Canine Partners

The first week of June is #VolunteersWeek, so we wanted to shine a bright light on our wonderful volunteers who support us in our mission to train amazing dogs.

Our fifth volunteer profile is Jean King, one of our Brood Bitch Holders who supports us with our growing breeding programme.

What is your voluntary role at Canine Partners?

I am a Brood Bitch Holder for Canine Partners. Day-to-day I look after the lovely Helena (a five-year-old yellow Labrador cross golden retriever). She has lived with me since she was 18 months old and is very much one of the family now. My role is to keep her in top physical health by ensuring she has plenty of exercise, monitoring her diet and weight and keeping her routine vaccinations and worming treatments up-to-date. Day to day, she largely lives as any much-loved pet would do.

From the time she comes into season and it’s decided to mate her, until around five months later once the puppies have gone, there are extra responsibilities. This starts with taking her for mating, and then extra care while those special puppies are on board, right through to their safe delivery. Then the hard work starts!

The next few weeks are very busy as the puppies grow and we begin their weaning and socialisation. I am very grateful for the help I get from family, friends and the many other local Canine Partners volunteers who lend a hand at this crucial developmental stage for the puppies – from hand-feeding when they start weaning, through to the final few weeks of structured play. All the while, we’re making sure that all Helena’s needs are met as well. Finally the puppies go off to their puppy parents and my focus returns to ensuring that Helena regains her pre-litter fitness and health.

This may sound daunting but Canine Partners provide lots of hands on support and advice, plus weekly visits at the crucial times to make life as easy and enjoyable as possible.

Helena had her first litter of five puppies in June 2014 and her second litter of eight puppies in January 2017.

How long have you been volunteering for Canine Partners?

I have been a volunteer with Canine Partners for about five years. I started as a puppy parent, looking after the puppies until they are about 14 months old and ready for assessment and training to be a canine partner. I have always been interested in breeding as well as training, so when Canine Partners started their breeding programme I said I would like to get involved.

I am also a speaker for the charity and Helena sometimes comes along to talks with me to show some of the basic skills that the advanced trainers can then develop to be really useful tasks for a person with disabilities.

Why did you choose to volunteer for Canine Partners?

I saw an article on our local BBC TV programme one lunchtime. I thought the combination of dog training that ultimately helped those with mobility challenges was something I could do and was interested in. Canine Partners is a small charity compared to some others but it is very professionally run and the welfare of the dog is always paramount which is what I liked about it.

What is the most rewarding thing about volunteering for Canine Partners?

Everything! From being taught dog training skills by an experienced dog trainer to watching the puppies develop (both as a Brood Bitch Holder with a litter of new born puppies, and as a puppy parent watching them develop into young dogs). It’s always fantastic when you get to later meet the puppy, now as a fully grown assistance dog with their partner at a celebration day. I also love hearing from those partners who choose to keep in touch with me as I can see how those puppies born in 2014 are changing lives.

Why should others volunteer for Canine Partners?

Canine Partners is a professional and well-run charity. It supports its volunteers extremely well. They keep you well-informed about a whole range of topics. Everyone you deal with is very professional, friendly and committed to the organisation’s aims. Overall it’s a bunch of lovely people doing great things.