Puppies
We will have a Guardian home opportunities available soon. Click here to go to the Guardian Page. All of our puppies are adopted, however if you want to join our waitlist for future puppies you can fill out the application. For more info on the Guardian Home program click here and get in touch [email protected]
Ethics of Breeding & Puppy Raising
VIP Dog Teams decided to functionally breed dogs due to what we feels is a LACK of reputable and ethical breeders and therefore a LACK of dogs who can function as Facility and Therapy dogs. So many dog trainers/behavior consultants wish that more of us would breed dogs because we are exactly the people who should be breeding dogs. Nancy sees day in and day out what happens when genetics and upbringing have not been prioritized… the behavioral and health implications can be devastating. Nancy has experience as a NICU/OB nurse and has taken many courses to learn as much as possible about genetics, health, and whelping of puppies. Nancy is also VIP Dog Teams head trainer.
As VIP has matured as a nonprofit it became clear there are not enough suitable dogs that have what it takes. Facility and Therapy Dogs need to be incredibly tolerant, low-to-medium energy, patient and friendly dogs that can handle the demands and stress of their job.
We did NOT start Breeding to make money. It has taken us several years from the time we started considering breeding to the time we had any puppies of our own. Our foundation dogs were curated very carefully from well respected, ethical, and reputable breeders. All our foundation dogs were acquired as puppies, and so we gave them time to “grow up” and do all breed-appropriate health clearances, training, and temperament testing before considering them for breeding.
Aside from selecting foundation dogs for good genetics, we also implement a puppy raising program to set the puppies up for success from the day they are born. We are fans of the Puppy Culture program.
The care and consideration we have put into our functional breeding program also applies to our puppy owners. As trainers, we have seen too many times where people think they are ready for a puppy and are immediately overwhelmed. No matter how great the puppy is, or its pedigree is, or even when Puppy Culture is used… sometimes people just are not ready for the 1-2 YEARS it can take for your puppy to mature and “grow up”. We screen applicants very carefully and do our best to provide after support for you and your new puppy for these reasons.
You need to let us know if you are applying for a Facility pup prospect, therapy pup prospect or a pet.
We will be testing the litter at 7 weeks to give our best guess as to what each puppy will be capable of doing. We will match you with the puppy that has the potential for the job you want/need it to do and your families lifestyle.
How it Works
VIP Trainers will pick the right pup for each family based on your needs. We will do formal temperament testing at 7 weeks of age. And pups will go home at 8 weeks old.
Looking for a facility dog??
If you are a professional who wants a dog to work with you in your Facility i.e. school counselor, speech teacher. P.T., O.T., first responder, FireFighter etc.) we will find the pup that fits your lifestyle and the job you want it to do. A Facility dog can be adopted by the new owner.
Or you may be looking for a dog to do therapy work with? Our therapy dog potentials can be adopted by individuals that want to become a therapy team and do work in the community.
Or maybe you are looking for a great pet? We may have a pup or two that will be adopted out as a great pet dog.
The VIP Dog Teams Board has decided to ask for a $2500 donation for the puppy (this does not include Baxter & Bella). When you have completed all the classes for training and pass the Pet Partners test you will get $500 back for a job well done. The donation will allow us to raise and train more facility and therapy dogs.
The training classes are offered by VIP Dog Teams Trainers at NO charge to those training for therapy and facility work. There will be a series of at least 4 classes and then a therapy prep class over the course of a year to a year and a half. You will also be required to subscribe to an online training program that we currently use and love called Baxter & Bella, to supplement our live training.
Puppy classes will start 1 week after your puppy goes home. A zoom meeting will take place prior to going home to help prepare you and your puppy for a successful transition.
We are ALWAYS looking for more families to raise a pup then move it on to do its job . If you want to be a puppy raiser and release the dog at 1.5 to 2 years old PLEASE let us know. VIP Dog Teams covers most of what you will need as a puppy raiser. [email protected]