Volunteers on the Isle of Wight are being sought by national charity Canine Partners to take puppies into their own homes and begin their early training to be assistance dogs for people with disabilities.
Canine Partners is specifically looking for volunteers, known as puppy parents, who can take a pup into their home from the age of eight weeks until they are 12-14 months old.
They will need to have time, commitment and patience. One of the biggest roles of the puppy parent is to socialise the puppy in a variety of environments, helping develop the puppy in to an assistance dog that can cope with any situation. A trainer will be on hand to support them in their key role at community classes and at home in one-to-one sessions.
Puppy satellite supervisor Ronnie Paskouis said:
“Puppy parents teach the assistance-dogs-in-training basic obedience, social skills and core tasks that are essential before they move on to advanced training, where their skills are refined specifically for a disabled person’s needs.
“Volunteering as a puppy parent is a rewarding opportunity for people who live in and around the area. Puppy parents train puppies in the early stages of their development before they go on to advanced training and are matched with someone who has a disability.
“Although previous experience with dogs is not required, a puppy parent will need to be home most of the day, have a secure dog-friendly garden and have the stamina to manage an active young puppy.”
Canine Partners will provide food and equipment for the puppy and cover all veterinary costs for the duration of the puppy parent relationship.
Angela Raymond, puppy parent on the Isle of Wight, said:
“Becoming a puppy parent does take a lot of your time but it’s a fantastic feeling when you see the progress they make. The feeling when the puppy completes tasks and carries out commands I taught her makes me so proud and makes all the hard work worthwhile, especially when they accomplishes something we have worked hard at. Being a puppy parent brings a great sense of achievement.”
A volunteer puppy parent plays a vital role in transforming the life of a disabled person and their family.
Former Major in the Royal Artillery Jonathon Giemza-Pipe (pictured above), who was injured while serving in Iraq in 2007 and now relies on his canine partner Toby, said:
“My wife says that she now feels happy if she leaves me on my own, as Toby will look after me! As I have been dependent completely on my wife for some time the relief she feels as a Carer is significant. He has made an immense impact on not only my life, but also those of my family. My boys fell in love with him, and as a whole family he has helped us rediscover what it is like to smile and laugh again and to feel like a proper family.
“One of the most important things he does for me is when we’re out: he helps to make a ‘hole’ for me. Since being in a wheelchair I have developed this claustrophobia, thinking that people are crushing in on me. I suffer badly from nightmares at night, but having him beside me at night helps to calm me down. Recently I went to London, on my own for the first time, on a train, which was a massive step for me. When I arrived in Waterloo station, I dropped my train ticket, and immediately started to stress about how I was going to pick it up; I hate to ask for help, perhaps it’s a bloke thing. Before I’d finished my thought, Toby had scooped it up in his mouth and passed it to me. Several people around me said they’d never seen anything like it! I never thought he’d manage to pick up something so flat to the ground!”
If you would like to play a vital role in training an assistance dog, call the puppy office on 01730 716017 or email [email protected].
