Raising a Service Dog Puppy: It Takes a Village

A Black and White Poodle Being Walked with a Red Harness

Jane and Frank (pseudonyms) have been raising and training service dog pup Pepito (also not his real name) for about six weeks. Or maybe it’s more accurate to say Pepito has been training them. Either way, everybody involved, two legs and four legs alike, has had a great time and learned a lot.

From Bashful to Bold

Pepito, a beautiful black and white poodle, was about three and a half months old when he came to Jane and Frank. He was a shy pup, just getting oriented to the world. Now, a month and a half later, in Jane’s words, “He’s now more willing to push boundaries and explore. He’s found his voice.” But as the trainer who works with them says, “He’s getting bigger fast, but you have to step back and remember that he’s still a puppy.” And baby dogs, like baby humans, control the daily schedule. “Get him up and feed him, let him out, let him in, walk and play him, feed him again – it sometimes seems all-consuming,” Jane says.

Finding His Place in the World

Socializing Pepito is a critical goal of puppy raisers like Jane and Frank. He needs to get comfortable with all the sights, smells and sounds he’ll encounter when he takes on his role as a mobility service dog. Many dogs (and a decent percentage of humans) are irked by the world’s disagreeable noises. Skateboards, lawn mowers and leaf blowers are at the top of the list. But a well-socialized service dog takes these irritants in stride and stays focused on the job at hand. Helping the animal get use to ambient noise is an important part of a puppy raiser’s job.

Manners Matter

Good manners are important components of a service dog’s behavioral repertoire. Remaining calm in a crowd – of people and other animals – is a prerequisite for success. Jane and Frank have introduced Pepito to the wonders of Home Depot, PetSmart and other crowded indoor and outdoor venues. Beyond general experiences, Pepito is also getting an education in specific actions – commands for the basics – sit, wait, come and don’t jump.

Leash manners, in particular, can take time to learn. Frank says, “We want him to be calm and not dash everywhere – to be curious but not wild, sniff some but also walk.” The neighbors pitch in by walking Pepito occasionally, which gives him a chance to interact with new people and their pets and gives Jane and Frank a break.

Like human babies, puppies sense the world partly through taste. As Jane says, “We want him to learn what he can taste and what he can’t, what’s OK to put in his mouth and what isn’t.”

In addition to Pepito, Jane and Frank live with a cat. “Pepito is cool with the cat,” Jane says, a testament to their socialization of Pepito (and the tolerance of the feline). It probably helps that the cat has a floor of their house to which he can retire when the stress of puppy energy gets to be too much.

Team Pepito

What have Frank and Jane liked best about their puppy raising experience? “There’s so much,” Jane says. “Watching this furry creature grow up, seeing him think more and more, observe his little triumphs of learning.” Frank tells how Pepito has overcome his fear of large palm fronds and floating mylar balloons, indicators of growing confidence and ability to regulate his own emotion. “Poodles are thinkers,” Jane says. “It’s great to see him consider things before he acts – though sometimes he decides to take it all in and do nothing.”

And will they miss him when he moves on to his full-time job of handler support? “People have told us it will be difficult to let him go. But we will be proud that he’s going on to do something great for somebody who really needs it.” Thanks to the trainers and experts at MobilityDog.org, Jane and Frank have access to the resources they need to produce a service dog that could change someone’s life.