Born with Purpose: Inside ICAN’s Breeding Program
ICAN Belle with her puppies
At the Indiana Canine Assistant Network (ICAN), every service dog begins their journey with intention, which starts before they’re even born.
Moe Kiley, ICAN’s Breeding and Medical Manager, leads the breeding program, carefully pairing dogs based on genetics, temperament, and health. Dogs chosen as breeders demonstrate exceptional temperament and strong physical health.
After selecting a breeding pair, the female receives careful monitoring throughout her pregnancy to safeguard the health of both mother and puppies.
When it’s time to welcome the litter, whelping takes place in the home of an ICAN Litter Host volunteer, who is supported by a dedicated network—including the veterinary and breeding teams, along with over 40 dedicated litter sitter volunteers.
The “Music Litter” at their Litter Host’s home
During their first eight weeks, puppies stay with their mother and littermates. At just three days old, they experience gentle handling and gradual exposure to various textures, sounds, people, and small challenges to encourage problem solving and adaptability.
At eight weeks old, puppies undergo the Guide Dog Behavior Response Assessment Test (GDBART). This is a brief evaluation where each puppy is exposed to various stimuli like the vacuum cleaner, loud noises, tight spaces, or unfamiliar objects.
This evaluation helps ICAN staff assess each puppy’s confidence, sensitivity, and stress recovery. These are critical factors to consider when matching puppies with the right ICAN Puppy Raiser volunteer.
Moe Kiley, ICAN’s Breeding and Medical Manager, goes above and beyond her role—also volunteering as a Puppy Raiser and sponsoring ICAN service dogs in training, ensuring their success from the very start.
At around 16 weeks old, and at key points throughout their training, ICAN puppies also participate in “Walk & Talk” sessions. These evaluations allow ICAN staff to observe training progress and adjust strategies as needed. For potential breeders, they also provide valuable insight into suitability for service work.
Health testing is equally important. Potential breeders undergo eye exams and evaluations of hips and elbows. If those results are promising, advanced testing, such as cardiac screenings and genetic swabs, is required.
All behavioral and medical data, from the GDBART, Walk & Talk sessions, and health assessments, are entered into a database shared among accredited service dog organizations.
Moe uses this data to thoughtfully pair breeding dogs, preserving the most desirable behavioral and genetic traits while minimizing those that are not well-suited for service work.
ICAN Wick having an eye exam
Only after these assessments is a dog considered for ICAN’s internal breeding program or nominated for participation in the Assistance Dogs International (ADI) breeding program, the International Breeding Cooperative (IBC).
Through the IBC, ICAN partners with other accredited service dog training programs across North America and around the world.
Puppies from IBC approved litters may be exchanged between service dog organizations. For example, a puppy born at ICAN might be raised and trained by a partner program in another state or country, while ICAN may welcome a puppy from a partner organization in return.
ICAN Buck, a service dog in training and stud dog, with his daughter ICAN Kacey
These strategic exchanges give ICAN the opportunity to strengthen the breeding program by introducing new bloodlines into the genetic pool from successful service dog lines.
Once the breeder dogs are chosen and the puppies are born, the entire process begins again, with each puppy undergoing the same thoughtful and thorough evaluations.
At ICAN, every step of the breeding program is intentional in order to provide healthy, high-quality service dogs to Indiana adults, children and Veterans in need.
To learn more about how you can support ICAN’s mission, visit www.icandog.org.