Hero Dogs are trained in three phases over the course of 2.5 – 3 years. You can read more about each phase by following the links below.
Phase I – Puppy Program – Socialization and training by a volunteer puppy raiser under the guidance of Hero Dogs staff until ~16-18 months of age.
- Raise a puppy – save a life!
- Hero Dogs breeding program
- Donate a puppy – information for breeders
Phase II – Advanced Training – Training in specialized service dog skills and tasks by professional trainers at our training facility for approximately eight months.
Phase III – Team Training – Intensive one-on-one training with veteran or first-responder and Hero Dog for a minimum of 120 hours over the course of 6-12 months.
Current Service Dogs in Training
Honorably Discharged
Becoming a service dog is not easy; only about one in every three dogs entering a service dog training program will ultimately end up in a successful partnership as a working service dog. Although Hero Dogs works hard to find suitable careers for all of our dogs, for some dogs the best job is as a loving and beloved family pet! Read more on our honorably discharged page.
Available for Adoption
We do not currently have any available dogs for adoption. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive announcements when a released dog is available for adoption.
