'So ya like daags'

Prison is a terrible place. As nice as the media makes it sound, at the end of the day it’s a place you don't want to be. So, imagine if you could take 6 hours a day away from the politics of the wing and just be you. That's what a day at restart is like, it’s like stepping out of jail and working with dogs like you might on the out.

Here at Restart, we take our puppies, yes we each get our own pup, from 8 weeks old, using everywhere as a toilet, to 18-24 months later when they are a fully grown dog who could go on to help someone in need. Along the way we teach them all sorts from the generic sits, stays and downs, up to complex, assistance specific behaviours like; opening the fridge, bringing you your medication or Deep Pressure Therapy to calm their person down mid panic attack.

At first glance Restart might look like a bunch of lads playing with dogs and while we do play with our dogs, it’s no easy ride. The emotional roller-coaster you go through is immense. You get the highs when your dog finally opens a door or brings you a pair of glasses to the lows of puberty, teething and the plethora of issues you encounter along the way but through it all you have the staff to guide you and reassure you 'you’re doing fine' and your puppy to motivate you not to just sack it in for a wing job. In the end its all worth it to see your dog go off to help someone with autism, disability or even if they don’t quite make it and just become a well-trained house pet!

Some quotes from the other lads in the training team-

“Looking back at my time at Restart Dogs, it’s clear to see how the project has influenced me for the better. First, my knowledge on all things regarding dogs has increased to a level beyond recognition. My social skills which needed some help have now grown to the point where I can interact with new people and even pass on my new knowledge. Without
Restart dogs I wouldn't have grown as a man.”

“Restart dogs has not only equipped me with the tools to be a recognised dog trainer but raising my dog from a pup has allowed me to love again; a feeling that I believed to be a distant memory.”

“Through this project I have had the opportunity to do a job that I love. I have always wanted to work with dogs, now I have the skills and experience to set myself up as a professional dog trainer when I am released.”

“During my time on Restart Dogs, I have enjoyed looking after the dogs and working with them. In my everyday life I have developed skills to provide dogs needs and obtain my education qualifications.”

Serco run HMP Dovegate is currently raising nine dogs who will be put forward as assistance dogs. Although the pass rate for assistance dogs is low, with the intensive training that the prisoners can offer the dogs, we hope to have many successes. The first pup to graduate has gone on to form a successful partnership with a young man with autism, who had been waiting for several years.