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raise a puppy

Black lab puppy lying on floor and sleeping with a cloud graphic near its head. In the cloud is a black lab in Leader Dog harness walking with a person in a dark winter coat down a sidewalk

To make puppy raising accessible to people with all different kinds of lifestyles, we created more options that let you choose new ways to volunteer!

On Saturday, December 9, join us on Leader Dog’s campus for a fun, free open house-style event to discover more about the new puppy raiser options! This interactive experience will give attendees the opportunity to explore the updated program and find out more from staff and current volunteers.

Whether you’re a current puppy raiser, you raised in the past, or you want to introduce someone to puppy raising for the first time, this unique experience will answer all your questions!

The event will be held from 3:30 p.m.–5:30 p.m. on Leader Dog’s campus at 1039 S. Rochester Rd., Rochester Hills, MI. Please RSVP if you’re planning to attend.

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Afterward, join us for Light Up Leader Dog!

Light Up Leader Dog guests will have the opportunity to browse through the marketplace, partake in some warm, winter beverages and tasty food from onsite vendors, enjoy the sounds of the holiday, walk the paths of luminaries, and view the Leader Dog campus all lit up!

Light Up Leader Dog starts right when the new puppy raising options event ends, and it will continue till 8 p.m.

We can’t wait to welcome you to campus!

Three lab puppies, one black, one chocolate and one yellow, stand facing forward. All are wearing blue Future Leader Dog bandannas.We offer orientation sessions for people interested in raising a puppy who would like to find out more about this volunteer opportunity. The sessions are held virtually on the first Wednesday of every month from 5 to 7 p.m. If you are interested in exploring the world of becoming a puppy raiser, join us for an upcoming session! These informational sessions are a great way to get all your questions answered by the team who supports this volunteer role.

Sign up for the orientation:

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Info sessions are typically the 1st Wednesday of every month. Dates through the end of 2024 are listed.
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Black lab in blue Leader Dog Mom bandana lies in grass with plants behind

We offer orientation sessions for people interested in hosting a breeding dog who would like to find out more about this volunteer opportunity. The sessions are held virtually on the third Wednesday of every month from 6 to 7 p.m. If you are interested in exploring the world of becoming a breeding host, join us for an upcoming session! These informational sessions are a great way to get all your questions answered by the team who supports this volunteer role.

Sign up for the orientation:

Name(Required)
Info sessions are typically the 3rd Wednesday of every month. Session dates through the end of 2024 are listed.
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Black lab puppy wearing blue Future Leader Dog bandana looks up toward the camera

By Puppy Raiser Becky Wynn

I am a retired speech/language pathologist and raised my first two Future Leader Dog puppies while I was still working in the public schools in Southgate, MI. I traveled between several schools and worked with children from preschool through middle school. It was an incredible journey for all of us. My main building was an elementary school whose principal was a former Lions club member. He, as well as the school board and the special services director, were very receptive to raising a puppy in school. He said he had never seen quieter hallways than when the puppy was walking with me to the different classrooms.

I think the first puppy taught us more than we taught him. His picture hung up on the entry wall along with all the staff pictures and the students took great pride in their contribution to his training. The students named both puppies. When it was time for Mr. Webster to go to “college” (come back to Leader Dog for formal guide training), the elementary school had an awards ceremony for him. Parents came and Mr. Webster was presented with a certificate. Then we went from room to room and took off his jacket so that each student could give him a hug good-bye.

Logistically, I had a crate in each of the therapy rooms that I worked in and over time the puppy learned to lay quietly under the table while I worked with small groups of students. One 2nd grade teacher had her students describe one thing that they learned from having a Future Leader Dog puppy in school. Here are a few of my favorites:

“I learned that you can do more than collect bottle tops and soup can labels to help other people.”

“I learned that a Leader Dog can be working when he is sound asleep.”

“I learned that if you act up in the hallway the puppy acts up too, and no one wants the puppy to get in trouble.”

“I learned that Leader Dogs help blond [sic] people who can’t see.”

“I learned that puppy slobber makes your hair lay down.”

What I learned was how devoted and responsible children can be when they are part of an important project like raising a Leader Dog. They took such pride in how their behavior affected Mr. Webster’s training. They educated all visitors and their parents about proper manners around the puppy. My speech students got to help him with his “cues” (commands) and learned how important precise pronunciation had to be in order for the puppy to understand what they were asking. They learned patience by giving only one cue word and then waiting for the puppy to respond. I had autistic students who preferred to talk only to the puppy. It was an incredible education for all of us and Mr. Webster had a profound and lifelong impact.