Become a puppy socialiser
Help raise a future life-changing assistance dog.
Puppy socialisers play a vital role in everything we do at Veterans With Dogs. By welcoming a puppy into your home, you are helping to shape a dog that will go on to support a veteran living with complex mental health challenges.
What is a puppy socialiser?
A puppy socialiser provides a safe, stable home for one of our young dogs during their early development.
Over approximately 12–18 months, you will help your puppy grow into a calm, confident, and well-prepared dog, ready to begin their specialist assistance dog training.
This includes helping them:
- Build confidence in everyday environments
- Learn basic training and good behaviour
- Experience the world in a calm and positive way
- Develop the foundations needed for future assistance work
You don’t need to be a dog training expert, we will support you every step of the way.
Why it matters
Every assistance dog starts with a socialiser.
The time, care, and consistency you provide gives each dog the best possible start, and directly contributes to a future partnership that can transform a veteran’s life.
Without puppy socialisers, our work simply wouldn’t be possible.
What’s involved
Being a puppy socialiser is a meaningful commitment, but one that fits into everyday life.
You will provide a loving home, follow guidance on training and routines, and gradually introduce your puppy to a range of real-world environments from cafés and shops to public transport and social settings.
It’s about building confidence, consistency, and positive experiences over time.
It will be difficult to say goodbye but knowing he’s going on to transform someone else’s life makes it all worthwhile. I’d recommend it to anyone. It’s rewarding, supported, and you’re part of something really special.
Support from us
You won’t be doing this alone.
We provide ongoing guidance and training support, regular check-ins, and a supportive community of other socialisers. You will also follow a clear structure through our PALS™ training approach, so you always know what to focus on.
We are here to support both you and your puppy throughout the journey.
Saying goodbye
One of the hardest parts of being a puppy socialiser is handing your dog on for the next stage of training.
We recognise this can be emotional, the bond you build is real.
But many of our socialisers tell us that knowing their dog will go on to support a veteran through some of the most challenging moments in their life makes it all worthwhile.
Who can apply?
We are looking for people who can offer a stable, supportive environment and a commitment to the process.
Typically, this means:
- having a suitable home environment
- being able to commit time and consistency
- being willing to follow guidance and training methods
- living within reasonable distance of our training areas in the South West
If you’re unsure whether this is right for you, we’re always happy to have a conversation.
Apply to become a puppy socialiser
We are currently in urgent need of puppy socialisers in the South West. If you’re interested in becoming a puppy socialiser, we would love to hear from you.
