Dogs for Better Lives Weekend Puppy Raisers

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Do you love puppies but are busy during the week? We're looking for weekend Puppy Raisers in
your area!
Dogs for Better Lives has a partnership with a local correctional institution to give the
opportunity for specially selected incarcerated individuals to raise a future Assistance Dog. On
the weekends, puppies will be placed with volunteer puppy raisers in the community who will
expose the puppies to various new experiences.

As a weekend puppy raiser, you'll reinforce basic obedience skills and good manners, provide a
safe home environment, and help expose the puppy to a multitude of different environments,
people, surfaces, and other stimuli.

How it works:
1. Co-raise a puppy on the weekends from about ten (10) weeks of age until it is
between 14 to 16 months of age.
2. Volunteer raisers pick up the puppy each weekend from the participating
correctional institution.
3. Raisers provide a safe environment and socialize the puppy in their community,
taking it to stores and parks and meeting many types of people.
4. Volunteers will work with our staff to train and teach the puppy basic obedience
skills.
5. At the end of the weekend, volunteer raisers drop off the puppy back at the
correctional institution to be co-raised by their incarcerated handlers during the
week.

Weekend Puppy Raisers should -
· Have no more than two dogs, and they must be over two years old.
· Be willing to learn from our trainers and use our methods of training.
· Have the time to dedicate to raising a foster puppy on the weekends.
· Have patience and understanding.
· Previous experience with puppies is a plus!

Puppy raisers from all backgrounds help build strong foundations for our puppies who have the
potential to become future Assistance Dogs. By co-raising a puppy for Dogs for Better Lives, you
will become a part of a team dedicated to helping others. Changing the life of a family in need to live a more independent lifestyle with the help of the assistance dog you helped raise.

About the Program

Our Prison Puppy Raising Program aims to provide incarcerated individuals with an opportunity to develop skills while engaging physically, mentally, and emotionally. Puppies raised in correctional institutions receive love and attention from their handlers, which prepares them for their future as assistance dogs. They also get exposed to a wide range of socialization experiences, which is crucial for their development. Volunteer puppy raisers help extend the training out in the community, by exposing puppies to many kinds of environments and people.

Join us in our mission to change lives for the better! For more information, please visit our web page at: dogsforbetterlives.org/get-involved/ or email puppyraising@dogsforbetterlives.org