For those who keep up with our Service Dogs in training via social media, you might notice that our Service Dogs in Training spend a fair bit of time outside of the facility! We call these excursions field trips, and they serve a very important role in our Service Dogs and their training.

Early Exposure: A Key to Success

It’s no secret; at Paws for Purple Hearts, we believe in the power of early exposure to set our future Service Dogs up for success. The journey from playful puppy to skilled Service Dog is filled with learning, growth, and the development of crucial skills that will one day empower a veteran or active-duty service member to regain independence and improve their quality of life.

Few things bring more instant joy than interacting with a dog or puppy you just became acquainted with. With the pandemic causing a spike in dog ownership and many using the daily cadence of dog walks and trips to the dog park to get some much needed fresh air and social interaction, the likelihood that you’ll get a chance to interact with new canine company is higher than ever.

When you think of a service dog, you might imagine a fluffy golden retriever, a sleek black lab, or perhaps a strong shepherd — but no matter what breed comes to mind, you probably picture them wearing a brightly colored vest.

Assistance animals often wear vests when they’re out in public. At Paws for Purple Hearts, our service dogs

June is PTSD Awareness Month – a month dedicated to raising awareness about the signs, symptoms and causes of post traumatic stress (PTS) as well as treatment options. At Paws for Purple Hearts, we specialize in training service dogs and

Impacting hundreds of people daily, Paws for Purple Hearts’ Facility Dog program aims to spread love and joy throughout a health/human services care facility serving our nation’s brave injured Warriors. Our dogs provide a friendly face to engage patients, families and staff. A Paws for Purple Hearts facility dog…

Paws for Purple Hearts has high performance standards for service dogs. They cannot be fearful, insecure, or uncomfortable around people, other dogs, unusual objects or noises. This is why we have puppy petting to provide our pups with those early interactions that shape their ability to become successful service dogs.