Instructions
Research the service dog organizations in and around your home. There may be a school within 100 miles of where you live.
Contact the service dog organization and advise it of your desire to become a puppy raiser. If you pass the strict screening process, you will undergo a training period and a puppy will be placed in your care.
Teach the puppy manners such as housekeeping and not biting, as puppies sometimes do. You will also train the puppy in basic skills: sit, stay, come, heel and down.
Socialize your puppy by bringing it with you whenever you go out in public. The puppy will need to learn how to act in public places, around crowds, in cars and in a wide variety of diverse arenas: the beach, parks, airports, bus stations, shopping malls, churches and other places where people congregate.
Dress the puppy in a vest emblazoned with the name of the service dog institution and the words "Service Dog In Training" and "Please do not Pet Me." This vest alerts store managers and others that the dog's presence is required for its training and they are not to interfere by asking the person to leave or relegating him to any special place. Store managers and others who do not adhere to this rule will face severe penalties under the ADA.
Surrender the dog when it becomes 18 months old back to the institution it came from. This is a difficult step for most people because they become so attached to the puppy during the time they are raising it. The dog will continue on to advanced training where he will learn to go under tables, open doors, turn on lights, retrieve dropped items and other tasks.
Attend the matriculation ceremony when your dog is placed with a person in need. You will see the benefits of all your labor, love and attention. Watching the dog you raised being turned over to a child in a wheelchair or a person who is blind is an experience you won't soon forget.
How to Raise Puppies As Service Dogs
There may never be enough service dogs for all the people who need them, but everyday people can change that. A service dog has been specially trained to assist a person with a disability. Service dogs are protected under the Americans With Disabilities Act, which allows them to accompany their charges in stores, restaurants and other public places. Service dogs assist people in wheelchairs, those who are blind, those who are deaf, or those who suffer from mobility issues. The dog helps them in their day-to-day activities and makes it possible for them to perform simple acts most people take for granted.