It's Time to Meet the Water Puppies

On September 22, we got a huge surprise. SSD Opal gave birth to seven puppies!

You can watch Opal and her Water puppies on the puppy cam. That means that you now have three litters of puppies that you can follow online! 

We're expecting one more litter this fall, and we really need your help getting ready for them. These three litters of puppies have used up a lot of supplies! We're going to need storage containers, baby nail clippers, storage containers, puppy crates, tiny service dog vests, and more. Please check out our puppy wish list for a complete list of the items we need. Thank you so much!

Meet the Water Puppies

SSD Bay, yellow female, purple collar

SSD Cove, black female, blue collar

SSD Lagoon, yellow female, red collar

SSD Ocean, yellow female, pink collar

SSD Rain, black female, orange collar

SSD Stream, black female, yellow collar

SSD Ripple, yellow male, green collar

Have You Met the Puppies Yet?

SSD Scotia gave birth to eight puppies on September 10, and SSD Kirby gave birth to eight puppies on September 13. Have you met the Puppies from Down Under and the Country Capitals Puppies yet?

You can watch both litters on our puppy cams.

We're expecting a total of four litters this fall, and we really need your help to get supplies together to care for all these pups. Please visit our puppy wish list and make a donation.

Meet Scotia's Puppies from Down Under

SSD Aussie, yellow male

SSD Boomerang, yellow male

SSD Dingo, yellow female

SSD Irwin, yellow male

SSD Kangaroo (Roo), yellow female

SSD Kiwi, yellow female

SSD Outback, yellow male

SSD Sydney, yellow female

Meet Kirby's Country Capitals Puppies

SSD Berlin, yellow female

SSD Reykjavik, yellow male

SSD Dublin, black male

SSD Lima, yellow female

SSD Cairo, black male

SSD Kingston, black male

SSD London, black male

SSD Ottawa, black male

Are You Ready to Name Some Puppies?

You’re on puppy watch! In anticipation of her puppies, the puppy cam for SSD Kirby’s puppies is already set up, and SSD Scotia’s puppy cam will be set up soon. We’re expecting both litters in the middle of September.

While we’re waiting for the puppies to make their debut, we need your help naming them! We will need male and female names for both Kirby’s and Scotia’s pups.

Kirby’s theme is Country Capitals. Her puppies will be named after the capitals of countries around the world.

Scotia’s litter is going to be the Puppies from Down Under. These pups will be named after all things Australian.

Please post your name suggestions in the comments. You can suggest as many names as you would like.

Thank you for being part of these puppies’ journey!

Are You Ready to Raise a Service Puppy?

We’re expecting approximately 25 service puppies to be born in the next six weeks. One of those puppies wants to go home with you. Are you ready to raise a service puppy?

Each puppy will need a puppy raiser or puppy raiser family to welcome it into their home and hearts. Puppy raisers raise the puppy for about two years. During that time, they teach the dog basic obedience, great house manners, and a variety of other skills that the dog will use as a service dog. In addition, they take the dog on lots of public outings, car rides, and long walks in different places. 

Going to the bank? Take your puppy in training with you and practice down stays while you talk with the teller. Need milk for your cereal? Take your puppy and use a cart to practice loose leash walking beside it and maneuvering the aisles.

While the puppy is in our program, the only costs you are responsible for are food and any toys, collars, leashes, etc. that you buy for the dog.

No experience is necessary. We will teach you everything you need to know about training one of our puppies. We hold puppy classes several times a month, as well as public outings to places like Chocolate World, the airport, Cabela’s, Knoebel’s, the Strasburg Railroad, and Ghosts of Gettysburg tours. 

We currently hold classes in Harrisburg, PA and Bear Creek Township, PA. Our puppy raisers come from all over central PA, as well as Northeast Pennsylvania. We even have a few puppy raisers who drive in from State College. The only limit to the location of our puppy raisers is the puppy raisers themselves. As long as you’re willing to drive to puppy classes, outings, and vet visits, you can become a puppy raiser for SSD.

Raising a puppy to become a service dog is a fun and rewarding experience. By raising a puppy, you will change a life.

Are you ready? Apply today.

Susquehanna Service Dogs Needs You!

This year, Labor Day is taking on a special meaning for SSD. We’re expecting four new litters of puppies in the next six weeks! We will definitely have our hands full with approximately 25 lab puppies expected.

With so many puppies on the way, we’re going to need your help to provide all of the supplies and care these pups need to grow into future service dogs. For example, when all those puppies are being born, we will need lots of white towels, as well as heating pads to keep the pups warm. Other items we need include puppy crates, paper towels, hand sanitizer, storage containers, and more. All of these items are essential to keeping the whelping room clean, warm, safe, and organized for the mom and puppies.

View the wish list and donate today.

Thank you for helping these puppies get off to a good start!

September Is for Puppies

September is going to be a busy month for us. SSD Scotia and SSD Kirby are both going to have puppies!

SSD Scotia was bred to SSD Sweet William. Will was SSD’s founding stud, a handsome yellow lab with a sweet temperament. Scotia is expecting 6 puppies. They should have some very nice pups!

SSD Sweet William

SSD Scotia

SSD Kirby was bred to SSD Meade, our newest stud. This will be both dogs’ first litter. When Kirby had her ultrasound, the vet saw 7-8 puppies. We’re looking forward to meeting them!

SSD Kirby

SSD Meade

SSD Opal and SSD Julia were also bred. Opal traveled to the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind and was bred to Elton, the handsome father of the Shakespearean puppies. Thank you to the Guide Dog Foundation for taking such good care of her during her stay! 

SSD Opal

 

Elton, from Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind

Julia was bred to SSD Fire, a big, dark yellow lab. We won’t know if these two dogs are pregnant until their ultrasounds. 

SSD Julia

SSD Fire

All of these dogs have traits that we are hoping will be passed on to their puppies. We put a lot of thought into our breeding program to make sure that our puppies have the right health and temperament to become successful service dogs. If you would like to learn more about why we breed service dogs rather than train rescue dogs, please read our blog post, “Why Do We Breed Service Dogs?” 

We’re looking forward to an autumn full of puppies!

Life with SSD Laurel

Guest post by Luke

Luke has been working with SSD Laurel for several years, so they have had lots of time to bond. Laurel accompanies Luke to school and hangs out with him at home. “I am very happy to have Laurel,” says Luke.

Here’s what he has to say about life with SSD Laurel.

Hi, my name is Luke and I have SSD Laurel. Laurel is a yellow lab. I have had her for three years now and she's five years old. Laurel is a service dog. She goes to school with me. She keeps me safe and service dogs do much more than that. They can control the light switch, open the fridge and freezer doors, and even pick up the phone. They can also bump you to tell you the doorbell is ringing or bump again to tell if there's a fire or something.


Laurel doesn't like storms. She likes to hide anywhere in the house. We sometimes give her bones to make her feel more safe. Mostly, she hides in the library, and her second best place is upstairs in our room under the ladder to the bunk bed. Laurel is very cute and nice. She is sometimes in the computer room looking for food that we are eating while playing our computers.

She eats her whole dinner in about 30 seconds. Mom always makes Laurel talk like she is talking. We love her, and that means she loves us. When I eat sausage for a snack, Laurel always looks at me thinking I will give her some. I might someday. Service dogs are very cute and can be very helpful. I am very happy to have Laurel.