Puppy Parenting - Fostering EENP Pups

Puppy Parents are volunteer trainers who raise, house, and provide Public Access training for EENP pups. EENP works with interested volunteers to help them decide if Puppy Parenting is a good fit because we want it to be a successful experience for everyone!

Interested in applying?

Some aspects of Puppy Parenting that you and your family should consider ...

Time
Raising and training an EENP pup takes a lot of patience and practice --- which also means a lot of time. We strive to keep pups in the same home until they near graduation, which can mean keeping a pup for 6 months up to 2 years. During this foster period, Puppy Parents can expect to spend time

• in classes or field trips at least 3 times per month.
• practicing skills like loose-leash walking throughout the day.
• seeking out novel socialization opportunities for pups.
• dropping off pups at EENP's office for advanced training during (2) 3-month periods.
• playing with pups --- a daily necessity!

With very young pups, you can expect to spend time house training the pup to be sure s/he learns to toilet outside on a leash and to teach the pup the difference between puppy toys and other items. When the pup is older, Puppy Parents take dogs with them to public places like the grocery. Running errands with a pup can be fun --- but it's much like having a toddler with you and will take more time.

Support from everyone in your household
We want everyone in your household to be enthusiastic about fostering our pups!

A schedule where the pup is not left by him/herself for more than 5 hours per day
Leaving pups alone for short amounts of time is healthy but, as future assistance dogs, EENP pups need to be integrated into daily life. We encourage Puppy Parents to take dogs to work once they are reliably house trained, as long as the job environment permits. If you are unable to take a pup to work, please let us know more about your schedule and how you envision integrating an EENP pup into your life.

Ideally 1 or fewer dogs per household and no other puppies under 1 year
EENP pups lead people-oriented lives and, generally speaking, do not play with other dogs. If a volunteer does have a dog, s/he needs to be comfortable having a puppy in the household that isn't available for play that involves tooth contact or chasing. EENP pups also spend a lot of time with their handlers, so other household dogs need to be comfortable with a possible shift of attention . If you are unsure about your situation, please contact EENP for more information.

Easy access to a fenced yard or strategy for safely exercising the pup
Pups need time to sniff around and be in their own space every day. A fenced yard provides a safe space for an EENP pup to explore and get puppy wiggles out and is strongly recommended. There are other options if a volunteer does not have access to a fenced yard, but this must be discussed with EENP staff prior to becoming a Puppy Parent.

Prerequisites
Interested volunteers are required to take the Puppy Parent Orientation & Training Seminar, a full weekend course which is offered quarterly. To take this course, volunteers must submit an application and complete an in-home interview.
Trainings are typically in January, April, August, and October.

If Puppy Parenting has piqued your interest ...

please contact us for more information or an application form. We look forward to hearing from you!!!