Raise a service dog

I’ve always wanted to raise a working dog. Ideally, I’d like to raise an avalanche puppy much later in life for when I’m semi-retired as a ski patroller (mmmmm…), but in the reality-tethered meantime, I’ve heard you can volunteer to raise and help train other types of service dogs.

There is a program for seeing eye puppy potentials and avalanche puppies, too. You raise these cute puppies for 18 months, go to all the training with them, keep them in your home, and then you have to give them up when they are old enough to be service dogs. My husband is on ski patrol at Alpental, and it would be so cool to raise one of the avalanche puppies. If he stays on patrol, we may get to keep the dog. I think it would be a great experience to raise them and help them through their training. It would be hard to give them up, though.