Puppy Raising Q&A
One of our puppy raisers answers your most frequently asked questions about Puppy Raising!
Pawsible
Exceptional Sidekick puppy raisers can apply for financial support, including help with dog food and toys, through Pawsible.
Pawsible is a nonprofit supporting volunteer puppy raisers via Raiser Relief, Puppy Starter Kits, and Scholarships.
Puppy Raising
This is the most selfless act of volunteerism. We are forever in debt to these amazing people. They open their hearts and homes to our puppies and prepare them to become amazing service dogs. Puppy-raisers experience the pure joy and satisfaction of helping their puppies learn and grow knowing the life changing gift they provide for someone in need. There are so many teens and young adults that need help and we need more generous, caring people to raise the next generation of exceptional service dogs so we can shorten our waitlist. If you are interested please fill out the form below and share this opportunity with friends and family and encourage them to reach out to us today.
Full Time Puppy Raiser
How do you raise a puppy to grow into a working, life changing dog? Lots of love, time, and commitment with continued guidance, special training, and support from TESSD. Weekly group classes and public access training will guide you on the path in raising an exceptional sidekick to their full potential. Following a required, comprehensive puppy-raising curriculum you will be proud of the milestones your puppy meets along the way. The favorite part for our raisers are taking their Service Dogs in Training (SDiT) to after school activities, sporting events, kayaking, on family vacations, and helping to educate the community on proper service dog etiquette. These adventures socialize the dog to different people, environment, animals, vehicles and so much more.

“The best part of puppy raising is knowing what an impact this dog will eventually have on someone else’s life, enabling someone to have a richer, fuller life. We love to take the puppy out and about in public and everywhere we go. It’s so great to be able to show people what these dogs can do.”
~ The Irving Family
Our part time and weekend puppy fosters help us when our full-time raisers are unable to be with their puppies due to life events where their SDiT’s are unable to accompany them. Part time puppy fosters do not take the puppies into public. It’s all about cuddle time and puppy breath.
Part Time or Weekend Foster

~ Dione Titley