Biscuit will make life sweeter for a vulnerable person
This cutie is honing his skills to improve the life of a disabled person.
Biscuit, a three-year-old Yellow Labrador, is a trainee with the Sheffield-based Support Dogs charity, which trains and provides assistance dogs to help autistic children, as well as adults with epilepsy or a physical disability, to live safer, more independent lives.
Biscuit is almost a year into his training, and has been matched with a client on Support Dogs’ Disability Assistance programme, which helps people with mobility problems.
He has been learning a range of tasks, which have been specifically tailored to his matched client.
Joe Dickinson is a trainer at Support Dogs who has had Biscuit under his charge since April last year.
He said: “He can do all of his basic training – he can pick up and fetch really nicely and he can open and close doors and drawers.
“He has cracked his washing machine-unloading training and he also walks really nicely next to wheelchairs and mobility scooters and is really good off-lead.
“I’ve also been teaching him hearing tasks, such as an alert to the doorbell or smoke alarm.”
Joe added that Biscuit is usually the one that Joe’s colleagues on the puppy team choose so that the puppies can interact with him to help boost their confidence around older dogs.
As Support Dogs do not use kennels for their dogs in training, Biscuit has been living with volunteer doggy foster carers, a couple in Stannington, when not at the charity’s training centre, off Brightside Lane.
Shortly, he will be going to live with the client, and they will train together for six months to a year before taking their test that will hopefully lead to graduation as a successful Support Dogs partnership.
When not learning how to be a wonderdog, Biscuit loves to go on walks with his foster carers, likes a game of frisbee and is partial to chicken, kibble, cheese and sweet potato.
“He’s just so laid-back,” added Joe.
“Nothing really bothers him. There is quite a funny contrast between him and one of my new trainee dogs, Rowlings, who is high energy. We will never get another Biscuit – he’s one of a kind.”
To find out more about the work of Support Dogs, please visit www.supportdogs.org.uk or call 0114 2617800.