Raise a Hero Dog

Of all the gifts you could give us, this is the greatest.

If you have ever seen a service dog working in public and wondered, "How do they get the dog to do that? My dog could never behave like that!" -- we are about to tell you the secret:

90% of the work was done by someone just like you.

Not by a professional dog trainer. Not because the dog is some rare miraculous specimen. But because the dog was lovingly raised and trained from puppyhood by a dedicated puppy raiser. Someone just like you.

Raising a Hero Dog puppy is truly a labor of love and involves a tremendous commitment -- of time, labor, resources, and your heart. This offering to one of our nation's returning soldiers would be priceless. It is difficult to express what a service dog means to his partner, and what your contribution to that person's life would be. If you have ever had a dog of your own, you know the special bond you achieve with a beloved pet. Imagine if that dog was your lifeline as well as your companion! Your gift of puppy raising could make that happen for one of our heroes. Will you open your home and your heart to a Hero Dog puppy?

If you think you might be interested and live in the greater Baltimore/Washington DC metropolitan area (required since weekly training is in Brookeville, MD), please read the frequently asked questions about puppy raising below, then fill out the volunteer application on our volunteer page. If you have further questions, please contact us at volunteer@hero-dogs.org or 1-888-570-8653. If you don't think that you can commit to being a full time puppy raiser, we also have need of qualified vacation and emergency puppy sitters (please fill out the same application, but check "puppy sitter" instead of "puppy raiser"). Or you could be part of a Hero Dog puppy's life by sponsoring a puppy!

Puppy Program FAQs

How long does the puppy stay with us?

The puppy will generally live with the puppy raiser until s/he is approximately 15 months old. Most pups will be placed at around two months of age, so this means that the pup would live with you for a little over a year on average. A few pups might be placed as older pups, and so live with you for a shorter time.

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What is the daily time commitment?

The quick answer is: expect to spend at least two hours a day working with your puppy.

First, there are the basics: Potty trips (15-20 times per day for a very young pup!). Feeding (two or three times per day). Grooming (20 minutes, two to three times per week).

Then there is the required exercise and training for your Hero Dog puppy:

a one-hour walk, every day. Rain or shine.
two 10-15 minute daily play periods
two 10-15 minute daily training sessions
taking the puppy on a socialization outing to different places at least three times per week
attending training class once per week in Brookeville, MD.

Although this is a lot, many of these activities can be combined. For example, you can accomplish your walk, a training session, a play period, and a socialization outing all at the same time. Feeding, a training session, and a play period could all be combined into one 20 minutes session. Grooming counts as a training session. The day you attend training class, you will accomplish all of your training, play, and socialization requirements in one hour!

Finally, there are the incidentals:. More vacuuming. Cleaning up poops in the yard and the rare "oops!" in the house. Trips to the vet or pet store. Wiping up muddy paw prints on the floor and nose prints on the window. Lots of kissing and snuggling the puppy.

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What is the financial commitment?

Hero Dogs and/or the puppy's sponsor will provide the puppy and puppy raiser with:

a crate
a basic puppy supplies kit
a basic grooming supplies kit
any necessary specialized training equipment
monthly flea/tick/heartworm medications
veterinary care.

Any durable items provided to the puppy raiser stay with the puppy and will be passed on to the client when the puppy is matched with a partner. The puppy raiser will be responsible for food, toys, miscellaneous supplies (e.g. clean-up supplies), replacement of lost or damaged items, and any incidental damage the puppy might cause -- for example, if he mysteriously chewed one of your shoes. Any amounts that you spend on the puppy may be tax deductible (consult your tax advisor), so do save your receipts.

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Are there special rules I have to follow?

Yes, to raise a Hero Dog puppy you have to agree to abide by our rules. There are many things that you may allow your own dog to do which are perfectly acceptable for a pet dog, but not for a Hero Dog. For example, you may allow your dog on the furniture. Hero Dog puppies must not be permitted on furniture because they will travel many places where this is not allowed: hotels, waiting rooms, other people's homes. You may allow your dog to pick up food dropped on the kitchen floor -- who wouldn't? But a Hero Dog puppy must learn to ignore food on the floor because he will work in restaurants and grocery stores and must not scavenge for food.

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I don't know how to train a dog! Who will help me with all of this?

We will. One of your commitments to the program is to attend a training class once per week while you have the puppy. All required classes are held in Brookeville, MD. Our training staff will be there teach you and advise you every step of the way. We will provide you with written materials to help you at home. We are available to help you by phone or email when you have questions or problems.

