Raising a Service Dog Puppy: Letting Puppies Be Puppies

As a service dog trainer, one of the biggest questions I get when people bring home their new puppy is: What is the step-by-step training plan?

They want to know what their puppy should be able to do by 3 months, 4 months, 5 months, and beyond. The expectation is high from day one there’s this underlying belief that a service dog puppy must sit, stay, walk politely on a leash, wear a vest, and behave perfectly right away.

My answer is always the same- “Yes, we need to lay the foundation for service dog training. Yes, we need to train life skills. But the most important thing is that your puppy gets to be a puppy, and explore the world.”

The Importance of Letting Puppies Be Puppies

A service dog puppy needs to play, explore, and experience the world. They need to run, jump, meet people, climb over logs, tumble off, slide across tile floors, get soaked in the ocean waves, dance with you, and watch you explore. These experiences are just as important as obedience training.

Why? Because without curiosity, without learning how to problem solve, without making clumsy mistakes, a puppy won’t develop the confidence needed for service work. If we shelter them, rush to rescue them every time they get stuck, or prevent them from ever taking a small risk, they will always look to us for security instead of developing the independence and resilience they need to do their job.

Training vs. Life Experience

Of course, this doesn’t mean we let them jump off tall objects, dig through the trash, or chew up our favourite socks. This is where foundation training comes in. We guide them, set expectations, and keep them safe from real danger while still allowing them to take small, manageable risks.

Training is not just about obedience commands; it’s about building a solid foundation through life experiences. We don’t want a puppy that simply follows commands we want a service dog that can confidently navigate the world without fear or hesitation.

The Key to a Successful Service Dog Balance

A successful service dog team is exactly that a team. And like any strong team, balance is key. The dog supports the handler, but the handler also supports the dog.

Work Hard, Play Hard – A service dog works incredibly hard. But they also need time off. Playtime, hikes in the forest, swimming in the lake, rolling around with their favourite toy, these are not just rewards, they are necessary for a well-rounded dog.

Building Confidence – Exposing a puppy to different surfaces, sounds, and situations in a positive way ensures that when they are older, they can handle new environments without stress.

Training Through Everyday Life – Obedience training isn’t separate from life. It’s woven into daily routines, like waiting at doors, walking calmly in different places, and responding to cues even when excited or distracted

Goals and Stages- Every Puppy is Different

Yes, we have goals and training stages that we work through, but every puppy and every team is different. It’s not until we watch them develop and grow that we can set the next goal.

Each day is different, filled with new learning and development, your puppy needs to explore and be curious while also learning life skills and foundational service dog skills.

All of this is done through positive reinforcement to ensure your puppy enjoys the process. A strong foundation isn’t built through pressure and perfection but through experiences, encouragement, trust, knowing your puppy and gradual learning.

The Long-Term Goal

A service dog’s job is not about perfection it’s about reliability, confidence, and teamwork. If we expect our dogs to work 24/7 without breaks, we’re setting them up for burnout. And if we don’t allow them to build confidence through experience, we’re setting them up for failure.

So, if you’re raising a service dog puppy, remember, your puppy needs to be a puppy. They need to play, explore, and experience the world while learning. The obedience and advanced training will come in time, but a strong, confident foundation starts now.

Give them the chance to live, learn, and have fun, build trust,  because a happy, well balanced puppy grows into a confident, capable service dog.

April Sauvé CPDT-KA, CDBC, SDT, ADT, CFFP