Puppy Raiser

Hello, everyone. My name is Amy! I started working with Keep Going K9’s in January of 2024 to be a puppy raiser! Right now, I am taking care of Hoke; a black lab with a sweet disposition. I enjoy taking him to my elementary school, where he spends the day with 6 of my 5th grade students! My students have loved having Hoke not only for comfort, but they play outside with him, and learn how to care for a dog. At home, Hoke has a 4 year old Shepherd brother, Mauser, and 12 year old lab sister, Della to play with. Hoke has learned to retrieve with Mauser and Della and continues learning day to day life! We also go on adventures, learning how to manage elevators, escalators, restaurants, doctor’s offices, riding a train, going to the gym, watching many high school baseball and softball games and so much more! I have always loved big dogs and this experience has expanded my knowledge in so many ways. Learning how to help raise and train from Sharon and Jessica has been an awesome experience. They are very patient and positive when reinforcing what I need to do to train. They have taught me many new ways to work with dogs and helped build my confidence in being a raiser. If you have any questions or have interest in being a puppy raiser like myself, feel free to contact us!

Puppy Raiser

Nice to meet everyone, my name is Kendra! Since 2007, I’ve dedicated my life to raising and training service dog puppies. Right now, I am raising a black lab named Jordan but, 8 years ago, my family and I started volunteering with a nonprofit group that raised puppies to become Guide Dogs for the blind/visually impaired. Little did I know that this decision would shape my path in profound ways. I am a full-time educational paraprofessional and a full-time volunteer puppy raiser. For 12-24 months, I provide a safe, healthy, and loving environment for the canines in training. As puppy raisers, we teach crate training, house manners, basic obedience, daily commands, and of course, loving them every step of the way! In the past, some of my trained pups would go on to be in prison facilities for specialized training while others became breeding dogs. Each farewell more bittersweet than the last but, I knew they were all destined for greatness. I am passionate about the mission at KGK9s, since my work at a 911 dispatcher, and volunteer work supporting the critical incident stress management team. My husband also serves as a paramedic as well for the surrounding towns! Together, we cannot wait to continuously assist in helping KGK9s grow. Please feel free to reach out if you have an questions!