Puppy raiser portal
We transform lives by partnering people with custom-trained assistance dogs.
Puppy Development Contacts
Onboarding and Auditing:
Anna Pardikes, Puppy Development Coordinator
[email protected]
Puppy Training and Prison Program:
Ashley Ayers, Puppy Development Manager
[email protected]
Puppy Training:
Izzy Greer, Puppy Development Trainer
[email protected]
Puppy Training:
Dylan Scarlett, Puppy Development Trainer
[email protected]
Puppy Health:
Kristin Oesterreich, Animal Health Manager
[email protected]
Section Links
Paw-licies and Procedures
- Policy Regarding Puppy Raiser Health Appointment Truancy
- Puppy Raiser and Training Agreement
- Puppy Co-Raiser Agreement
- Policy Regarding the Use of Perfect Pace on Puppies
- Heartworm Prevention Policy and Agreement
- Policy Regarding the Puppy Club Facebook Page
- Policy Regarding Puppies in Personal Vehicles
- Airlines Rules for Flying with Assistance Dogs
- IFT Timeline (What Happens When Puppy Returns to FSD?)
Reports, Sign Ups, and Request Forms
- Puppy Health Concern Form
- Puppy Sitter Request Form
Please submit two weeks in advance - Monthly Report
- Puppy Food Request Form*Please submit two weeks before food runs out. FSD staff will order from Chewy each week and have the food delivered to your home. Requests on short notice may not be able to be honored.
- Lesson and Outing Sign-Up Form
- FSD Kennel Practice Sign-Up Form**When you go into the FSD kennels, you can speak with a Kennel Tech to get a frozen Kong for the puppy. They can also point you to an open kennel for practice. Depending on your puppy, you might want to spend the first session sitting in the kennel with the puppy. You can engage with your puppy, read a book, practice body handling in the kennel, or just let them eat their Kong. On successive visits you might leave them alone for a few minutes at a time and visit them to treat and enrich them. You can build upon the puppy’s progress by increasing the amount of time.
- PCA/SCA Sign-Up Form
- Satellite Puppy Raiser Reimbursement Form
- Puppy Raiser IFT Report
- Puppy IFT Return Date Sign-Up Form
Puppy Raiser Resources
- Puppy Raiser ReFURral Toolbox
- FSD Terminology
- Puppy Raiser Program Binder
- Introduction to Clicker Training: PowerPoint
- Puppy Walking Class
- Puppy Placement Information: What to Expect When Taking a New Puppy Home
- Puppy's First Four Weeks at Home Timeline
- Helping Puppy Adjust to Your Home and the Rule of Threes
- Multi Dog Households: PowerPoint
- Understanding Thresholds
- The Power of Positivity - Michele Pouliot: Video
Puppy Raiser Town Hall Videos
Click here for the Town Hall Zoom Link - Every Other Tuesday at 5:00pm Spring and Summer break - no Zoom Town Halls scheduled until further notice
- In-Home Puppy Enrichment: Video
- Body Handling: Video
- Shaping with “Place”: Video
- Shaping and Fear: Video
- Secondary Cues “Touch,” “Rest,” “Under": Video
- Tellington T-Touch / Body Work: Video
- Multi Dog Households: Video
- Understanding Puppy Thresholds: Video
- Summer Safety and Travel Tips for Puppy Raisers: Video
- Puppy Raiser Survey Discussion: Video
- Service Dog Organizations, Public Access, and Laws: Video
- Puppy Raiser Survey Discussion 11/09/2021: Video
- Tiny Tots 101 12/07/2021: Video
- IFT Kennel Life and Enrichment 12/21/2021: Video
- IFT Training and Expectations of Dogs 01/04/2022: Video
- Adoptions and Weekend Fostering 01/18/2022: Video
- Debunking Dog Gender Stereotypes 02/01/2022: Video
- Baby Puppies, Nursery Life, and Socialization 02/15/2022: Video
- Health Team Presentation and Protocols 03/15/2022: Video
- Client Services and the Service Dog Placement Process 06/13/2022: Video
- Puppy Raiser Survey Discussion 07/19/2022: Video
Puppy Raiser Lessons
- 2/20/21 - Shaping with Novel Objects: Video
- Clarification for “Down”: While we prefer pups to be on their right hip, we are not overly concerned about which hip pups go “Down” on. You do not need to be specific about reinforcing which hip your pup lays down on, as long as they follow the cue and are in position.
