Our dog story is about family. It begins with our roots and continues with our children. 

My grandpa, Joseph Sweat, raised horses as well as other animals (including dogs) on his ranch where I loved more than anything to visit. I would go as often as I could. My grandpa was quite the horseman in his time winning competition after competition for the high quality horses and animals that he brought to the ring. Of course it was about more than just competition. It was about the love for the animal and their beauty. It was about hard work. It was about service. It was about family. And so we take on his name, and carry on his legacy. We are Open Star. 

Our Program

We believe that working dogs are happy dogs! Not only are they happier, but we are too as we utilize their strengths to help in our home and the community. Some of our dogs volunteer as therapy dogs in setting such as assisted living facilities, classrooms and therapy clinics. All of our dogs have jobs around our house, are trained daily, titled and participate in dog sports and other events. 

We believe that families can benefit from having a dog in their home and our program is built around breeding dogs that are capable of working in homes and the community as service and therapy dogs. The goal of our program is to assist families by creating dogs that help in needed ways and to give the resources to enable families and individuals to get and train an assistance dog. 

Puppy Curriculum and Training

We are a professional dog trainer and breeder. We are a positive, choice-based trainer. We utilize positive methods in our training with our own dogs and with our clients. This science-based method of training is better for family life and creates better long term success for dogs raised in pet and working homes where children reside. 

Our puppies are raised on an advanced service dog curriculum that integrates the best up to date, researched approaches to puppy raising. Including approaches from puppy culture, empowered breeder, the association of professional dog trainers, and more. 

​From the time the puppy is born we are intentional about the environment where the puppy is placed, how they are handled, and what they do each day. Our interactions with the puppies from Day 1 helps determine the success they have in your home with your family.

Our puppies are raised in a family environment by a professional dog trainer. They experience real life with us, including the crazy loud and quiet alone times. We utilize their prime socialization period to shape puppies that can tolerate the stress of sometimes difficult situations. Our goal is to intentionally teach our puppies so they are adaptable, trainable and set up to be a successful part of your unique family situation and environment.


Follow us on social media to watch our program in action!