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Our Gang! (Left to Right) Stetson (front), Linus, Archer, and Raven. The human is me, Colby!
Welcome to PuppyInTraining.com!
Are you interested in the ins and outs of raising and training service dog puppies? Or maybe you have a cute, adorable, cuddly puppy who is:
- Barking… inappropriately (when is it ever appropriate) in his crate, in the car, in the house, in the yard?
- Chewing… the furniture, remote controls, shoes, clothes?
- Biting or nipping… hands, feet, arms, legs?
- Having potty accidents… in the house, on the rug, on the carpet, in the crate?
If this sounds like your puppy then I feel your pain…literally (those vampire puppy teeth can really hurt!)
We’ve experienced all of these common puppy behavior problems and many others while raising and training service dog puppies over the past 10+ years.
In fact if you’re looking for answers to common puppy training problems then look no further then the pages of this blog!
Not long ago we brought home our first guide dog puppy in training and after the initial excitement we soon realized this little puppy was not only going to test our patience, but teach us a thing or two about life, love, happiness, discipline, persistence, consistency and probably a dozen other adjectives and words!
My name is Colby and I’ve been raising and training service dog puppies since October 2006.
Follow me and my puppies on our journey from 8 week old puppy in training to working service dog!
Adelle, Puppy In Training #5
Raising And Training Service Dog Puppies
I’ve been volunteering as a puppy raiser for 10+ years now.
It all started back in 2006. Back then I spent a lot of my free time volunteering with non-profit organizations including Habitat for Humanity, Working Wardrobes and Special Olympics.
I truly enjoyed helping people in need, but I also had a love for dogs and wanted to spend my time helping both dogs and people.
This revelation coincided with America’s Family Pet Expo and while visiting the Pet Expo in 2006 I inquired about the many different volunteer opportunities with rescues, shelters and of course guide and service dog puppy raising programs.
I was a little hesitant about becoming a puppy raiser because the time commitment is quite long.
Most puppy raising programs require volunteers to raise puppies from 8 weeks of age until 18 months.
So instead of becoming a puppy raiser I started off my career in the doggy volunteer arena as a foster for one of the local animal rescues.
The thought process back then was fostering was a more short-term deal (not always).
If I could handle having an extra dog (I already had Linus) for a few weeks to a few months then I would be okay moving on to a more long-term commitment like puppy raising.
I fostered over a dozen dogs including a litter of seven German shepherd puppies!
After completing my self-imposed apprenticeship as a foster parent I decided I was ready to make the long-term commitment of becoming a puppy raiser.
Archer, Puppy In Training #6
Why Puppy In Training?
“Puppy in Training” is the writing you will often see on guide and service dog training capes signifying that the puppy is “in training” to become a working dog.
Before I picked up Stetson from Guide Dogs of America (GDA) I had a plan! The plan was to start a blog to chronicle his our journey from helpless puppy in training to working guide dog.
Unfortunately, getting a blog started took a bit longer then expected and the PuppyInTraining.com site did not make it’s debut until August 2007 a good 5 months after I picked up Stetson from GDA.
- The Bad News: I missed the cute and infuriating months of Stetson’s puppyhood.
- The Good News: Those early months were ingrained in my mind (a puppy barking when you’re trying to sleep at 2am isn’t easily forgotten).
July 2010 marked the debut of Puppy In Training TV. It was our goal to chronicle the life and times of our third guide dog puppy in training through a series of videos.
Puppy In Training TV was born and the star of the show was GDA puppy, Dublin!
If you’re interested in becoming a guide dog puppy raiser I highly encourage you to watch the entire Puppy In Training TV series. There is a happy ending 🙂
The Puppy In Training Crew!
