Jack is more than just an adorable and cuddly family pet

Jack is more than just an adorable and cuddly family pet

3 April 2013

THERE’s more to Jack than meets the eye. The eight month-old golden retriever can pay for the shopping, take clothes out of the washing machine and answer the phone.

Jack is one of a number of dogs currently being trained by Assistance Dogs Northern

Ireland — a new charity which aims to provide highly trained dogs to people who need them. It may be people with mobility problems or children with autism who qualify for dogs like Jack, beginning a unique lifelong partnership between human and canine.

Jack is currently undergoing a two year training programme at the Ballykinlar home of Lavinia Abrol, one of five young dogs currently being trained in County Down. The dogs, all from the same litter, were bought from a Guide Dogs for the Blind charity in Co. Cork.

For Lavinia, training a dog for such a purpose is something she has wanted to do for a long time.

Originally she wanted to help train a dog for Guide Dogs for the Blind, but because she lives outside the charity’s training area she had to look elsewhere. Then one day she met two dog trainers, Neil Powell and Pete Brown, in Newcastle and she started on the path to meeting Jack.

Lavinia said: “Jack is eight months old, but he loves shopping, working and carrying. He wants to work.

“We are teaching obedience and socialisation skills such as road crossing and lying down. If the dogs go on to children with autism they have to learn to be rock solid.

“His hobbies are horticulture and chewing remote controls, but most of the time he is very caring and affectionate.

“Lots of people would know Jack and may have seen him in ASDA, Tesco and Downpatrick Library, where he is allowed to be an ordinary dog,” she said.

For Jack and the other assistance dogs training started six months ago and along with day-to-day training from their foster carers, who they live with, they have to go to a class in Newcastle once a fortnight. The class is led by Neil Powell, who is an international dog trainer from the Search and Rescue Dogs Association.

The purpose of the training is to teach the dogs how to carry out simple tasks in the home that many people take for granted. Then outside of the home they have to learn to be ever vigilant as they are taught important tasks such as helping people to cross the road, along with helping them to do the shopping.

The core values of the charity are that everyone deserves to live with dignity and independence, so the dogs are trained and provided free of charge to members of the community who can benefit from their help.

But one problem the charity does face is getting people involved in the dog’s training. Not only do they need more full time carers to take a dog home to train, they also need respite carers to give the foster carers occasional breaks.

Lavinia continued: “We are asking for puppy carers, or respite carers, to give the long term carers a break. You need access to a car, a safe closed garden, to be physically strong and have a sense of humour.

“I would love to do it again, health permitting. It is very worthwhile to do it, but you need lots of time to give to the dog.

“The hardest thing for us will be letting them go after training them, but it’s for the greater good for people who need their help. It just feels wonderful to be part of his journey,” she said.

For further information, to donate, or to get involved you can contact Lavinia on tel: 028 4485 1596, email: laviniaabrol@gmail.com or visit the ADNI website: www.adni.org.uk