Before a Dogs Inc puppy can become a guide dog, service dog or skilled companion, it needs something that cannot be learned entirely on a training campus: experience living in the everyday world.
That is where volunteer puppy raisers come in.
Dogs Inc is seeking people willing to open their homes to Labrador retriever puppies and help prepare them for their future careers. The Palmetto-based nonprofit relies on puppy raisers to provide basic training, socialization, house manners and real-world experiences before the dogs move on to advanced professional training.
The commitment does not necessarily mean raising a puppy for an entire year. Dogs Inc offers three-, six- and 12-month puppy-raising options, providing several ways for volunteers to participate. For people who are not ready for that commitment, puppy sitting is another option that provides temporary care for dogs in the program.
Bringing Training Into Everyday Life
Dogs Inc begins training its puppies when they are only days old. At about eight weeks, puppies enter the next phase of their development and begin spending time with volunteer raisers.
A puppy raiser’s job is not to turn a young Labrador into a fully trained guide or service dog. Advanced instruction comes later with Dogs Inc’s professional trainers.
Instead, raisers help establish the foundation.
Puppies learn basic cues and skills, appropriate behavior in the home and how to remain comfortable and confident in different environments. Raisers introduce them to the types of everyday situations they may encounter later in life while reinforcing the behaviors expected of a future working dog.
That can mean taking a puppy along during normal daily activities and exposing it appropriately to new people, places, sounds, surfaces and experiences. The goal is a happy, well-socialized and well-mannered young dog ready for the next stage of training.
Florida law provides certain access for puppies in training in public locations, but raisers need permission before bringing a puppy into their workplace. Housing rules also matter. Dogs Inc notes that puppies in training are not covered by the Fair Housing Act, so prospective raisers who live in apartments or communities with pet restrictions must make sure they have permission to keep the puppy in their home.
Dogs Inc Trains the Raisers, Too
Previous dog-training experience is not required to start the process.
Dogs Inc trains its volunteer puppy raisers before placing a puppy in their homes. The approval process includes a phone interview, hands-on learning either at a puppy club outing or virtually, and an in-home orientation. Dogs Inc says the process typically takes about two to three weeks, although timing varies based on factors such as the applicant’s schedule and previous experience handling dogs.
That training is important because consistency is a major part of preparing a future working dog. Raisers are not simply fostering a pet; they are participating in a structured training program designed to prepare the puppy for professional instruction later.
Puppy raisers can also have other pets. Dogs Inc generally recommends no more than two personal dogs in a raiser’s home, although exceptions may be considered individually. Non-canine pets are also permitted and can provide additional opportunities for puppies to learn and develop.
What Does It Cost to Raise a Puppy?
Dogs Inc provides volunteers with most of what they need.
The organization covers veterinary care and monthly heartworm, flea and tick preventatives. It also supplies equipment, including a crate, collar, leash and bowls.
Puppy raisers are asked to pay for the puppy’s food as their contribution toward the program. Dogs Inc estimates that expense can total up to $500, depending on how long the volunteer raises the puppy.
For volunteers, the larger investment is time.
Raising a future working dog means incorporating training and socialization into daily life, following Dogs Inc guidance and accepting that the puppy will eventually return to the organization for the next stage of its journey.
Saying Goodbye Is Part of the Mission
Returning a puppy after months together can be one of the most emotional parts of puppy raising, but it is also the reason the volunteer took on the responsibility.
After completing its time with a raiser, the dog can advance toward professional training, where instructors evaluate its abilities, confidence, temperament and preferences to determine the career for which it is best suited.
Not every puppy becomes a guide dog. Some become service dogs, therapy or skilled companion dogs, while Dogs Inc may determine that others are better suited to a different path. Dogs that do not enter one of its programs may be offered for adoption to their puppy raisers or placed through the organization’s public adoption program.
For those that continue into a working career, the everyday lessons provided by a volunteer become part of a much larger journey that can eventually lead to a partnership with someone who needs the dog’s assistance.
Manatee County Residents Can Get Involved
Although Dogs Inc allows people anywhere in the United States to become puppy raisers, Manatee County residents have the organization’s Palmetto campus in their own community.
Prospective raisers can begin by completing the puppy-raising application. Dogs Inc then guides qualified applicants through its interview, learning and home-orientation process.
People who travel frequently or cannot make a yearlong commitment may still be able to participate through a three- or six-month raising period, co-raising or puppy sitting.
The opportunity is also not necessarily limited to adults. Dogs Inc says people age 17 or younger may participate as puppy raisers, and students interested in receiving community-service credit should check with their school guidance counselor because requirements vary by school district.
For Dogs Inc, recruiting puppy raisers is about much more than finding temporary homes for puppies. Volunteers become part of the training process that ultimately allows the nonprofit to provide highly trained dogs and services to recipients at no cost. Dogs Inc says it takes about two years to raise and train each dog from its earliest development through advanced instruction.
Puppy Raising Information Session Offers Chance to Learn More
Manatee County residents interested in puppy raising will have an opportunity to learn more about the program in person.
Dogs Inc will host a Puppy Raising Information Session on Friday, Oct. 16, at 2 p.m. at its Palmetto campus, 4210 77th St. E., Palmetto.
The session allows prospective volunteers to learn more about what is involved in raising a future working dog and whether the commitment is a good fit for their household and lifestyle.
The event comes as Dogs Inc continues seeking volunteer puppy raisers to help provide the early training, socialization and everyday experiences puppies need before returning for advanced professional training.
For someone who has considered raising a puppy but still has questions about the time commitment, responsibilities or training process, the information session provides an opportunity to learn more before deciding whether to apply.
Those interested in becoming a puppy raiser or puppy sitter can learn more and apply through the Dogs Inc Puppy Volunteer Program. Dogs Inc is located at 4210 77th St. E. in Palmetto and can be reached at 941-729-5665.
