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.

From wagging tails to wet noses, we all know dogs have a way of bringing boundless joy into our lives. As their loyal companions, it’s our responsibility to ensure their well-being and happiness. While providing food, shelter, and love are just some of the important factors of owning a dog, one part is often overlooked. Grooming!

Have you ever heard us mention ADI? Maybe during Client Training when we introduce a Warrior to their service dog and train them to become a highly effective team.  We may have described how our teams complete their ADI Public Access test or mentioned that PPH is undergoing ADI accreditation. But what does ADI mean?

A brand new storage shed has been constructed for Paws for Purple Hearts (PPH) at the Welcome Center on the Menlo Park VA campus. Dana Souter, an Ambassador in Girl Scout Troop 61634, partnered with PPH and the VA Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS) for her Girl Scout Gold Award.

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.

Paws for Purple Hearts Team Virginia started the year on a happy note when, on January 8, 2021, service dog in training Scout tried his luck at Rosie’s Gaming Emporium’s new location in Dumfries, Virginia.

A facility dog’s role is to boost morale, build a welcoming atmosphere and promote healing for Warriors in a clinical setting. In his first year at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Clinic in San Jose, California, Ralph’s impact went far beyond what we could ever have imagined.

The value of bringing a smile to someone’s face is hard to estimate, but its importance is incomparable. Every moment a Paws for Purple Hearts dog brings joy to a Warrior is a minute, an hour, a day well-spent. The goal of each Paws for Purple hearts dog is to spread love and happiness with those around them for as long as they can. For nine years, Webb…

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…

Client training is one of the most important and also enjoyable things we do here at Paws for Purple Hearts.  Matching people with their perfect canine partner is a truly amazing experience.  It includes a great deal of learning about the human-canine bond. Dogs are not robots. They have feelings and they can make mistakes. It’s important to learn…