if they are released from the program as a pet!

• All of these decisions are handled by the assistance dog organization and handling of career transfers or releasement from the program can vary widely.

The puppies and adult dogs aren’t always on duty and they get time to play and have fun too! Some puppy raising groups will organize play dates so the pups can hang out with their friends and burn off some energy. When the dogs are at home they are still expected to have exceptional manners, but they get to take their vest off and nap and play like a pet dog!

In most cases no, the dogs that work do it because they love it! Most programs will release or transfer a dog if they do not show a desire to work, and some programs will even retire an adult assistance dog whenever the dog decides they do not want to work anymore.

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 allows fully-trained service dogs access to public spaces under federal law.

Sadly, they are not. However, most states have laws that include service dogs in training and permit them in public spaces. You can see your state’s laws here.