Simple SummaryPuppy raisers (PRs) are central to the raising and training of assistance dogs (ADs). They are members of the public who volunteer to help look after an AD puppy for the first year of its life, in partnership with an AD program provider. Research has established that experienced PRs likely raise more successful puppies. What remains unexplored is the motivations and experiences of PRs as volunteers, who may return to raise more puppies if their program experience is generally satisfactory. In this study, we invited university staff and students from two campuses in Victoria, Australia, affiliated with the same university, to participate in a PR program endorsed by the university. We interviewed 16 participants throughout the program (three times for the Bundoora campus, and seven to ten times for the Bendigo campus) and analysed the data thematically to understand their experiences. We also considered our findings within a volunteer framework called the Functional Approach to Volunteerism. Our results supported past findings regarding the benefits PRs obtain from organisational and practical supports. We also identified four functional motivations for the PRs: altruism, egoism, interacting with others, and learning new skills. Future quantitative research is required to examine the relevance and influences of these motivations on PRs’ experiences and also on the training outcomes of their puppies.AbstractAssistance dogs are beneficial; however, accessing one can be challenging due to the time, cost, and high failure rates associated with training. A major factor contributing to a high failure rate appears to be the competency of volunteer puppy raisers (PRs), with returning PRs typically more effective than first-time PRs. However, there remains a gap in the literature dedicated to examining PRs’ experiences and how they are affected by the raising programs. This study analysed two groups of PRs (N= 16) from the same university-based program in different Australian regions (i.e., one regional and one suburban). Semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed both inductively and deductively. The inductive approach identified four major themes that helped to understand the PRs experiences throughout the program: expectations as a PR, organisational and environmental support and suitability, the intensity of PR workload, and practical support. The deductive analysis identified four functions of volunteerism relevant to PRs’ motivations: altruism (values), egoism (enhancement), interacting with others (social), and learning new skills (understanding). Overall, the results obtained from the two groups were consistent with past findings suggesting the benefits of organisational and practical support. These findings further develop our understanding of how to enhance puppy-raising experiences.