Meet Brenda and Lawton

A big hello to you all! Thank you for coming to find out a little bit about me and my wonderful handler, Brenda.

I worked as an assistance dog for a few years but it wasn’t quite right for me or my partner, so I went back into Advanced Training. After some further training and ongoing health assessments, it was found that I had some areas that needed ongoing physiotherapy to ensure that I stayed fit and healthy. This, alongside me being bright and cheeky at times, meant the experts at Canine Partners felt my skills were best utilised elsewhere in the charity and this is where I was set to join the Dog Ambassador Team.

My primary role within the team is to support applicant assessment days, this is where people hoping to join our waiting list for a canine partner will come and work with our dogs for a day. Canine Partners can then decide what type of dog is best and what skills are required of the dog. I enjoy working with the Applications Team as I get to socialise with so many different people and showing them the work of an assistance dog. I am also developing my skills further to do more taskwork at events with my handler, Brenda. We are making sure we get this just right – I really enjoy learning!

I live with my handler, Brenda, who started as a Fosterer volunteer back in 2015 for Advanced Training dogs, and now continues supporting the charity by developing my skills, taking me to places when I am needed for an assessment day, as well as meeting people at many fundraising events.

Here is what my mum Brenda has to say about being a part of the Dog Ambassador Team:

“I enjoy learning new skills and love being part of something so important. I also very much enjoy the dogs!”

Lawton