Interview with Support Dogs: How to Test the Waters of Getting a Puppy
- Places
- Feb 10
- 3 min read
Volunteer with Support Dogs to test the waters of becoming a Dog Parent in a volunteering opportunity that lasts over a year!
We've taken the time to interview the team at Support Dogs to find out more what this charity does and what you can do to help!
Hello! Could you give an introduction to Support Dogs please?
Hi we are an assistance dog charity based in Sheffield. We train and provide life saving dogs for people all over the UK and part of ADUK! We specialise in three specific programmes:
Autism assistance dogs for autistic children. The dogs are trained to provide safety for the child and reduce stress in social environments.
Seizure alert dogs for people with epilepsy. Our dogs are trained to provide a 100% reliable, potentially life saving alert up to 1 hour before an epileptic seizure. This enables the client to find safety and be in control over their seizure, allowing a much more independent life.
Disability assistance dogs for people with physical disabilities. The client’s own pet dog is trained to perform tasks which are specifically tailored to their individual needs, providing them with greater independence and safety.
What areas does your support cover or are you predominantly Sheffield based?
We are Sheffield based but we provide our dogs to people all over the country.
We've seen that you offer volunteering opportunities to work with your dogs, could you give a bit more information on what's a Puppy Socialiser, Foster Carer Evenings and Weekends?
We are really struggling to find puppy socialisers at the moment! We need you to be at home the majority of the day and be able to take on a puppy from 8 weeks old to around 12-14months old. There is no cost to the volunteer and we provide holiday cover. If you think you or someone you know would like to do this or if you’d like to find out more please get in touch! It’s a lot of fun and you know that dog is going on to change someone’s life! After our dogs have been with their puppy socialiser they will then move into training and move in with their foster carer. Foster carers will drop the dog at the centre in the morning and pick back up in the evening and have the dog over the weekend.
Who would you say would benefit from becoming a foster carer for the Support Dogs?
I think foster caring would suit someone who would love a dog but due to work commitments like a 9-5 can't have a pet dog, with our dogs you get to drop the support dog at the centre while you work! You are also an amazing part of that Support Dogs journey!
What situations / set ups do Support dogs benefit from?
We have a range of volunteers that do amazing work with our dogs, couples, single people, families with children over the age of 2, people with other pets. Our dogs benefit from being around lots of different people!
What support is offered for a Puppy Socialiser?
We provide a lot of support as we know some people who apply have never had a dog before! We have dedicated members of staff that you can call anytime and they support you through the whole process. They will meet you regularly to go through training/socialisation and milestones with your puppy. We have lots of volunteers that come back and puppy socialise again!
How long does puppy socialising normally last?
Usually around 12/14months. We have volunteers who provide holiday cover though if you need a day off to do something or you’re heading away on holiday!
What's the recruitment process like?
We like to make sure our volunteers feel as confident as possible before we send them home with one of our dogs. You will apply on a simple online form, our volunteer coordinators will contact you and invite you along to an information session to make sure the role is right for you and give you more information about the charity. We will arrange home assessments and dog handling training sessions too!
If someone was interested and they wanted more information or to apply, what's the best way to do that please?
You can go straight to our website and click on the link to apply: Volunteer with our dogs | Support Dogs Book onto one of our information sessions:
If you would like to discuss more, please get in touch by telephone: 0114 261 7800 or email: volunteering@supportdogs.org.uk
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