Assistance Dogs North Queensland

Get involved with Assistance Dogs NQ Inc (ASDOGS NQ Inc.) Mareeba, Queensland

Find out how you can get involved with our puppies through a range of opportunities

Puppy Educator
Puppy educators perform one of the most vital volunteer roles connected to our organisation.

Without the commitment and generosity of our Puppy educators we would not be able to produce amazing Assistance dogs that provide so many benefits to their recipients. We are always looking for people committed to moulding our puppies into well-behaved, responsive, and confident dogs.

Puppy educators provide a home for our dogs, usually from 9 weeks to 2 years of age. During this time, you will be the primary carer of the dog, attend weekly training classes at our grounds, and carry out regular training sessions with the puppy to maximise their learning. Our puppy educators have access to help, support, and guidance from the trainers and ASDOGS committee whenever they encounter any problems.

We cover all the costs involved in raising and training an assistance dog, however, being a puppy educator requires a significant investment of your time to work in partnership with us to prepare an Assistance Dog for its working life.

As a puppy educator you will not only learn a lot about dog training and care, but you will have the satisfaction of knowing you are providing a person with a physical disability greater opportunities to live a more independent and social life through the support and care of an Assistance dog.

If you are interested in becoming a puppy educator you will need to live in the Cairns/ Atherton Tablelands area or within reasonable driving distance from the town of Mareeba, as you will be required to attend weekly training lessons at the ASDOGS (NQ) training grounds.

To be considered you will need to:

Have one nominated adult carer who will be responsible for all aspects of the puppy’s care, socialisation and training;
Have a securely fenced and gated yard;
Be willing to have the dog live inside your home day and night;
Be able to feed and attend to the needs of a young puppy during the day;
Have the time to train and provide socialisation experiences for the puppy;
Be willing to obtain a Blue Card;
Have no more than 1 other well behaved dog (Pet dogs will need to be assessed prior to placement of a puppy);
Be able to attend weekly training sessions at the Assistance Dogs NQ Inc (ASDOGS NQ Inc.) centre Mareeba for the time of the placement, as well as preplacement training;
Be willing to follow the rules and policies of Assistance Dogs NQ Inc (ASDOGS NQ Inc.) regarding the training, feeding and care of the puppy; and
Be able to provide love and nurturing, regular pats, cuddles, and hugs.

If you are interested in becoming a Puppy Educator, please fill out our Puppy educator application form. If your initial application is suitable, we will contact you to arrange an interview and property inspection.

Short-term carer

Provide short term accommodation and care in your home for our puppies and dogs in training when their educators are on holidays or are unable to look after them.

You can offer to sit for a day, weekends or for a few weeks.

This is a very valuable volunteering job to Assistance Dogs NQ Inc (ASDOGS NQ Inc.) as it makes “puppy raising” easier for our amazing volunteers.

Sometimes, we also require temporary accommodation for older dogs who are awaiting a new home. If you can help us in this way, please contact us.