Mobility Dogs

A huge thank you to our wonderful volunteer and therapy dog handler, Karen, who has been busy giving some of our Mobility Dogs jackets a much-needed makeover!

From fixing broken straps and buckles to repairing frayed bits, Karen’s handiwork means we can continue using these important jackets with our dogs.

Our jackets are an important part of helping our Mobility Dogs be easily identified while they’re out and about, and repairing and reusing them helps us make the most of every resource.

Thank you, Karen, for generously giving your time and skills to help keep our dogs looking smart and ready for work.

Chai recently headed out to Western Springs with puppy raiser Collette for a training walk, putting some important skills into practice in a real-world environment.

With plenty of birds around, it was the perfect opportunity to work on managing distractions and learning that not every feathered friend needs investigating!

They also used a long line to safely practise recall, helping Chai build confidence in coming back when called while still having the freedom to explore.

Escalators, stairs, and a whole lot of concentration! This week Senior Trainer Corinna has been working with young Spencer on navigating tricky terrain like this staircase, one of the many real-world environments our Mobility Dogs need to master before graduation.

Spencer's full attention is on Corinna, checking in and waiting for the next cue. It's this kind of focused training, out in busy public spaces, that builds the calm, reliable dogs our clients depend on every day.

Great work, Spencer. Keep it up!

Snow day for Morley! ❄️🐾

This week Morley experienced snow for the very first time, and let's just say it was love at first flake. Head down, paws flying, tail going a mile a minute, this Mobility Dog in training turned into a snow bunny the second the white stuff hit the ground in Dunedin.

There was sniffing. There was pouncing. There was a fair bit of sitting very still just taking it all in (mostly so the photo came out). But mostly there was pure, unfiltered joy.

Turns out Dunedin winters come with a few perks after all. Well played, Morley.

Jimmy's spotted the hot water bottle and he's not letting it go anywhere without him. Looks like someone's ready for a snuggly night in bed! Even dogs in training know a good cosy setup when they see one. 🧡😴

This week is International Assistance Dog Week, held in conjunction with ADI - Assistance Dogs International, and we can't think of a better way to celebrate than watching Morley in action! Retrieving dropped items, like these keys, is one of the many everyday tasks our Mobility Dogs learn to help make daily life easier and more independent for the people they're matched with.

It's a small task with a huge impact, and it's exactly why we do what we do. This week is all about recognising the incredible bond between assistance dogs and the people they support. Better together. 💚🐾

A huge thank you to Te Huia for having us aboard this week, and for letting our pups in training ride for free! Over two days, seven of our dogs got the chance to experience a real train environment and practise using the ramp and hoist, an experience that's genuinely hard to recreate anywhere else.

Monday saw Tilda, Storm and Haylee take their turn, followed by Hana, Jimmy, Hugo and Quinn on Wednesday. New sounds, new spaces, and a few new smells to get used to, but every dog handled it beautifully.

The Te Huia team were incredible on both days, patient, welcoming and genuinely invested in giving our dogs and their puppy raisers the best possible experience. Opportunities like this make a real difference in building the confidence and skills our dogs need to become life-changing Mobility Dogs.

Thank you, Te Huia, from all of us (and seven very good boys and girls)! 💚🚆

Life Changing Loyalty, exactly what it says on the hoodie. This dog in training is out taking in the sights with his puppy raiser, learning to stay calm and settled in all sorts of new environments along the way. Grateful for our puppy raisers who show up day after day to make this possible. 💚🐾