Raising Information
Family Involvement
Considering the investment of emotion, time, and energy in raising a service dog puppy, the entire family needs to be in favor of it. If your child wants to be the puppy-raiser, please remember that as the adult, YOU are ultimately responsible for the puppy’s well-being and training.
Time
We ask that you be able to spend at least three hours per week socializing your puppy. If your employer allows you to bring your puppy to work, that is even better. You will be responsible for teaching your puppy basic commands like heel, sit, down, stay, touch, up, tug, my lap, and make a friend as well as attending training classes hosted by NHSDI where you will learn to help teach the dog everyday skills and commands that will be used later in itsadvanced training.
Other Animals
We are in favor of puppy-raisers having other pets. This allows our puppies to get exposure to other animals and gives you more opportunities to socialize and train your puppy. However, your animals must accept a puppy in your home. If you have an older dog that is dog-aggressive, we will not be able to place a puppy with you. This prevents harm to the puppy, your other dog, or yourself. If your dog is not experienced around puppies or you aren’t sure how your other animals will react, we would be happy to set up an appointment with you for temperament testing.
Financial Responsibility
We are a non-profit organization. Right now, puppy raisers bear the majority of expenses for raising their puppies. This includes food, medical and vet costs, and any other incidental expenses. Many puppy raisers get discounts from their vets for their service dog puppies. (If you have a local service organization or other club that wants to sponsor a puppy, please get with us and we’ll give you all the details.) Raising a service dog puppy usually does not cost any more than raising a pet dog. The largest expense is having the dog’s hips x-rayed, but this can often be done at the same time the spay/neuter operation is performed, saving money. Discount spay/neuter certificates are also available from many government agencies and animal shelters. Also, since we are a non-profit organization, many of your expenses ARE tax deductible. Save your receipts and consult your tax specialist on how to proceed.
