Volunteer Service Dog Puppy Raiser

As a Volunteer Puppy Raiser You’ll:

Meet New People

Live with a Great Dog 6-18 months

Play a Vital Role in Producing a Service Dog

Our Trainers will Guide you on your journey as a Service Dog Puppy Raiser.

We seek volunteer raisers for 6, 12, or 18 months.

Need to be gone while you’re raising a pup?

We have a network of vacation relief homes to care for the pup when you’re gone.

Questions? Please call us at 917-449-5359.

We’re seeking raisers who live in Putnam, Westchester, or Dutchess counties, upper NYC or Western Ct (Brookfield to Ridgefield), and the Stamford area.

What is a Puppy Raiser’s Responsibility?

Love the pup. It’s their love of people that helps them succeed as a service dog.

Exercise and play with the pup.

Train the pup in snippets several times a day.

Take the pup on outings each week.

Keep the pup safe and healthy.

Is it Hard to Give up the Pup?

Yes, but your goal is to change the life of someone less fortunate, and prepare the pup for its life of service.
You provide some toys, bowls, a measuring cup, and travel expenses to group classes and events. We cover the MAJOR expenses – food, vet care, medications, grooming expense, leashes, harnesses, collars, crates, a dog bed, and some toys.

Interested? Contact us for
more information.

Name *:

Email & Phone *:

Street Address *:

Why would you like to raise a Putnam Service Dog puppy? *:

When would you be ready to begin raising a Putnam service Dog puppy? *:

Who lives in your household - names and ages of all people(including you)? *:

Who would be the primary puppy raiser? *:

Who will take responsibility for the puppy when the puppy raiser isn’t available? *:

Is anyone in your household allergic to dogs? *:

Is anyone in your household afraid of dogs? *:

How many hours will the puppy be left alone during the day? *:

What area of the house will the puppy be left when it’s alone? *:

Do you have a fenced yard? *: YesNo

Do you have other dogs in your home? If yes, we’d like to do an onsite visit of your home. *:

What breed/age/sex/spayed or neutered? :

How do your dogs react to other dogs? :

Have your dogs ever growled, snapped, resource guarded, cowered, or avoided people or other dogs? :

Any other pets besides your dogs? *:

If yes, what type? How old are they? :

How do they react to dogs? :

How many dogs have you owned, and what happened to them? *:

How much experience have you had with dogs regarding obedience training? What methods were you taught? *:

Are you willing and able to attend weekly hour long classes to train and socialize the puppy? They will be scheduled in a location, and at a time that maximizes the class's convenience. *:

Are you willing to attend fundraising events? *:

Are you willing to provide food, toys, bedding, leash, bowls and transport for the puppy at your expense? *:

Are you willing to adhere to our policies to keep our puppies healthy and safe at all times? This includes*:

1. Keeping the dog on a leash unless in a fully fenced in area.

2. Avoiding all dogs off leash and dog parks. Supervised play dates in a fenced area are great!

3. Providing adequate exercise. When the puppy is 6 months old, a mile+ walk every day will mean a happier, better behaved dog.

4. Not allowing the puppies on the furniture.

5. Teaching the puppies to sleep in the crate and stay in the crate when alone in the house.

6. Following our socialization and training guidelines to the best of your abilities

7. Your acknowledging and agreeing the dog belongs to Putnam Service Dogs, and is yours on loan to raise and prepare for its Formal Training as a Service Dog.

Your acknowledging and agreeing that Putnam Service Dogs retains the right to remove the dog from your household if the safety and well-being of the dog are at risk, or its training and socializing are not being adequately attended to.

If the puppy is released from our program before graduation, we strive to place it with someone who the dog will help. If you want the pup, and it is best for the pup to be adopted by you, we will pursue that path. If so, the pup would be free to you if you've raised it more than 6 months. Less than 6 months, you'd be charged our adoption fee of $550 on up, depending on the pup's issues.

I agree to all of the above policies.

Please give us 2 references that will attest to your ability to fulfill the obligations and responsibilities of being a Putnam Service Dog Volunteer Puppy Raiser. :

Anything else you’d like us to know? :

Thank you for beginning your journey with Putnam Service Dogs. You’ve joined a great cause!