Volunteer with us

Are you a dog trainer? Do you want to use your skills to make a life-changing impact?

Volunteer with Dog A.I.D. today and join a U.K. wide network of skilled volunteer dog trainers who are supporting physically Disabled people to live a more independent life.

How it works

We work alongside qualified and skilled dog trainers who volunteer their time and expertise to work with our clients on a 1-2-1 basis. Volunteers coach clients in positive, force-free dog training techniques to train their own pet dog in assistive tasks, eventually becoming an accredited Assistance Dog.

What we offer

In return for your commitment, we offer:

Ongoing professional development with access to exclusive training workshops, webinars delivered by industry respected professionals and our online trainer resources portal
Support from our experienced team including themed drop-in sessions with our training advisor
Peer support from other volunteers via our private trainer Facebook and WhatsApp groups
Support for dog trainers early in their career through our mentoring programme which enables you to develop your skills in training Assistance Dog tasks
Reimbursement of expenses incurred when training and assessing partnerships
Access to an exclusive discount on products supplied by Dog A.I.D. partner, Agria Insurance.

What we ask for from you

We ask that all of our volunteer trainers volunteer for a minimum of four hours per month, submit simple online monthly reports when coaching a partnership and undertake mandatory safeguarding and equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) training.

Apply today!

Get in touch today by clicking on the button below and registering your interest

Volunteer Register of Interest

A volunteer trainer's story - Jodie

Dog trainer Jodie shares her story of volunteering with Dog A.I.D.

Jodie trained her Assistance Dog, Buddy, with Dog A.I.D. Inspired by her experience, she went on to train as a dog trainer and behaviourist. She now volunteers with Dog A.I.D. as a trainer.

Jodie started training as a client alongside Buddy with Dog A.I.D. in 2009. She says, "It was not only my introduction to dog training, but also led to improvements in my confidence, independence, but most importantly, an acceptance of my own identity as a Disabled person. I felt much more positive about my future".

Jodie went on to study dog training, communication and behaviour. She now works as a dog behaviourist and volunteers with Dog A.I.D. to coach clients to train their own pet dog as an accredited Assistance Dog.

Jodie specialises in dog communication, dog social relationships and stress reduction. She says of the clients that she works with, "I'm supporting them not only with dog training skills but an understanding of their dog's social and emotional needs, relationship building and effective communication, to help enable them, alongside their dogs, to achieve their future goals and live their best lives just like Dog A.I.D. did for me".