The News
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Keystone Human Services (KHS) is a non-profit organization that is a part of a global movement to provide support and expertise to people with disabilities.
When SSD Culligan goes to a sitter, she gains all sorts of new experiences. Maybe she meets the sitter’s cats, chickens, or chinchilla. Maybe she spends the week with small children. Maybe she practices sleeping in instead of waking up early to go to the office. Maybe she spends a week or so in an apartment, listening to the sounds of the neighbors coming and going.
No matter where she goes, she’s gaining invaluable experiences that will help her better support her partner in the future.
When an assistance dog goes home with their new partner for the first time, they will need to adjust to a new routine and home environment, as well as working with a new person. Puppy sitters play a big part in preparing Susquehanna Service Dogs’ puppies to make that transition.
Puppy sitters care for dogs in training for a day, a week, or longer while raisers go on vacation or otherwise can’t take the dogs with them.
Did you know there are two different types of puppy sitters? At-home sitters are exactly what it sounds like. A person or family cares for a dog in training within their home, working on good house manners in a new home environment. At-home sitters don’t take the dog in public.
Full access sitters work on good house manners, but they also take the dog in public. Not only does the dog potentially visit new places, but they learn to work with a new person at the end of the leash.
An SSD dog learns to work with whoever is holding the leash and treat pouch, a critical skill since they’ll need to adjust to working with their trainer in Advanced Training, who will then pass the leash and treat pouch to the dog’s partner.
Thank you to all our puppy sitters for opening your hearts and homes to many puppies in training!
Want to join Susquehanna Service Dogs’ puppy sitter community? Sign up on our website.