PUPPY RAISER PROGRAM Currently, our greatest need is for qualified Puppy Raisers. A Puppy Raiser must be willing and able to welcome one of our specially selected puppies into their home for six to eighteen months. During this time, the Puppy Raiser will nurture the puppy and socialize it in a variety of environments.

With help from SCDOA’s support team, the puppy will grow in stature and confidence. If the puppy masters basic obedience commands and has progressed satisfactorily in temperament and physical development, it will be become a candidate for the Advanced Puppy Training Program (APTP). During this advanced training, the puppy will become accustomed to many more environments and situations and will begin to acquire the unique skills necessary to qualify it for the Service Dog Cadet Program (SDCP) conducted at the Puppy Training Academy in Vista, California. Only a select number of dogs demonstrate the qualities required for this advanced special training.