National Centre Appeal

Our new national centre will allow us to help more families, train more dogs and change more lives. Learn how you can help.

Benefits for Dogs

For almost 20 years, Support Dogs has operated from a small office unit in a business park close to junction 34 of the M1. This site impacts on the space and appropriate environment for the dogs and pups to relax and rest in outside training time.

Currently, training often has to take place in external hired venues or in public parks. The new site will have a number of larger training rooms.

The size of the new building will have a direct impact on the charity’s capacity to train more dogs. Our current limited space impacts on puppy classes and training sessions with older dogs.

The new site will have a number of larger and specially designed dog training areas.

These include:

Indoor sensory enrichment & training area

Weather and other external factors can regularly reduce training sessions with our dogs, and slow down their learning process. Our new centre will have dedicated indoor spaces to build our dogs' knowledge of and confidence with a wide range of sensory experiences in a fun and safe environment.

Dedicated rest and play areas

Having rest and "down time" between training sessions is vital to our dogs when in training. This is to ensure our dogs are able to switch off and relax in dedicated and comfortable spaces and snooze pods. It will also include an indoor free running space.

Health check & welfare area

The welfare of all our dogs whether working or in training is of paramount importance to our charity.

Having this dedicated area will enable our staff to carry regular health and welfare checks in an environment more comfortable for our support dogs and puppies.

Specifically designed training rooms

To create practical and immersive areas for the dogs to learn task work.

Outdoor areas

Where dogs can explore a wide range of different ground types, smells and be trained safely while being exposed to the outside noises in a positive way.