Susquehanna Service Dogs
Responsibilites of a Puppy Raiser
Click here to fill out a preliminary application to become a puppy raiser.
The following is a list of things that Susquehanna Service Dogs expects you to do with your puppy. Early experiences help insure success in later training!
- Lots of love and snuggling
- Lots of daily exercise – long walks, runs and panting puppies
- Diligence with housebreaking
- Regular attendance to SSD puppy classes (2-3 times per month)
- Special games at least twice a week
- Car rides all the time
- Walks in populated places
- Walks in parks and forests – especially important for young puppies to increase their learning capacity
- Go inside to new and interesting places at least once a week
- Take the puppy to meetings so it learns to wait quietly
- Discourage barking, except during playtime
- Absolutely NO feeding from the table – use the dog dish ONLY
- Purchase food. This is the only cost the puppy raiser family is responsible for.
Puppy raiser homes are ideally located within South Central Pennsylvania, less than an hour's drive from Harrisburg. This allows ease of access to veterinary care, functions and outings, and convenience for attendance at puppy classes provided by SSD.
Veterinary Services are provided by Palmyra Animal Clinic (717) 838-5451.
See the Frequently Asked Questions page for answers to questions such as:
- Why would Susquehanna Service Dogs DISCHARGE a dog from the program?
- If your foster dog is discharged, what will happen to him?
- How can SSD help you with dog care when you go on vacation or have an emergency?
- Get more information, and apply for a discharged dog.
Click here to jump to Foster Puppy Home Application.
Questions regarding this process may be submitted via E-mail to SSD at ssd @ keystonehumanservices.org.
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