A puppy raiser is an unpaid volunteer who takes a young puppy from a service or guide dog school, teaches it house manners and the wider world, and gives it back for formal training at around 13 to 18 months. The school sets the rules and covers some or all of the costs, depending on the program. The ADA gives raisers no public access: any right to take the puppy into stores comes from your state's law and the school's own rules. If you can love a dog and hand it on, this is one of the most useful things a dog person can do.
What does a puppy raiser do?
You give a future working dog its start. The Seeing Eye says its raisers "teach the puppies house manners and basic obedience" and "socialize them to a variety of social situations and experiences", from shopping and car trips to airports. Guiding Eyes for the Blind lists the daily job as "providing food, exercise, grooming, house manners, crate training."
You also join the school's community. The Seeing Eye requires every raiser to "join your local puppy club", with meetings and outings; Guiding Eyes requires a Pre-Placement Class before you get a puppy, then regular group classes and evaluations.
How long do you keep the puppy?
| Program | Puppy arrives | Puppy goes back |
|---|---|---|
| The Seeing Eye | "seven or eight weeks" | "typically ... between 14 and 16 months of age but this can vary" |
| Guiding Eyes for the Blind | Not stated on its page | Raising "lasts about 12-18 months"; pups "may stay in more than one home" |
Guiding Eyes also mentions starting or finishing a puppy and becoming a sitter. Ask any program about roles like these, which let you help without the full 12 to 18 months.
Do puppy raisers get paid?
No. Raising is a volunteer role, so there is no puppy raiser salary. What a school may give you is help with the puppy's costs, training support and a community of other raisers. If an ad offers to pay you to raise a "service dog prospect", it is a job or a sale, not a program puppy raiser role, and you should ask exactly who will own and place the dog.
What the school provides and what you pay
It depends on the program. Two examples, from their own pages:
- The Seeing Eye "Supplies puppy food and preventative medications (heartworm, flea and tick)" and covers "veterinary expenses". It says "The Seeing Eye pays all medical expenses for their puppies."
- Guiding Eyes "covers all pre-authorized veterinary expenses" and "provides heartworm and flea/tick preventatives". Its page lists food among the raiser's daily care.
Even where the school pays the big bills, you give time every day, drive to classes and outings, and probably buy some toys and chews. Ask each program for its written raiser terms before you apply.
How to become a puppy raiser near you
- Check where the program raises puppies. The Seeing Eye's raisers live in "New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, and certain counties of Maryland, Delaware, and New York". Guiding Eyes has raising regions "from Maine to North Carolina and Ohio", and most of its raisers "live within about an hour of regional class locations".
- Look further if you are outside those areas. The Seeing Eye points people elsewhere to Assistance Dogs International's directory of programs.
- Fill in the program's contact or application form. Both programs start there.
- Do not worry about experience. Asked whether a first-timer can raise, The Seeing Eye answers "Absolutely!" It also lets children as young as 9 be a puppy's primary raiser, with the family behind them.
Interviews and home visits differ by program, so ask what to expect rather than preparing for a script.
Taking a puppy in public: state law, not the ADA
The DOJ is direct: "Under the ADA, the dog must already be trained before it can be taken into public places. However, some State or local laws cover animals that are still in training." A program puppy is a dog in training, so the ADA does not help you.
State laws are a patchwork. The Michigan State University animal law table marks dogs in training as covered in 49 of 50 states, but "covered" ranges from full access to protection from interference only, and some states limit it to professional or approved trainers. A few examples:
- Nevada gives access to "a person who is training a service animal" (NRS 651.075).
- California requires the dog to be on a leash and tagged with an identification tag from the county or a similar agency.
- Alabama counts as a trainer a person with photo ID from a recognized school or organization; ask your school whether its raiser ID counts.
- Idaho says a dog in training "shall wear a jacket, collar, scarf, or other similar article identifying it as a dog-in-training".
- Georgia, from July 2026, covers a dog in training if "Such dog is at least six months of age and is reliably housebroken".
Your school's rules come on top of the law. The Seeing Eye tells its raisers that "Only dogs trained to assist someone with a disability are granted access to public spaces under the Americans with Disabilities Act", and because the puppies "are not performing a service" for their raisers, it asks them to "contact the manager before entering a store or other place of business to ask permission". Check your state on service dog laws by state and read service dogs in training. For housing, Minnesota's 2025 law exempts service dogs in training from HOA and apartment no-dog rules; check whether your state has anything similar.
Flying with a program puppy
Under DOT rules, dogs in training are not service animals on flights. A few airlines make their own exceptions:
- Southwest accepts dogs in training only from Canine Companions, at no charge, with a Canine Companions ID or letter. See Southwest's policy.
- Alaska and Hawaiian may carry a puppy in training free, at their discretion, when a raiser travels for training purposes wholly within the United States with "an official Trainer ID card issued by the assistance organization", requested at least 48 hours ahead. See Alaska's policy.
Other U.S. airlines either refuse dogs in training or carry them only as pets. Your school may have its own rules about air travel, so ask first.
Gear: the school's vest first
Many programs issue their own puppy coat or vest, and you should use that one, because it tells people which school the puppy belongs to. For practice outings where the school allows other gear, a plain in-training vest asks the public not to distract the puppy. It is a signal, not a pass: no vest gives a dog in training any access the law does not. More in service dog in training vests.
Turn-in day, and if your puppy has a career change
Giving the puppy back is the hard part, and every raiser knows it. The Seeing Eye gives returning puppies "a month to settle into the kennel" and may invite you to a town walk to watch an instructor work your dog. It also notes that "Many families will get another puppy to raise to fill that void."
Not every puppy becomes a working dog. If yours is released, you are usually asked first whether you want to adopt it; The Seeing Eye says "In most cases as the dog's puppy raiser, you are given the first chance to adopt the dog back." See adopting a career change dog for what that involves, and guide dogs for the work your puppy is training toward.
Common questions
Do puppy raisers get paid?
No. Puppy raising is a volunteer role. Schools may cover food, vet care or preventatives, depending on the program, but there is no salary.
How long do puppy raisers keep the puppy?
Roughly a year to a year and a half. The Seeing Eye's puppies usually return at 14 to 16 months; Guiding Eyes says raising lasts about 12 to 18 months.
Can I take a service dog puppy into stores?
Not under the ADA, which covers only trained dogs. Some states give trainers or raisers access, with conditions, and your school may set stricter rules.
Do I need dog experience to be a puppy raiser?
Not at The Seeing Eye, which welcomes first-time raisers and offers a support system. Other programs set their own requirements.
Can I fly with a puppy I am raising?
Only where an airline allows it. Southwest accepts Canine Companions puppies, and Alaska and Hawaiian may carry puppies with a raiser's organization ID on US flights.
What happens if my puppy doesn't become a service dog?
It has a career change. The Seeing Eye and Guiding Eyes both offer a released dog to its raiser first, with conditions.
Sources
- The Seeing Eye, puppy raising
- The Seeing Eye, frequently asked questions
- Guiding Eyes for the Blind, puppy raising program
- DOJ, ADA Requirements: Service Animals FAQ (question 6)
- Nevada NRS 651.075, public accommodations and service animals in training
- Michigan State University Animal Legal and Historical Center, table of state assistance animal laws
- Minnesota Governor's office, 2025 service dog in training housing law
- 14 CFR 382.3, DOT definition of service animal
General information, not legal advice. Policies and laws change; follow the sources. Last checked October 27, 2026.