- 4/10/21 - PORTL - Shaping for Humans: Video
- 5/8/21 - Impulse Control for Outdoor Distractions: Video
Health and Grooming
- Standard Puppy Raiser Health Care Guidelines
- Standard Out of State Puppy Raiser Health Care Guidelines.docx
- Purina Fecal Scoring Chart
- Puppy Loose Stool Protocol
- Puppy Exercise Chart By Age
- Puppy Body Shape Chart
- Raising Female Dogs in Season
- Grooming Desensitization Protocol
- Lab Grooming
- Poodle Grooming
- Nail Trimming - Practice weekly and let PDT know if guidance is needed
- Nail Trimming - Video
- Dental Hygiene and Teething
- Cold Weather Guidelines
- Hot Weather Guidelines
Daily Body Handling and Equipment Desensitization
- Body Handling Protocol
- Puppy Cradle Video
- Puppy Vet Exam and Body Handling Video
- Daily Body Handling Infographic
Shape and Desensitize Body Sensitivity (All Ages)
Puppy Home Behavior
Puppy Enrichment
Enrichment Activities for Puppies (All Ages)
- Puppy Enrichment PowerPoint
- 101 Things to Do with a Box Video
- 101 Things to Do with a Box With Karen Pryor
“Go Be a Dog” Activities
Puppy Socialization
Tiny Tot Specific Socialization (8-16 Weeks Old)
Puppy Socialization
- Proactive Exposure Training
- Puppy Training and Socialization Timeline
NEW *Make sure to view all four tabs in the document. There are socialization red zone charts, worksheets, and resources for raisers to refer back to. - Suzanne Clothier: Relationship Centered Training and Socialization Video NEW
- Riding in Vehicles Video
- Exposure Checklist (16 Weeks and Older)
- The Engage - Disengage Game
Puppy Training
Do’s and Don’ts
- Puppy Training and Socialization Timeline NEW! Make sure to view all four tabs in the document. There are socialization red zone charts, worksheets, and resources for raisers to refer back to.
- FSD Basic Dog Handling and Training Dos and Don'ts
Relaxation Protocols
Puppy Training Games
- Gamify Your Dog Training FSD-approved games include: p. 20 “I Spy,” p. 26 “Tic Tac Toe,” p. 36 “Flimsy Leash,” p. 45 “Spoon Relay,” p. 102 “Bullseye,” p. 114 “Tunnel of Love,” p. 137 “Gravity,” p. 143 “Odd or Even.”
Disclaimer: There are some games in this pdf for pet dogs that involve scavenging, eating treats off the ground, visiting other dogs, and searching for food. We do not encourage our puppies to engage in these behaviors, as it means a puppy will be career-changed due to an inability to work with a client.
Training Default Attention Behaviors (8-16 Weeks Old)
Loose Leash Walking and Handling (All Ages)
- Left Hand: Video
- Two Hands: Video
- Treat Delivery: Video
- Treat Delivery (4 mo old): Video
- Walking Up Stairs: Video
Silky Leash and Yielding to Collar Pressure (All Ages)
- Silky Leash and Yielding to Collar Pressure: Video and Instructions
- Silky Leash and Yielding to Collar Pressure
- Impulse Control Activities Using Silky Leash: Video and Instructions
- Impulse Control Activities Using Silky Leash: Instructions
“Heel” Positioning and Hind End Awareness (All Ages)
- Shaping Hind End Awareness: Video
- Training Default Attention Behaviors Shaping Hind End Awareness for Dogs
Puppy Cue Assessments
Primary Cue Assessment Course Map (All Ages)
- Primary Cues and Definitions
- 3 Month Primary Cue Assessment (PTKCP Only)
- 4 Month Primary Cue Assessment
- 6 Month Primary Cue Assessment
- Beacon 6 Month PCA Part 1: Video (22/24 score. Use as an example of what puppies should look like. No dog is always perfect and Puppy Development will support you.)
- Beacon 6 Month PCA Part 2: Video
- 10 Month Primary Cue Assessment
Training Primary Cues (All Ages)
- Teaching Puppies Basics of Primary Cues
- Heel - Verbal and Visual: Video NEW
- Recall - Verbal and Visual: Video NEW
- Place - Verbal and Visual: Video NEW
- Sit - Verbal and Visual: Video NEW
- Down - Verbal and Visual: Video NEW
- Kennel - Verbal and Visual: Video NEW
- Get Dressed - Verbal and Visual: Video NEW
- Loose Leash Walking: Video NEW
- All Done: Video NEW
**STOP: Pass the 6mo Primary Cue Assessment before moving to Secondary Cues!**
Secondary Cue Assessment Course Map
- Secondary Cues and Definitions
- Secondary Cues Assessment 1
- Secondary Cues Assessment 2
- Secondary Cues Assessment 3
Training Secondary Cues
Teaching Puppies Basics of Secondary Cues
Level 1
- Teaching Touch: Video NEW
- Teaching Rest: Video NEW
Must hold for 5+ sec until cued “All Done” - Teaching Under - Video NEW
Must hold for 15+ sec until cued “All Done” even if the raiser stands
**STOP: Send video to Puppy Development (PD) for approval to move to Level 2!**
Level 2
- Teaching Side: Video NEW
- Teaching Hup/Off: Video NEW
Elevated horizontal surface for 15+ sec - Teaching Fix: Video NEW
Show “Fix” with all 4 paws
**STOP: Send video to Puppy Development (PD) for approval to move to Level 3!**
Level 3
- Teaching Paws: Video NEW
Vertical surface 5+ sec - Teaching Back: Video NEW
Supply Links
- FSD Apparel Online Store
- Contigo Dog Leash
4’ red colored Training Leash. Use code FSDPUPPY - 42” Wire Dog Crate With Divider
- 15'-20’ Long Leash
- Millers Forge Nail Clippers
Please remember to shop through Amazon Smile at smile.amazon.com and select Freedom Service Dogs as your charitable organization of choice. This way, you’ll receive the same great pricing as on the regular Amazon site, but FSD will receive 0.5% of your purchases as a donation.