International Assistance Dog Week celebrates service dogs
and all they do to assist their partners to be more independent. But these
highly trained service dogs don’t make the journey on their own. They are
raised by a wonderful group of volunteers – our puppy raisers.
Puppy raisers raise a puppy from the time it’s 8 weeks old
until it’s 18 months old. During that time, they teach the dog good house
manners, basic obedience, and a variety of other skills that the dog will need
when it becomes a service dog. In addition, puppy raisers take the dog out in
public to many different places, such as grocery stores, malls, amusement
parks, movie theaters, restaurants, and more.
After raising and training a dog for 18 months, puppy
raisers often form very close bonds with their puppy. One of the questions our
puppy raisers often hear is “How do you give the puppy up? I would never be
able to do that.”
We talked with some of our experienced puppy raisers, and
here’s what they have to say about raising puppies to become service dogs and
ultimately giving them up to their new partners.
Susan has been a volunteer with us for many years, and she
has raised and trained eight dogs for us. Currently, she has SSD Midge, a breeding
dog and a demonstration, interview and therapy dog for us, and SSD Julia, one
of the Civil War pups that recently passed her evaluation to become a breeding
dog for us.
When asked how she has been able to raise and then give up
so many dogs, Susan replied, “Raising a dog to become a service dog is a lot
like raising children – our goal is for them to grow and learn under our
tutelage so they can become a functioning member of society and then they
leave. I always know that these dogs are not mine but belong to SSD.”
In addition to raising puppies, Susan often volunteers to
help at Team Training, as well as in interviews and therapies, and seeing the
new service dog teams working together makes it easier to let go of the puppy
she raised for 18 months. “I see that a dog can make a huge difference in a
person’s life,” said Susan. “Plus, I do get to see the dogs at times, or get
Christmas cards from the families, so I know where the dog is and that they are
doing a good job, and being cared for and loved.”
That’s not to say that there aren’t lots of tears when a dog
goes to Team Training with its new partner. Sometimes, a puppy really wiggles
into a puppy raisers heart, making it harder for puppy raisers to let the dog
go. Crystal, another one of our long-time puppy raisers who has raised several
puppies and whelped three litters for us, knows how difficult it can be to let
go of a dog that you have loved for 18 months. Of her most recent service dog
graduate, SSD Cabo, she said, “During my years of raising and sitting pups with
SSD, it would be hard for me to think back to another dog that has personality
like Cabo.”
It was difficult when Cabo started Team Training, but
Crystal chose not to say goodbye and focus on how much she was going to miss
him. Instead, she focused on Team Training and what a difference Cabo was
already making in the life of his new partner. “I can only imagine that the
first day of Team Training is like Christmas morning for the people receiving
their service dogs,” she said. “The wait is finally over and after lunch, a
volunteer walks each dog out to his or her partner. People get to touch, talk
to, hold the leash, and begin the bonding process with their new dog. That
moment alone is one that is never forgotten.”
Giving up a service dog isn’t a time for sadness, although
there are almost always tears. Giving up a service dog is a time for joy,
happiness, and hope for the future. The dog that you give up today to become a
service dog is going to change someone’s life in the next minute, hour, day,
year. And that is why people volunteer their time and hearts to raise service
dogs.
If you have raised service dogs or guide dogs, please share
your stories and thoughts in the comments.
Posts
I started raising guide dogs when I was in middle school, and continued to do so throughout college. My first dog, although not my favorite in retrospect, was by far the hardest to take back to school. I cried for about a week, which to a 13-year-old seems like forever. It got easier with each dog, as I saw the difference that the dogs made in the lives of their partners. Of course, planning ahead to get a new puppy within days of returning the trained dog made excitement mingle with the sadness.
ReplyDeleteHaving a dog in training is so different than having a pet dog that there's no comparison for me. I could never give up my pet, I trained her for me! But I always knew I was working with the guide dogs for someone else, and in order for the blind person to confidently walk the streets with their guide, I had to first let the dog go. The pride lasts a lot longer than the sadness - I still have pictures of my graduated dogs on my desk, 4 years later!
This is a BEAUTIFUL post and thanks so much for posting it. A little piece of a puppy raisers heart is in each pup they raise. And like Susan said, to see them working and get to become friends and even an extended family of those who get our pups makes it more than worthwhile!
ReplyDeleteSuch a lovely way to express being a puppy raiser "The pride lasts a lot longer that the sadness..." Thanks Daisy!
ReplyDeleteFor sure its really hard to give your pet over to some one with whom you have got so much memories attached with. I can understand what all you might be going through....
ReplyDelete