H&C

Julie, Tim and Ruby

Julie Cozze-Young first volunteered as a Puppy Socialiser for Dogs for the Disabled, the assistance dog training charity, in April 2007, after attending a Visitor Day at the national training centre in Banbury.

Julie and her husband, Tim, a Marketing Director, live in a picturesque North Oxfordshire village. Attracted by the challenge and responsibility of owning and training their own dogs, they first welcomed a black Labrador, Oscar, into their home. One year later, Fergus, a chocolate version of the same breed, followed.

As well as enjoying taking Oscar and Fergus through the stages of training from basic through to advanced, Julie attended agility sessions with both dogs and also successfully passed the Kennel Club Good Citizen Bronze Award with Oscar. These experiences ignited Julie’s enthusiasm to develop her knowledge and skills to the extent that she has also started studying for a Canine Care and Welfare Certificate.

The decision to volunteer for Dogs for the Disabled was directly linked to the impact of seeing at first hand the work of the charity, including meeting some of the people with disabilities who explained how they were able to live fuller, more independent lives with the help of their trained assistance dogs.

The role of a Puppy Socialiser appealed for two clear reasons. Firstly, there was an opportunity to make a real difference to someone’s life, knowing that successfully educating and socialising a puppy through its first 14 months would result in a well behaved, responsive and friendly dog. Secondly, because the addition of a seven-week-old puppy to the household was very manageable.

Julie and Tim received Winnie, their first Dogs for the Disabled puppy, in April 2007, and she returned to the training centre for Advanced Training in March 2009.

Two months later, Ruby, a black Labrador-Retriever Cross arrived, one of six puppies from Ida, Dogs for the Disabled’s own brood bitch.

Julie’s weekly blog will chart Ruby’s progress and give an insight into the joys of life as a Puppy Socialiser for this pioneering, 100 per cent donation-funded charity.

Find out more about Dogs for the Disabled.

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