Hero Dogs trains primarily, but not exclusively, Labrador retrievers and golden retrievers to become service dogs for Veterans. These two breeds are in general the right size, interested in putting things in their mouths, gregarious, and easy to motivate and train. Of course, many individual dogs of other breeds can be these things too, so we never really know what the next remarkable puppy (see – Spinone Italiano, Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, German Shepherd) we find may be. However, we do not use dogs with coats which require extensive or professional grooming (for example, poodles or poodle mixes), dogs with extremely heavy or thick coats (like a Samoyed or Akita), or brachycephalic (i.e., short face) dogs (such as a boxer).
Hero Dogs accepts donated 8-12 week old puppies from breeders whose primary breeding goals are the temperament, physical health, working ability, and longevity of their dogs. We do not accept donations of older dogs. If you are a breeder of quality Labrador or golden retrievers and you would like to learn about donating a dog to our program, please click here to learn more.
