Dam and Sire of Each Litter:

Panini is part of the Assistance Dogs International Breeding Cooperative.  Her health records are maintained by the International Working Dog Registry (IWDR.org).  She has had her hips, elbows, genetics, eyes, and heart tested.  

The sire for Panini's litter has undergone similar health testing.  He is a proven stud with a good record of producing service dogs. 

Ava has been health tested per the OFA Canine Health Information Center requirements.  You can review her health testing information by clicking HERE.  Health testing for Whippets includes basic cardiac, thyroid, BAER hearing test, and an eye exam by a veterinarian ophthalmologist.  Ava's hips will be tested after she weans her puppies.  

The sire of Ava's litter has the OFA CHIC award for health.  

Puppies:

All the puppies will receive vaccinations for distemper and parvo at 6 and 8 weeks.  All the puppies will be dewormed at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks.  All the puppies will receive a microchip, bordetella vaccination, and a basic health screening by a veterinarian at eight weeks of age.  The Whippet puppies will receive a BAER hearing test at ten weeks.  All the puppies will receive an eye exam by a veterinarian ophthalmologist before 12 weeks.  (A genetic eye condition can be detected in young puppies.)  

Panini was paired with Edgar, a yellow Labrador Retriever from Guide Dogs for the Blind in California.  Edgar was selected by using estimated breeding values in the International Working Dog Registry and the expertise of the breeding cooperative leadership team. 

Ava was paired with Turbo (Liberty's Pickup Man), owned by Alissa Huckabay and Donna Bennett of Liberty Whippets.  Turbo resides in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  You can view his health clearances and titles by clicking here. 

Ava and Panini's puppies are being raised using the early socialization protocols of the International Working Dog Association.  Every day, each dog is worked with individually and as a group.  Big thank you to our puppy care team for helping us give these dogs the best start in life.  

Dogs form all of their neurological connections by 14 weeks of age.  Early socialization is vital to the development of a dog.  To learn more click here.  

All the puppies will be temperament tested at eight weeks for suitability as service dogs.  The Dog Alliance staff have been trained to use the Guide Dog Behavioral Response Assessment Test.  Click here to learn more. If any puppies show tendencies outside the range preferred for service dogs, they will be available for adoption by families interested in training the puppies to be pets, therapy dogs, and or sport dogs.  

The fee to adopt one of these puppies is $2,500 if the dog is not being adopted/purchased as part of the Train Your Own Service Dog program.  Puppies are provided for free to disabled Texas veterans with an approved application.  

Yes.  Puppies will be available for FREE to veterans with an approved application.    A limited number of puppies will be available for civilians with approved applications in our service dog program.  

To learn more about the fees and requirements of our service dog program, please click here.  

Please contact Susan Windham.  

The vast majority of the Dog Alliance's requests for a service dog are due to mental health challenges.  Whippets are friendly, easy to train, medium-sized, low shedding, calm, good with children, friendly with other dogs, devoted to their person, seldom bark and love to snuggle/burrow.  Many of our clients have difficulty sleeping.  A warm, snuggly dog may be a great alternative to sleeping medication.  Whippets do not require extensive exercise to be content, although they do best if they can run free and fast for at least 10 to 15 minutes every day.  

One word of caution about Whippets.   They can get cold easily.  A nice warm fleece jacket is a must for Whippets when taking a walk in cold weather.  

Ava has passed the same public access and task testing that our more traditional lab/golden dogs have passed.  

In our experience, our Labrador and Golden Retrievers take close to 20 - 23 months to be fully trained and reliable.  Our Whippet was ready at about 18 months.  We do not have enough data to determine if all Whippets will be ready for service dog placement by 18 months.  

Tax-deductible donations from individuals, grants, and corporate sponsorships. 

Click here to make an online donation.

Click here to email our Community Engagement Director to learn more about opportunities for corporate sponsorships.  

We do not accept puppies from breeders or adult dogs from owner surrenders.  

Contact us. 

You can also reach us by phone from 9 to 5, Monday to Thursday.  (512) 335-7100