Meet Gill, one of our volunteer puppy parents in East Sussex
Posted 9 years ago in the Volunteers and fundraisers category
In July 2013 I retired from a very fulfilling career as a Head Teacher. I was very excited at the prospect of being able to commit myself to something worthwhile. My two golden retrievers also looked forward to having long walks. Being with them reminded me as to how we had enjoyed agility classes and training with them in their younger days. I started to explore on the internet, for these sort of opportunities and luckily I came across Canine Partners. I was particularly drawn to the idea of becoming a puppy parent and receiving training to improve my own training skills.
I contacted Canine Partners and received details as to what was involved in becoming a puppy parent. By August I had my first puppy called Xavi, a flat coated retriever. He was delightful and together we learnt and developed the skills he would need to be an assistance dog. My own two retrievers were also very patient and co-operative allowing him to enjoy cuddling up to them on their bed at the end of a long day.
Having a puppy again brought about lots of daily challenges and some immensely pleasurable moments when we both got things right. I received lots of support along the way from the Canine Partners trainer and I realised how much I enjoyed problem solving when Xavi needed a different approach, in order to successfully complete a task. I have thoroughly enjoyed the support and friendship of the other puppy parents. The chance to laugh and relay weekly puppy anecdotes has been a real source of amusement.
Training a puppy meant gradually introducing him to various experiences; he regularly visited supermarkets, farms, shops and towns. We also helped with information and fundraising events such as local Rotarian Conferences, Guides and Summer Fayres. Xavi also gained confidence in using the local buses and trains. All these things were valuable experiences in preparing him for his future role as an assistance dog, partnered with someone who has a physical disability.
Weekly training classes were a good opportunity to come together with like-minded people. At first I was quite self-conscious when I made mistakes and was frustrated that things we did perfectly out of class could go wrong in class but I soon realised, the beauty of puppies is given time and patience they do learn.
Xavi has since gone on to advanced training and has been partnered with a person with physical disabilities. Since then I have taken on a second puppy, Fallon. She is a black Labrador and she came to me when she was five months old. She is a real poppet and I have been really pleased to be able to build on my previous skills and watch her grow in confidence. Fallon has recently been partnered with a disabled person.
Needless to say the Canine Partners experience has been a truly rewarding one and I can highly recommend it. The personal satisfaction in knowing how the dog you trained will be able to help a disabled person is enormous.