Meet the puppies of PuppyInTraining.com
| Name | Breed | Status |
| Linus | Australian Shepherd Mix | We said goodbye to Linus on 5/7/18, RIP. |
| Stetson | Black Lab | We said goodbye to Stetson on 6/23/19, RIP. |
| Derby | Yellow Lab | Career changed Guide Dog placed through GDA adoption program |
| Dublin | Yellow Lab | Retired Guide Dog living in Arizona |
| Apache | Golden Retriever | PTSD Service Dog living in Oklahoma |
| Adelle | Yellow Lab | Mobility Service Dog living in California |
| Archer | Yellow Lab | TBI Service Dog living in Washington |
| Raven | Golden Retriever | Breeder |
| Buster | Golden Retriever | TLCAD Graduate – Service Dog with child with autism |
| Berlin | Golden Retriever | Breeder |
| Bear | Golden Retriever | Career changed from Service Dog to family pet |
| Charlie | Golden Retriever | Career changed from Service Dog to family pet |
| Downey | Golden Retriever | Service Dog Puppy In Training |
| Doni | Golden Retriever | Service Dog Puppy In Training |
| Colby | The Human | Feeling lucky to have been a part of all these dogs lives. |
That’s the story of us! A blog about our experiences raising and training service dog puppies. I hope you enjoy reading about our adventures and if you have any questions or comments please visit our contact page.
We do our best to update the Puppy In Training blog 2-3 days a week and encourage you to subscribe to our newsletter or RSS Feed.
We are interested in working with companies that align with our values. For more information please visit our Advertise Page.
Thanks for visiting our site!
Colby
Top Picks For Our Puppies
- BEST PUPPY TOY
We Like: Snuggle Puppy w/ Heart Beat & Heat Pack - Perfect for new puppies. We get all of our Service Dog pups a Snuggle Puppy. - BEST DOG CHEW
We Like: Best Bully Sticks - All of our puppies love to bite, nip, and chew. We love using Bully Sticks to help divert these unwanted behaviors. - BEST DOG TREATS
We Like: Wellness Soft Puppy Bites - One of our favorite treats for training our service dog puppies.
Check out more of our favorites on our New Puppy Checklist.
Haley r Currie says
i know this is an older thread but im searching for help. im a stay at home mom to a 10yr old and 2yr old and now a 8week old pit/mastiff. he’s cute and we all love him and the kids really needed this but mama was not ready. im so overwhelmed and litterly have anxiety about hos peeing and pooping in the floor. my house is a mess. tho he does go outside and i see he is well on his way to being potty trained hes only 8wks and does have some accidents. im so overwhelmed and have no idea why im crying over poop n pee…plz help. we love puppy but man bear is overwhelmed. thank you
Colby says
We have a 2 year old and 6 month old twins so it can get pretty hectic around here too. The quickest way to potty train a puppy is to keep him from having accidents in the house. We do this by keeping an eye on our pup 100% of the time when indoors or use either a tie down, crate, or confinement area when we cant watch our pups. If you haven’t already take a look at our articles on potty training and crate training:
https://puppyintraining.com/how-to-potty-train-a-puppy/
https://puppyintraining.com/crate-training-puppies/
Another thing we do is we keep our puppy on leash when inside the house that way the pup stays by our side throughout the day. Sometimes we’ll attach the leash to our hip to keep both hands free. Also, keeping him on leash will allow you to control his jumping and biting. If your puppy starts jumping around or biting inappropriately try shortening your leash and standing on it so he can’t jump. Also, here’s an article on puppy biting:
https://puppyintraining.com/crate-training-puppies/
A few things to note:
1. An 8 week old puppy probably does not have full control of his bladder so sometimes he won’t even know he has to go even if he understands he’s supposed to go outside.
2. We’ve been training puppies for 15 years and every puppy is different. On average I’d say our puppies have a a pretty good understanding of potty training at around 16 weeks old (we get our pups at around 8 weeks old). However, there have been extremes. We’ve had one puppy trained in a little over a week and another one took closer to 6 months.
3. If your puppy was re-homed 3 times before he was 8 weeks old there could be some issues with him leaving his litter mates too early. You also might consider bringing in a certified professional dog trainer for an in home evaluation.
Hopefully that helps. Good luck with your puppy.
