Help us raise our puppies

Puppy fostering involves taking a puppy into your home from when they are eight weeks of age until they are ready to begin their formal training usually between 13 to 15 months of age.

During this time you will train and care for the puppy under the guidance and support of a dedicated Puppy Supervisor.

They will teach you everything you need to know so you can raise your puppy to be a well rounded adult dog who if suitable will go on to change the life of an autistic child.

Our puppy fostering volunteers all meet the following criteria:

Aged 18+ (family members under 18
are encouraged to get involved under primary fosterer’s
supervision).

Be located within the scheme’s geographical catchment. Suitable
homes within 30 minutes of the catchment area may be considered
if the fosterer is prepared to travel to the nearest puppy training
hub (for info on training hub locations, click the next two FAQ items).

No children under the age of four living in the home.

Have a fully enclosed escape proof garden with minimum 5ft high
physical boundary such as a fence or a wall (hedging is not
acceptable).

Be able to ensure the puppy would not be left unattended for a
period of longer than is age appropriate. General guidelines state
that however many months old the pup is, is how long they can
hold it. For example, a 4-month-old pup will need to go out every
two hours. A younger pup (8 weeks) will need to go out more
frequently (every 30 minutes or so).

The puppy must live indoors and be part of the family.

Pet dogs in the home must have a suitable temperament and be
fully up to date with all vaccinations, worm and flea treatments.

Drive/have regular access to a car.

Training hubs are central locations within our catchment areas usually in or near busy shopping areas where we complete our support visits.

This is where your supervisor will meet with you, see how you are getting on and teach you how to train your puppy.

You must be located within 30 minutes of our training hubs and be prepared to travel to these frequently for support visits to be eligible to apply for long or short term fostering with us.

Dublin Hubs:

Carrickmines Retail Park
Swords Pavilions Shopping Centre
Blanchardstown Shopping Centre
Liffey Valley Shopping Centre
The Square, Tallaght

Munster Hubs:

Limerick
Parkway Shopping Centre
Crescent Shopping Centre

Clare
Ennis Shopping Centre

Cork
Midleton
AADI HQ, Little Island
Mahon Point Shopping Centre
Aldi, Douglas
Ballincollig Shopping Centre

Waterford
Tesco, Bath Street

Kerry
Killarney Tourist Office
Manor West Retail Park, Tralee

Tipperary

Dolan’s SuperValu, Cahir

Munster

• Cork
• Clare
• Kerry
• Limerick
• Tipperary
• Waterford

Leinster

• Dublin

Anyone over the age of eighteen may apply to become a puppy fosters but you must fulfill the acceptance criteria.

The rest of the family are encouraged to get involved but we only permit a person over the age of eighteen to walk the puppy in public places.

• – A dedicated puppy supervisor
• – Regular support visits
• – Regular puppy classes
• – Training videos and materials
• – Peer support from experienced fosterers (where available)

• All food, equipment and vet costs are covered by us. We supply some treats and toys but you will most likely need to purchase AADI approved additional treats and toys throughout the year. If you are unable to do this please contact your supervisor who can provide additional toys where necessary.

• Your Puppy Supervisor will arrange a temporary home to care for your puppy while you are away or in the event of an emergency. You will need to give as much advance notice as possible for holiday dates particularly during the busier summer months.

You will need to drive or have regular access to a car as this forms a vital part of the puppy’s training plan.

Suitable homes within 30 minutes of the catchment area may be considered if the fosterer is prepared to travel to the nearest puppy training hub.

Once your puppy is deemed ready to come in for training, anywhere between 13-15 months of age your supervisor will notify you of their intake date. This is the date they will leave you and formally enter training.

The trainers have temporary homes lined up for these pups so they do not go into a kennel environment. They spend evenings and weekends with their temporary home and spend the weekdays with their trainer learning the necessary skills and behaviors to qualify as an Assistance Dog or Education Assistance Dog.

You will receive updates from the trainer as to how they are getting on.

We currently run two programs for our puppies in training. The Assistance Dog Program and School Support Dog Program.

Not all puppies will qualify for these careers due to health or behavioral reasons. These dogs are then career changed as either a buddy dog for a child/ adolescent with autism or rehomed as a pet in some circumstances.

Absolutely we are always recruiting for temporary fosterers and short term fosterers.

Temporary Fosterer (applications closed currently)

Care for our pups while their puppy fosterer is away on holidays or in the event of an emergency.  This will involve shorter stays of varying lengths with different puppies.

Short term Fosterers 

Care for the same puppy into their home for a number of months. This puppy may be awaiting a permanent fosterer or may have been returned and need to be placed with another family. The age range of these pups varies depending on the situation.

1. They have a suitable temperament and are tolerant and accepting of puppies and their behaviour. (This will be assessed on a case by case basis)
2. They are fully up to date on their vaccines, flea and wormer
3. If they are entire (i.e not neutered/spayed) then we will place a same sex puppy in the home provided their temperament is suitable
4. Pet dogs must be walked separately to the puppy to allow for essential training and relationship building between puppy and handler. You may free run your pet dog with your puppy if they have good recall.
5. Cats in the home are also fine provided they are up to date on their flea, worm and vaccines and have escape routes away from the puppy. e.g stair gates/separate areas/rooms etc. Small animals such as hamsters, rabbits, guinea pigs and gerbils should be kept completely separate from puppies as they may accidentally injure or kill them.

You can contact Rose, the Puppy Program Manager at rose@aadi.ie for any enquiries relating to puppy fostering at AADI. Alternatively, you can fill in the application form and Rose will be in touch regarding your submission: https://forms.gle/WMT7hc3anWghwLwq7

The main breed used for Autism Assistance Dogs are Labradors and Golden Retrievers.  These breeds are used for their temperament and size.