Fosterer volunteer

Help care for and train the next-generation of canine partners

Fosterer volunteer – Canine Partners are looking for caring family homes to provide pre-planned care for holidays, emergencies, rehabilitation and rehoming for puppies and dogs in training, aftercare, change of career or retired dogs waiting for their forever home. We welcome registration for one or all our foster roles, dependant on location

Download the Fosterer volunteer role description here

Canine Partner Fosterer Roles and what they involve

Foster Parents support our Puppy Parent satellites and/or Canine Partners mums/broods. They provide short term care and holiday cover for puppies/dogs aged from 8 weeks. This ranges from a day cover to a few weeks care, continuing with basic care and individual exercise requirements as well as helping them to adapt to living with different carers and routines. To maintain basic training and behaviour plans for their development age, such as toilet training and loose lead walking, both in the home and in residential areas, with a designated dog toileting area (this will be discussed during Telephone Assessment).

Fosterer to support our Advanced Training Team with short term care (a minimum commitment of 4 weeks; ideally up to 3-4 months) for dogs in advanced stage of training, please see here for further details.

Long-Term Fostering Dogs which fall into this category may have been partnered or withdrawn. We ask you to care for a dog, full time in your home.

What we require from you

• The primary Fosterer must be 18 years or over.
• If you are a dog owner, you can have two pet dogs of suitable temperament. Your pet dogs will be assessed as part of the home assessment. They must be over 18 months of age.
• At home for most of the day or around office hours for Advanced training dogs
• Access to own transport to travel to vet appointments.
• Reside in a house/bungalow/ground floor flat with a dog friendly secure garden (non-shared).
• To maintain the dog’s health, welfare. With support and training, to recognise behaviour/health concerns, report them immediately to your Canine Partners staff support.
• Settling your foster dog into a new home requires time and patience, from them and you. It can take a while for them to feel completely relaxed. Settling in period will be different with each puppy/dog.
• Keep in touch with your staff point of contact with regular updates.
• Understand that the dog in your care remains under the ownership of Canine Partners.

Support and Training

• Induction process which includes submitting of information form, telephone interview, home visit, training, and handling sessions
• We allocate a Canine Partners trainer/staff point of contact as your first point of contact.
• Receive regular training, resources, and other essential information via your trainer. This may be in the format of physical copies, digital, webinars or in person.
• No previous dog ownership experience is needed but you must meet the criteria listed above to be considered.
• Pre-approved payment of expenditure such as mileage
• Invitation to join our Official Canine Partners Community Facebook Group