Puppy Foundation Program

What is a working dog?

A working dog is a highly and specifically trained canine that performs unique and critical tasks to benefit humans and society.

Historically, working dogs have served as messenger dogs during war time; as helpmates to farmers in the fields; as a helping hand to people with disabilities; and as patrol dogs protecting the ports and entryways to our nation. Detection dogs, sometimes called “sniffer dogs”, are those that use their sense of smell to identify particular odors (such as explosives, drugs or lost people).  In addition, new research is illustrating a dog’s ability to identify infectious diseases (such as Salmonella) and even cancer.

The depth and breadth of what these amazing canines can do is limitless and ensure our lives are better and safer.

Where is the Puppy Foundation Program?

Map PV to PVWDCWe are in the process of opening our physical location in Philadelphia, PA, which will serve as a training and breeding center for the development of detection dogs. While the breeding and training will focus on detection dogs who can find specific targets (e.g. improvised explosive devices, foreign currency and lost or trapped humans), the information gained will benefit all working dogs from patrol dogs to service/guide dogs.

The Penn Vet Working Dog Center will be located at 3401 Grays Ferry Ave and will open its doors in the Fall of 2012.

What is the impact of Puppy Foundation Program?

There is, indeed, a shortage of highly trained working dogs in the US. By establishing the Puppy Foundation Program we will lead the way in responsibly breeding the best and healthiest of these important dogs, while also enhancing their success through our scientifically designed foundation training program.

We will:

  • Apply rigorous scientific methods to validate the hereditary, behavioral and environmental influences on the selection and training of working dogs;
  • Identify medical factors and create health screenings that will enhance the working lifespan of detection dogs;
  • Test and refine current proposed detection standards to develop across-the-board standards for all aspects of performance;
  • Involve the community, including youth at risk, veterans and graduates of prison dog raising programs in our puppy socialization
  • Share information gained.

Thank you to the following companies for their support

Allure Pet Products  http://hugglehounds.com
ChuckIt!  http://www.chuckit.com
Coastal Pet Products  http://www.coastalpet.com
Helping Udders  http://www.helpingudders.com
Hugs Pet Products  http://www.hugspetproducts.com
Petz Life  http://www.petzlife.com
Quaker Pet Products  http://www.quakerpetgroup.com
StarMark Pet Products  http://www.aboutdogtraining.com
Tecla USA  http://www.teclausa.com
WagletWorks http://wagletworks.com/
Whole Life Pet Products  http://www.wholelifepet.com
Zututh  http://www.zututh.com

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