On Monday we held one of our Puppy Socialiser Days, bringing together some of our brilliant Puppy Socialisers and Respite Carers at beautiful Anran in Devon.
We were joined by several of our Socialisers (and some of their own dogs), a couple of Veterans With Dogs pups nearing the end of their socialisation phase, and our three newest recruits; Edison, Lindy and little Sunny, who at just 16 weeks old is currently the baby of the Veterans With Dogs family!
And, as you can imagine, there was plenty of puppy carnage!
These days are a wonderful opportunity for our pups to play, chase, splash, swim, sniff, tumble, learn and explore the gorgeous grounds at Anran which are all valuable experiences as they grow and develop.
Socialisation is a hugely important part of our puppies’ early lives. With the support of our Puppy Socialiser families, they experience a wide variety of people, places, environments and situations, helping them develop into happy, confident and well-rounded young dogs.
Becky Aggett, Head of Dog Training and Behaviour at Veterans With Dogs, said:
“These days are a great opportunity to see our puppies at different stages of their development and for them to experience being around other dogs in a safe and positive environment.
“Socialisation helps our puppies develop the confidence and resilience they need for everyday life, but it’s also important that they get to play, explore and simply enjoy being dogs… and there was certainly plenty of that happening at Anran!”
Part of the VWD family
The days are just as important for the humans. They give our Socialisers and Respite Carers the chance to get together, exchange ideas and experiences, talk to our team about training and spend time with others who understand exactly what puppy socialising involves – both the wonderful bits and the occasional challenging ones!
One of our Puppy Socialisers summed it up perfectly:
“I love coming to the Puppy Socialiser Days because we feel so much a part of the family. It’s great to catch up with the other Socialisers, share experiences and, of course, it’s great for the pups to have fun together too.”
Our Puppy Socialisers give an incredible amount of time, patience, care and commitment to our puppies during this important stage of their development. For some pups, their journey will eventually see them carefully matched with a veteran living with mental health challenges before progressing together through our Partner Animal Life Skills (PALS) programme.
Jenny Young, CEO of Veterans With Dogs, said:
“Our Puppy Socialisers and Respite Carers are a very special part of the Veterans With Dogs family. They help provide the foundations that could ultimately enable a dog to make an extraordinary difference to a veteran’s life.
“Days like this are also a chance for us to support our Socialisers – to bring everyone together, share experiences and enjoy being part of the journey. We simply couldn’t do what we do without them.”
A huge thank you to our wonderful Puppy Socialisers and Respite Carers for everything you do for our pups.
Could you help raise one of our future assistance dogs?
We are always keen to hear from people who might be interested in becoming a Puppy Socialiser and playing a very special part in a Veterans With Dogs puppy’s journey.
You’ll welcome one of our puppies into your home, help introduce them to the sights, sounds and experiences of everyday life, and support their development, with plenty of guidance from our experienced team along the way.
It’s a big commitment, but an incredibly rewarding one. The puppy you help to raise could one day go on to form a life-changing partnership with a veteran living with mental health challenges.
