A DOG training company is looking for volunteers in Stroud to offer the best start in life to a puppy training to be an assistance dog.

The national charity Canine Partners is looking for volunteers to provide their dogs with the love, care and skills they need to get ready for the next stage of their training.

Canine Partners trains assistance dogs to transform the lives of people with disabilities, boosting their confidence and independence.

The dogs are taught a range of everyday tasks including picking up and fetching items, opening doors and dressing a person.

They can even help to load and unload a washing machine and they can fetch help in an emergency.

Volunteers are being asked to take in a dog while they undertake their training from around eight-weeks-old until they are ready to start advanced training.

Advanced training takes place when they are between 12 and 14 months old, at the Southern Training Centre near Midhurst or the Midlands Training Centre in Leicestershire.

Canine Partners’ expert trainers are on hand to support the volunteers, as training involves home visits, one-to-ones, town visits and puppy classes in order to socialise the puppy and get them used to all situations they may need to be in as a fully trained canine partner.

More than 1.2 million people in the UK use a wheelchair, and a significant number of those would benefit from a canine partner.

Once fully trained, the dogs are carefully matched to the applicant’s needs and lifestyle, no matter how challenging.

These life transforming dogs also provide practical, physiological, psychological and social benefits.

A canine partner also brings companionship and a sense of security.

Heather Loan is Stroud's puppy trainer and people in the town interested in becoming a volunteer can either call the Canine Partners office on 01730 716017, or email @caninepartners.org.uk.

To become a volunteer you need to be aged 18 or over, work less than full-time and be willing to make a long term commitment of at least 14 months.

To find out more about becoming a puppy parent for Canine Partners in Stroud visit bit.ly/2UbV5j9, call 08456 580 480 or email puppyoffice@caninepartners.org.uk.