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Can I raise a puppy if I work full time?

Yes. If you have the daily time available to spend with the puppy and can make appropriate arrangements for the puppy's needs while you are at work, you can be a puppy raiser. While the puppy is less than about four months old, you or a trusted friend or neighbor will have to go home to let the puppy out at least twice during the day (about every three hours). For the remainder of the time you have the puppy, you will still need to have someone take him outside at least once during the day (about every four to six hours, depending on his age). The best case scenario is if you can convince your employer to allow you to bring the puppy with you to work at least some of the time!

If everyone in your household is gone for a long period of time every day, puppy raising is not the best project for you. Perhaps you can help us by sponsoring a puppy or volunteering to be a vacation or emergency care puppy sitter.

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We have other pets at home. Can we still raise a Hero Dog puppy?

Other pets are fine as long as they are current on all veterinary care, they are not aggressive toward the puppy, and you agree to abide by our rules for your Hero Dog puppy, even if your own pets have different rules.

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Can a child raise a Hero Dog puppy?

Puppy raising can be a family project, and children can certainly be involved in raising your Hero Dog puppy. There is a tremendous amount that children can learn from the experience. However, raising a puppy is fundamentally an adult responsibility. Therefore there must be an adult in the household who is wholly committed to the project. When it is cold and raining, the pup must still be walked. When there is homework, the pup must still be exercised and trained. When the child's enthusiasm for the project has waned, there may still be months to go.

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Do puppy raisers have to live in a specific area?

No, but you do have to be willing/able to travel to training class, which is currently held in Brookeville (northern Montgomery County), MD, once per week for the entire time you have the puppy. You will need to budget this in to your time and determine if you can meet this commitment.

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What do I do with the puppy if I am planning a trip or vacation?

If you can take the puppy with you wherever you are going, all the better! It would be a good socialization experience for him. If not, we will try to arrange to have an approved volunteer puppy sitter care for your puppy. If you would like to leave the puppy with a friend or relative, please be aware that the person would need to be approved as a volunteer puppy sitter first.

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How will I let this puppy go after a year?

It will be very difficult and there will be a lot of tears. The best thing is to keep focused on the end result: your puppy all grown-up as a working service dog, providing independence, support, confidence, and improved quality of life to one of our wounded warriors. You will be so proud when you see your Hero Dog working and at graduation -- and there will be more tears. We will be here to support you through this part of the process as well.

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What happens if the puppy is not successful in training?

If a dog is released for a serious medical issue, he is offered for adoption first to his puppy raiser.

If a dog lacks the confidence or demeanor to fulfill the public access role of a service dog, we may try to match him with an applicant whose needs can be met within the home or who largely needs a social support dog. This dog will not be a "service dog" in the full sense, but can certainly be of tremendous value to one of our clients.

We may also look for other placements that suit the dog's temperament and abilities, such as a detection dog or search and rescue dog.

If none of the above options is viable, then the dog would again be offered for adoption, first to his puppy raiser. If the puppy raiser does not wish to adopt the dog, then we will find the most suitable adoptive home in which to place the dog as a pet.

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What does a vacation/emergency puppy sitter do?

In the event that the puppy raiser is temporarily unable to care for the puppy due to illness, family emergency, or vacation plans which don't allow for dogs, a vacation puppy sitter home is needed.

It is important that the puppy stay in an approved home so that we know the puppy's whereabouts at all times, can arrange for emergency veterinary care if needed, and can be confident that the puppy's manners and training will be reinforced.

A vacation puppy sitter would typically watch a puppy for period of a few days to a few weeks. During that time, the puppy sitter is expected to keep up with the puppy's exercise, socialization, and training routines, bring the puppy to class if he has a class scheduled, and abide by the same rules for the puppy's safety and behavior. The puppy raiser will bring the necessary supplies (crate, food, etc.) to the puppy sitter's home.

To become an approved puppy sitter, please fill out the volunteer application on our volunteer page. Once you submit your volunteer application, you will be given further information and a link to the puppy raiser/puppy sitter application.

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How do I apply to become a puppy raiser or puppy sitter?

First, please be sure you have read through all of the information available on this page. Then, please call or email us with any remaining questions you may have.

Next fill out the volunteer application on our volunteer page. Once you submit your volunteer application, you will be given further information and a link to the puppy raiser/puppy sitter application.

When a puppy is ready for you, we will meet with you again for a new puppy orientation session to make puppy's homecoming as smooth as possible!

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