The success of a placement of an ICAN service dog begins with the selection of the best suited puppies for the job. Because so much is asked of an service dog - steady temperament, calmness and confidence, problem-solving skills, and great health - ICAN relies on the generosity of breeders to help us find these special pups.
ICAN trains mostly labrador retrievers, golden retrievers, Doodles, and smooth coated collies. We look for breeders whose pups pass many health and temperament screenings. Ideally we ask for health clearances on the parent dogs (hips, eyes, heart) and an opportunity to assess the temperament of the parent dogs and any past litters. Once the health and temperament screenings are completed, ICAN works with breeders to facilitate the donation and entry into training.
When breeder offers to donate a puppy to ICAN, we evaluate the fit of the dog into the ICAN program based on specific criteria including:
1) Age of pups and date of birth.
2) Parental history of pups, including hip x-rays, elbow x-rays, CERF eye exams.
3) What are pups "bred for"?
4) Are both parents on site? Please describe temperament/personality of parents.
5) How many litters has the mother dog had? How many litters a year does the breeder have?
6) How are pups whelped and socialized? (living setting-garage, kennel, in home).
7) Has the breeder ever had outbreak of cocidia, giardia, parvo?
8) When is the pup available for pickup?
Breeders are invited to attend the 1-hour monthly program hosted by ICAN at the Indiana Women's Prison to learn more about how ICAN, the handlers inside the correctional facilities, and the dogs work together to serve clients with disabilities.
If you are a breeder interested in donating a puppy from an upcoming litter, we welcome the opportunity to speak with you and thank you in advance for considering making a contribution that can unleash abilities and change lives.
