John has been a volunteer Puppy Parent for over nine years and is currently looking after his 9^th puppy-in-training, Rhondda. This is his story.

I begun volunteering at Canine Partners as I want to help people who have various medical conditions to have a better quality of life, which a canine partner assistance dog can help them achieve. Until I volunteered with Canine Partners, the only experience I had was having puppies during my teenage years and I had also been a Puppy Parent at another assistance dog charity beforehand.

As a Puppy Parent my main role is to teach them the basic skills required to become an assistance dog – sit, stay, retrieving, touch, tug and recalls.  I help to train each puppy with social skills for around 14 months. This includes getting them to use all forms of transport, such as buses, trains and the car. I will take them to various shopping centres and different social occasions – anywhere that they may need to go and any situation that they may encounter during their working life. I ensure they meet all types of people in the general public plus various animals too!

The most rewarding thing about volunteering for Canine Partners is attending the Partnership Ceremony for each puppy I help to train, as you get to listen to the various stories from the partners about how having a canine partner assistance dog has changed their life. The most heart-warming story I heard was from a young lady who said before she had her canine partner she would be ignored, but now she has a canine partner everyone stops to ask her how she is and what her dog can do. She explained how having a canine partner had opened up her social life, and it’s hearing stories like that that makes volunteering even more rewarding for me.

There are many reasons why I think people should consider becoming a Puppy Parent for Canine Partners, but one thing that I love is how I get to meet other like-minded people who are also Puppy Parents at social gatherings. I also love getting the chance to tell people I meet about Canine Partners  whilst I am out shopping or walking my puppy. The most important reason for me though, is having the chance to make a difference to the life of someone living with a physical disability.