Lindsay says
Hi. This looks like a really good web site, especially since you’re training guide dogs as well. Just wanted to say I can’t wait to read more, oh and I was wondering if you have any tips or an article for how to keep your dog away from cat food? My dog will stay away from it but if no one is there he’ll go and eat it. My mom has seen him right after, and the cat does not like the food on a higher surface lol he’ll hit it and make the food spill. Also wondering if you have any tips on not letting a dog go too far out when he is going to the bathroom because he always comes back to me, but my dad will tell me he goes a little farther out each time. I’ve considered using the leash again which I might do, but our yard is large enough that he can go to the bathroom behind our sandbox, but if I try walking over there sometimes I step in the poop lol my parants help me pick it up just because of the yard we have, but I know how to pick it up normally. I’m just wondering how to take better steps to make sure he doesn’t go out too far or any farther than he has. Thank you, and otherwise this dog is amazing and I am successfully keeping his training in his memory. He is an awesome guide.
Colby says
Thanks for visiting our site. Your best bet with the cat food would be to move it to a place where your dog can’t get to it. You could also try teaching your cat to eat at specific times rather than graze. Regarding teaching your dog to potty outside we always use a leash when we bring our puppies outside to potty. Hopefully that helps. Good luck with your training!
Kim Cherrix says
I like your site. I have a four month old Golden retriever puppy that I would like to train as my service dog. I have trained dogs before but not a service dog. This big guy “Loco” is the smartest dog I’ve ever worked with. He knows all the basics, he is potty trained, knows sit, down, stay, come, no, off, heel. I have problems with mobility and would like to train LOCO to help me. Is there a state test he will have to pass to get registered as a service dog and can I put “In Training” tags on him while out working with him.? Is there a book on this and where do I get real training equipment.
Colby says
This is from my personal experience. As far as I know there is no test required for service dogs. You can put “in training” tags on your puppy while you are working on his training. I don’t have a referral for a book or where to get real training equipment, the schools I partner with have a lot of custom equipment they use. I’ll see if I can find more information on service dog equipment. Here’s a post on some of the commands we teach our service dog puppies that you might find helpful: https://puppyintraining.com/what-commands-do-you-teach-a-service-dog/ Of course you can tailor training to your specific needs. Good luck with your puppy!
Sharon says
Im trying to get a service dog recommended by my psychiatrist do you know where I can start looking I live in NYC and I’m on disability I love dogs more than ppl lol and I don’t know where to start the price which I hope is not expensive and any dog would be loved and welcomed and much needed for my disorders can you help?
Colby says
A good place to start is the Assistance Dogs International website. They have a list of service dogs by state. Hopefully you can find an organization there that can help you. Good luck with your search.
Sarah says
I have an almost 9 week old puppy that I am hoping to train to be my service dog. Is he allowed to come with me every where for exposure or can he be denied access? We obviously don’t want him on the floor yet because all his shots aren’t done, so we want to put him in a shopping cart.
Colby says
Different states have different laws for service dogs and service dogs in training. In California, where we live, a Service Dog in Training is not automatically allowed into public places and can be denied access.
Unfortunately, because people often claim their pet dog is a service dog, the ADA created a special Q&A addressing shopping carts.
From the ADA website:
Q: Are stores required to allow service animals to be placed in a shopping cart?
A: Generally, the dog must stay on the floor, or the person must carry the dog. For example, if a person with diabetes has a glucose alert dog, he may carry the dog in a chest pack so it can be close to his face to allow the dog to smell his breath to alert him of a change in glucose levels.
It’s advisable that you don’t let your service dog or service dog in training ride in the shopping cart.
Regarding letting your puppy walk on the floor. Here’s AVSAB’s recommendation for when you should be socializing your puppy.
I hope this is helpful. Good luck with your training!
Jeanine says
We have a 4-month-old Goldendoodle. He is doing very well with potty training and will sit and stay. The problem we can’t seem to get a handle on is that when excited he will bite, either your skin or clothes. I just don’t know what to do. HELP!
Colby says
Take a look at this article when you have a moment: puppy biting and nipping